From the Bookshelf of Jodi Picoult Books Reading Group.…

The Storyteller

Jodi Picoult

Start date: March 1, 2013

Finish date: March 30, 2013

Discussion: Books Under Discussion

Discussion leader: Rachael

Why we're reading this: Jodi Picoult's newest books comes out Febuary 26th, 2013. I would love to hear your opinions as we discus…more
[close] Jodi Picoult's newest books comes out Febuary 26th, 2013. I would love to hear your opinions as we discuss the novel.

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What Members Thought

Jan 19, 2013 Sue Seligman rated it it was amazing

I just finished this book and all I can say is wow! This is certainly one of my top favorite books of all time, right up there with To Kill a Mockingbird, Sarah's Key, Jerusalem Maiden, The Help, etc. I had been looking forward to reading this book since Jodi Picoult had posted the first excerpt on her website last year. I have always been huge fan of Holocaust literature, memoirs and historical fiction alike, even more so after marrying the son of survivors. This latest Picoult book did not dis I just finished this book and all I can say is wow! This is certainly one of my top favorite books of all time, right up there with To Kill a Mockingbird, Sarah's Key, Jerusalem Maiden, The Help, etc. I had been looking forward to reading this book since Jodi Picoult had posted the first excerpt on her website last year. I have always been huge fan of Holocaust literature, memoirs and historical fiction alike, even more so after marrying the son of survivors. This latest Picoult book did not disappoint.
The theme of the books is forgiveness, and whether a person who has perpetrated extreme evil has the right to expect to be forgiven if he has later turned his life around and contributed to society. The protagonist, Sage Singer, a young baker, is a troubled woman who lives in a world of isolation, coming to grips with the death of her mother, a disfiguring scar, and her dependence on an affair with a married man. Little by little we learn that she has withdrawn as much as she can from interaction with others, so afraid that no one would see past the scar, and feeling that she is not worthy of friendship or love because of her past. She works at night in a bakery, where her talent for creating delicious pastries is appreciated by her best friend who owns the shop and the people who patronize and work there. She visits a grief support group to help her deal with her mother's death and it is there she meets a 95 year old man with whom she develops an unusual friendship. Soon he asks her a very strange favor...he wants her to help him die because, although he has lived an upstanding life for more than fifty years (the local high school German teacher, coach, respected citizen), he had been guilty of such evil in his past that he does not want to live anymore. When he confesses to Sage that he had been a Nazi officer, she is taken aback, since her grandmother is a survivor of that terrible time in history. How she deals with the situation sets the stage for an engrossing and absorbing novel, which takes many surprising turns along the way to its surprising conclusion.
Jodi Picoult has a talent for getting into the heads and souls of ther characters. She usses different font for the interweaving chapters and viewpoints of each individual. This novel is told, in turn, by Sage, Josef, Minka (Sage's grandmother), Leo (the Nazi hunter), and the parallel fairy tale which had helped Minka' survive unimaginable horrors. At times the book is very difficult to read due to the subject matter, but that is the indicator of how good Jodi is at her craft. The reader is transported to a horrible and unimaginable time in history; the sights and smells are depicted in such a way that the reader can visualize and think that he or she is actually in prewar Germany or Auschwitz or some small village a hundred years ago. The emotional component of this book is so real and so close to the surface. At times I cried, and sometimes I actually gasped out loud at the surprising events which I did not see coming. I knew there would be a twist, a surprising end, and I did amaze myself by figuring out what would happen shortly before I finished the book, but that did not diminish my fascination in the least. It has been awhile since I have been so engrossed by any novel, and I salute Jodi Picoult for her intense research and thought which obviously went into writing this novel. Bravo to her, and definitely read this book! ...more

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Aug 18, 2012 alisonwonderland (Alison) rated it really liked it

Shelves: historical-fiction, audiobook, 2013-publication-date, 52-weeks-52-books

I've read a lot of Jodi Picoult's novels over the past seven years (beginning with My Sister's Keeper ). For the most part, I've found them entertaining, sometimes shocking, and generally thought-provoking. For this one I think I'll add the adjective important.

