The Story Keeper

by Lisa Wingate
Hennepin County Library hardcover 413 pages
genre: Christian realistic fiction

Jennia Gibbs is a New York editor who is new to Vida House Publishing. When a manuscript from the forbidden "slush pile" shows up on her desk, she is drawn into the story of Sarra and Rand. She is also drawn back to her home region and the tangles of family connections (especially poor family wanting money from her). I really enjoyed this book and our discussion last night.

page 47 - talking about her grandma - "I hadn't thought about that in years, hadn't allowed Momaw Leena and her meanness into my life - not even long enough to consider how incredibly wrong it was to heap misery on kids who were already struggling to survive." This made me think about some of my students who have tough situations and lack supportive adults.

page 70 - from the manuscript, when Rand stands up to Jep - "He sensed the balance slowly turning. he could feel, for the first time in his life, the power of good against evil." I like that! (both the power and his realization)

page 162 - When Jen goes to the stables - "I was struck again by the fact that, for all appearances, this was a beautiful life. A perfect life. It's so easy to make assumptions, passing by other people's homes at a distance. To be so certain that the goings-on inside mirror the exteriors - that glittering facades and squeaky-clean windows equate to perfect families, yet the reality is that containers often tell nothing of the contents."

page 239 - "I wonder if it's ever possible to fully cast off twisted family bonds and move through the world without them slowly digging into the skin . . . " (Katie noted this one, too!)

page 294 - I love the librarian reference!

page 295 - When she comes to terms with the messed-up religion of her childhood (all punishment and rules without the grace and love) - "Just a building, created by men, filled with bits of God's Word town from context and recombined like the pieces of a ransom note."

page 333 - Title! From the manuscript - "You ken the stories, and when I'm shed a this place, then it'll be you who's the story keeper."

page 366 - my favorite line from the book - "Even when we are lost, God has not lost us."

This was slow to start (in my opinion), but Katie asked me if it was worth reading past a certain point (Sarra and her life at the start of the manuscript) so I read on. Yes, it's worth it!