The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult Book Review

Title: The Storyteller
Author: Jodi Picoult
Publisher: Atria/Emily Bestler Books
Genre: Literary Fiction, Historical Fiction
Year of Publication: 2013
Date of Publication: February 26, 2013
Pages: 460
ISBN-10: 1439102767
ISBN-13: 978-1439102763

Our Rating of This Book

Summary of The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult

The Storyteller centers on Sage Singer, a 25-year old baker who really did not like mingling with people because of something that happened to her in the past. Two years ago, she was involved in a car accident that left her with a scar on her face and took the life of her mother. As a result, Sage prefers to work the night shift at a local bakery.

While visiting her grandmother, Minka, at an assisted-living facility, she meets Josef. Josef is a retired teacher and is 90 years old but they form an unlikely friendship after discovering they have a lot in comon. One day, Josef makes a confession to Sage that shocks her to her core. He tells her that he used to be a Nazi SS officer and that he needs her help.

The favor, which really is unthinkable, is to help him die and forgive him. And this is where the story truly begins. To bring things into more context, Sage is Jewish, although she was never religious. Her parents on the other hand were religious and her grandmother was a Holocaust survivor.

Although Sage had some doubts as to whether Josef was telling her the truth, she decides to report this to an FBI agent, Leo Stein, who encourages her to find out as much as she can from Josef. Up until that point, Sage had not really discussed the events of the Holocaust or her grandmother’s experiences with her but she decided to do so.

The novel takes us on a journey where we learn about Minka’s history and teenage years in Poland, and Josef’s childhood during the Nazi time, and what led him to becoming a Nazi SS officer.

Main Themes

The novel is about forgiveness, redemption, morality, guilt, survival and the scars we live behind when we make certain choices in life. It examines the weight of secrets and how justice can sometimes be very complex.

The book includes some teachable moments reminding readers that when you forgive a person, it really is not about that person but it’s a way of helping yourself. You essentially take the weight off your own shoulder that you have been carrying. It does however make an important distinction on who gets to forgive. You can forgive wrongs done to you but when wrongs are done to others, you do not have to forgive.

Writing Style

Jodi Picoult’s writing is very compassionate and she tells the story in an unbiased way. She uses multiple perspectives and timelines to really give readers a well rounded story. We get Josef’s point of view as well as that of Minka’s.

Keep in mind that parts of the book are set in a concentration camp and so some readers may find those parts hard to read as they feel so authentic. With that said, this book is not one about sadness and tragedy only, it’s more focused on the strength of humans even in the face of the most unthinkable situations.