I was somewhat disappointed in the ending - partly because I'd figured out the "twist" eons earlier and partly because it didn't give me any sense of closure. But overall this is a great book - and Part II, the historical section, set i ...more

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Jan 09, 2013 Joanie rated it really liked it

Shelves: own, kindle, 2014

This was a lot less cliched than some of Jodi Picoult's more recent offerings. There was a "story within a story" but other than that, no major gimmicks. The story sucked me but I didn't end up hating myself for it, all in all, I'd say a big improvement. ...more

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Mar 05, 2013 Melissa rated it it was amazing

http://merrylandgirl.blogspot.com/201... ...more

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Oct 25, 2012 Kathy McC rated it really liked it

I am having a difficult time rating this novel. There is some wonderful, poignant writing that was captivating and heartfelt. Picoult,once again,is the master of emotional prose in her portrayal of Minka. The details, the dialogue, the character development is spot on.
"The ghetto was a ghost town. We were a beaten, gray stream of workers who did not want to remember our past and did not think we had a future. There was no laughter, no hopscotch remaining. No hair ribbons or giggles. No color o I am having a difficult time rating this novel. There is some wonderful, poignant writing that was captivating and heartfelt. Picoult,once again,is the master of emotional prose in her portrayal of Minka. The details, the dialogue, the character development is spot on.
"The ghetto was a ghost town. We were a beaten, gray stream of workers who did not want to remember our past and did not think we had a future. There was no laughter, no hopscotch remaining. No hair ribbons or giggles. No color or beauty left behind."
"If you had to pack your whole life into a suitcase-not just the practical things, like clothing, but the memories of the people you had lost and the girl you had once been-what would you take? The last photograph you had of your mother? A birthday gift from your best friend? Would you take them to make wherever you were going feel like home, or because you needed to remember where you had come from?"

I loved that Picoult broke from her usual formula and told the story of Minka's past in total without breaking off to the present day storyline. The character of Sage was realistic and her character's moral dilemma was so well written that the reader could feel her angst.
"There is something so heartbreaking about this- about Josef's inability to put away the trappings of his wife's life. But, this man, who loved his wife and loves his dog and who eats junk food, also killed other human beings without blinking."
"For just a moment, when Josef let his own death mask slip, I could see the man he used to be: the one buried beneath the kindly exterior for so many decades, like a root growing slow beneath pavement, still capable of cracking concrete."

But there were also parts that I didn't like; parts that seemed like fluffy filler. I never understood the purpose of the "Jesus" bread or the character that only spoke in haiku poetry. I did not feel her affair with Adam was necessary for the storyline. They just wasted time and took the focus off the development of the "real" story.

But, Jodi Picoult once again demonstrated the time/effort that she puts into researching the topics that she writes about. The characters are once again beautifully written. The storyline is thought provoking and stays with the reader after the last page is read.
So.... I have decided on four stars.

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Feb 26, 2013 Stephanie rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2013

I loved this book!! I was sucked in from the very start and did not want to put this book down. I feel like this was different than all of Picoult's other books since it was based off of true events which was pretty neat. It also had an ending I never saw coming and I wasn't really left wanting more, which was a nice change of pace. I feel like it ended very nicely. ...more

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Sep 25, 2012 Kelly Lamb rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fiction, jodi-picoult, historical-fiction

This book is awesome. Jodi Picoult's research into the Holocaust helped her create a truly heart-wrenching tale, and also one that is so morally complex, you will be glued right up to the very last page. http://www.thewellreadredhead.com/201... ...more

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Apr 15, 2013 Britta rated it it was amazing

"However, no child really chooses his religion; it is just the luck of the draw which blanket of beliefs you are wrapped in."

"Sometimes all it takes to become human again is someone who can see you that way, no matter what you present on the surface." ...more

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Sep 25, 2012 Ashley rated it liked it

Shelves: women-s-lit, 2013

This was just ok for me. Reading Minka's part about her life was the best part of the book. I didn't find Sage that compelling of a character and that killed a lot of the book for me. Still a good read though. ...more

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Dec 29, 2012 Jola rated it it was ok · review of another edition

I had a hard time listening to the stories about the war & concentration camps. My father has never told us the stories because he wanted us to have a better life. Well written, but couldn't finish. ...more

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