book review the storyteller jodi picoult

Picoult has never baulked at the challenge of dealing with the nitty-gritty of life. This is the story of what happened to Sage's grandmother and her family - all Jewish - as they were first pushed into the ghettos and then transported to the concentration camps. Much of the story is set in Europe - in Poland and Germany - and what happens in the future is only a continuation, a consequence of events in the nineteen forties. The Storyteller is a considerable step away from what you might be expecting. Long-time fans of Jodi Picoult will have grown accustomed to her gripping stories which deal with a social or moral dilemma and are set in the present, in the United States. Sage is shocked at the request and then repelled as Josef tells her more of his story. But when Sage relaxes into the relationship Josef tells her about himself and asks her to help him to die. Josef Weber, pillar of the local community, attends the same grief counselling group as Sage - and he's in his nineties. She works as a baker as the night work allows her to hide away from people and sleep in daylight hours, but she does develop one friendship which probably only happens because it seems non-threatening. Sage Singer is scarred both mentally and physically and has never really got over her mother's death.

I didn't feel that it was her strongest book but it is - as you might expect - very readable. Summary: A change of direction for Picoult, with a story, set largely outside the US and with a strong historical thread.

Book review the storyteller jodi picoult