The Storytellers is heartfelt, character-driven “uplit” set in a library and celebrates multigenerational friendships.

The Storytellers by Sue Heath

Genre/Categories/Setting: Contemporary fiction, Books Set in Libraries, Writing, Multigenerational Friendship, Uplit, England

***This post contains Amazon Affiliate Links

My Summary:

Thanks #NetGalley @OneMoreChapter @HarperCollinsUK for a complimentary eARC of #TheStorytellers upon my request. All opinions are my own.

The Storytellers is a quaint and heartfelt story of four strangers who meet at the local library and join a writing competition. This eclectic group of inexperienced and sometimes reluctant writers draws inspiration from their own lives and the support of the group.

My Thoughts:

Colorful Cast of Characters

• Hattie: recently widowed, 87 years old, determined ring leader
• Avril: young adult, at loose ends after quitting her job
• Stuart: recently retired, looking for meaning and purpose and ways to fills his free time
• Will: young adult, working temporarily as a librarian while caring for his ill father

Hattie sees a flyer announcing a writing contest and convinces the others to form a writing group. The assignment is to write a novella or short story in “round robin” style. One person starts the story and the next person adds a chapter, building on the previous one. As their writing project progresses, they learn about each other and become a “found family.”

Structure

The story is told from various perspectives and includes a “story within a story.” Honestly, a story within a story is my least favorite literary technique, and I tend to skim or skip them…which I did here. I was more interested in the main characters, their lives, and the group dynamics. I loved the “found family” element and appreciated the multigenerational friendships and the satisfying and heartwarming ending.

Themes

Thoughtful themes include found family, new beginnings, multigenerational friendships, grief, hope for the future, creativity, the power of storytelling, and the importance of libraries.

Content Consideration: grief

Recommending The Storytellers:

Fans of character-driven “uplit,” books set in libraries, and multigenerational friendships will find a great deal to appreciate in The Storytellers.

Related: Other books set in libraries

My Rating: 4 Stars

More Information Here

Meet the Author of The Storytellers, Sue Heath

Sue Heath lives in Cheshire, England. When she isn’t working, she can often be found running around agility courses with her spaniel, and in the evenings, she loves to cook and spend time with family and friends.

You can find out more about Sue on her website – http://www.sueheath.co.uk

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QOTD:

Do you enjoy books set in libraries?

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All books I review are purchased or borrowed from the library unless explicitly stated that the book is free (arc).

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