The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult
Josef Weber is ninety-five and
living with his dog in a small town in New Hampshire. He was a pillar of the community for many
years but he has long buried secrets. He
befriends twenty-something Sage Singer at a grief support group and as their
friendship grows he confesses his secret to her. Josef is not his real name. He took a new identity when he arrived in the
United States. He was an SS Officer in
Auschwitz and he wants Sage, of Jewish ancestry, to forgive him and then help him
die.
In typical Picoult fashion this is a
morality tale – what is right and what is wrong? Can a person redeem themselves from heinous
acts through future actions? Is inaction
the same as participating? Can a good
person do horrible things and still be a good person?
If you are an audiobook fan add this one to your listening list. Read by multiple narrators the casting is superbly done with accents and emotion ringing true throughout the story.
I have to admit that I really enjoyed this book and I have been disappointed by most of Picoult’s recent novels. It is quite intense, especially with the details of life in Auschwitz, but the story flows and keeps you hanging on every word. Even though I saw the twist ending coming from a long way off (it’s not as shocking as they typically are) I still couldn’t wait to see what came next.
