The Keeper of Stories by Sally Page - #bookreview

 

Everyone has a story to tell.

But what if you don't have a story? What then?

If you are Janice, you become a collector of other people's stories.

She once watched the Academy Awards acceptance speech of a famous Engligh actor - a National Treasure described her early life as a cleaner and how, as a young hopeful, she had stood in front of other people's bathroom mirrors holding the toilet cleaner as if it was an Oscar statue. Janice wonders what would have happened if the National Treasure hadn't made it as an actor. Would she still be a cleaner, like her?

***

When Janice starts cleaning for Mrs B – a shrewd and tricksy woman in her nineties – she meets someone who wants to hear her story. But Janice is clear: she is the keeper of stories, she doesn’t have a story to tell. At least, not one she can share.

Mrs B is no fool and knows there is more to Janice than meets the eye. What is she hiding? After all, doesn’t everyone have a story to tell?

***

I read this book as it was this month's choice for my book group. We all enjoyed it very much, even those who did not anticipate doing so.

What delighted us most was the main character, Janice, who is a woman that it would be so easy to underestimate. A woman who blends into the background, who lacks in self-confidence and has more inner strength than she realises. We also enjoyed Mrs B. who was an excellent character and not one to be forgotten in a hurry.

I thought that this was well written, and the author inhabited her characters in a way that made them come alive on the page. Whilst Janice sees herself as 'just a cleaner' she is so much more. She is perceptive, intuitive and compassionate, and we all loved her. Even more, we loved the dog, Decius, who we felt portrayed many of the Janice's thoughts and feelings that she was not able to express herself.

It was a life-affirming novel, and I was rooting for Janice all the way. It was a light-hearted and easy read but oozed with meaning and I enjoyed every word.

ISBN:  978 0008453510

Publisher:  One More Chapter

Formats:  e-book, audio and paperback

No. of Pages:  384 (paperback)

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About the Author:

After studying history at university, Sally moved to London to work in advertising. In her spare time she studied floristry at night school and eventually opened her own flower shop. Sally came to appreciate that flower shops offer a unique window into people’s stories and she began to photograph and write about this floral life in a series of non-fiction books. Later, she continued her interest in writing when she founded her fountain pen company, Plooms.co.uk.

In her debut novel, The Keeper of Stories, Sally combines her love of history and writing with her abiding interest in the stories people have to tell. Sally now lives in Dorset. Her eldest daughter, Alex, is studying to be a doctor and her younger daughter is the author, Libby Page. Both are keen wild swimmers.

(author photo and bio. info. courtesy of the author's website https://sallypage.com/)

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*Disclosure: I only recommend books I would buy myself and all opinions expressed here are my own. This post contains an affiliate link from which I may earn a small commission.