A fragile friendship bloomed between Sage
Singer and Joseph Weber in New Hampshire in the year 2013. After losing her
mother in a car accident that she survived, Sage, a twenty-five- year-old
lonely baker, joined a grief support group where she met Joseph, a
ninety-five-year-old man who had lost his wife. Their intimacy eventually led Joseph
to reveal something dark about his past: he had been an Auschwitz guard for the
Nazi regime. Sage, on the other hand, was the granddaughter of a Holocaust
survivor. Joseph had a special, desperate request for Sage. It was an unethical kind of request, and, by
the end of the novel, Sage found herself in a snare.
The revelation about Joseph’s past prompted
Sage to learn about her grandmother’s life story, one that Minka had kept
hidden from her.
Minka,
her Jewish grandmother, had dreamed of being a writer, and during the time she
was in a concentration camp her talent for storytelling saved her life. The way
this happened is carefully revealed throughout the novel, so I will not
disclose more information about this aspect of the story.
The atrocities and horrifying situations Minka
witnessed and experienced become vivid in the narrative she shares with all
sorts of details. (I would not be able to watch a movie of this book because it
would be traumatizing).
The different chapters are written from the
point of view of the main characters: Sage, Minka, Joseph and Leo. This feature
of the novel helps to gain a deeper understanding of the plot and characters.
There is suspense, romance, humor and various
turns and surprises that enhance the reader’s interest. Philosophical
reflections and ethical issues shake the reader to the core. It is not easy to
put this novel down. Jodi Picoult is a remarkable storyteller. I appreciate the
way she develops her characters and how their relationships unfold. She knows
how to evoke the undertones and challenges of those relationships with
graceful artistry and precision. This
novel was an emotional rollercoaster and it made me think about issues I had
never paused to consider.
In the early 1940s Minka’s father had been a baker who had the habit of making a special roll for her. The core of the delicious roll contained chocolate and cinnamon, but the main ingredient he used was love. The art of baking is interwoven into the story in a way that delights the senses and boosts the reader’s interest.
Sage had a true vocation for baking;
her great-grandfather’s abilities and passion for this art resuscitate in Sage
Singer’s talent and work.
I highly recommend The Storyteller. It is the perfect book for a book club because it offers various topics for discussion. The worst and the best of humanity are in full display in this shocking novel. The love for family and the sacrifices attached to it are only some of the themes that run through the story; there are many more. I would like to write about this novel for hours, but this is not possible because I must avoid spoilers here.
I also think it is important to learn about the Holocaust. After reading The Storyteller I realize that there is so
much about the Holocaust that I did not know… Even though this is a fictional
story, the experience of witnessing hate crimes, being forced to live in a
ghetto and living in concentration camps was real to millions of Jews.
Starvation, executions, torture and the separation of families were real.
Antisemitism was the excuse underpinning these crimes against humanity, but Jewish
people were not the only ones persecuted. Gypsies, dissidents, homosexuals and
people with disabilities were also executed.
The context of the novel is very
well-researched. I appreciate the work Jodi Picoult did to elaborate this
riveting story. She provides the
references she used to craft The Storyteller. Jodi Picoult's book has educational value.
I like to compare this novel with a yarn ball
made of several pieces of yarn tied together to complete the ball.
At the end
of the novel all the parts come together like the pieces of a puzzle. The final chapter,
however, has two shocking surprises. I had to read it a few times to convince
myself of the outcome...
All in all, this is a novel that will leave
you with questions and reflections. It has the potential to kindle insightful
discussions and conversations, and the characters are memorable. I look forward
to reading more books by Jodi Picoult.
Here's an interview with Jodi Picoult in which she shares her experience interviewing Holocaust survivors for her book:
