I will be honest in saying I'm not a huge fan of Jodi Picoult. But this story had more depth, with the use of a change of person, multiple parallel stories being told at one time, and an ending not quite as obvious as one would expect.
The Storyteller was a good book, an easy read. I enjoyed the historical references pertaining to a Holocaust survivor. And I loved the fact that the main character was being torn between her loyalties to the survivor and an ex-Nazi.
For me, the fact that the main character is a baker, and that the baker reference was used throughout the stories in the novel made it all the more enduring. I'm a sucker for baking - and for what food can mean to someone. What we see is the metaphor that the baked goods mean - in modern time, and during the holocaust, as well as in the fiction story being retold. We have three separate storylines - current day, the Grandmother's history, and the fiction story, all intertwined, and all with similarity. And the baking, the bread and sweets, is at the heart of all three.
All in all, a nice, enjoyable read.
Friday, February 21, 2014
Monday, February 17, 2014
The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
It all started with a letter... and a request.
What would follow is a wonderful story, actually two stories, intertwined and twisted, like the branches of the trees and bushes so meticulously cared for in the gardens throughout the book.
Margaret Lea, daughter of a bookstore owner, is asked to write the biography of a prolific writer. Through her time spent at Vita Winter's home we start to see the pieces of Winter's life come together.
The story is beautifully written, including not only the stories of Winter's life, but the story of the relationship between storyteller and writer that unfolds and grows throughout the process. Lea ventures multiple times to the childhood home of Winter, now in ruins, and through her research there, and in records, is able to put the pieces together.
Multiple conflicts, complex characters, and twisted plot lines keep you hooked on every page. It was definitely a hard book to put down!
What would follow is a wonderful story, actually two stories, intertwined and twisted, like the branches of the trees and bushes so meticulously cared for in the gardens throughout the book.
Margaret Lea, daughter of a bookstore owner, is asked to write the biography of a prolific writer. Through her time spent at Vita Winter's home we start to see the pieces of Winter's life come together.
The story is beautifully written, including not only the stories of Winter's life, but the story of the relationship between storyteller and writer that unfolds and grows throughout the process. Lea ventures multiple times to the childhood home of Winter, now in ruins, and through her research there, and in records, is able to put the pieces together.
Multiple conflicts, complex characters, and twisted plot lines keep you hooked on every page. It was definitely a hard book to put down!
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