The Story Collector - by Evie Woods (Paperback)

The Story Collector by Evie Gaughan as a wonderful combination of historical and romance. In the book we meet two main characters who live a century apart. Anna, a young woman living in 1911 Ireland and Sarah a Boston native who drunkenly ended up in Ireland after reading about a tree (and perhaps subconsciously trying to flee from a life she feels is falling apart). Once in Ireland, Sarah is living in the same village that Anna lived generations ago. While Sarah is figuring out how to put her life back together, she's simultaneously learning about Celtic lore through Annas stories. Many people associate the topic of fairies as works of fantasy. And while that may be what they represent in present day, like all good fantasy topics, they are built and developed through Celtic folklore similar to the Greek gods and goddesses. Over the course of the book, the reader gets a first hand experience of why people believe in the fairy folk - while in present day we may find other explanations, in the past belief in this lore was the explanation people needed for all things good and bad. Having recently read The Lost Bookshop for book club, I was eager and nervous to be offered an early access copy of The Story Collector from NetGalley thanks to Harper360. One thing I struggled with in The Lost Bookshop was that Evie Gaughan requires readers to think for themselves and connect the dots and after having read a lot of books where things get wrapped up very obvious and succinctly, in The Lost Bookshop readers may be confused if reading the book as it is and not trying to think about it on a deeper level. That being said, The Story Collector does have literary moments like that, but not quite as extreme as The Lost Bookshop. For future readers of The Story Collector, I would encourage them not to try and disprove the existence of fairy people as their reading, but instead appreciate how Evie Gaughan has brought a lovely piece of work that gives a great portrayal of how local lore, Celtic in this instance, influenced life in past generations. The Story Collector is a refreshing and unique piece of historical fiction and romance that is focused around one of the less common historical setting - rural Ireland.

I loved the journey this book took me on. The personal struggle that Sarah was experiencing was the perfect open door for the adventure that Anna’s diary presented. While I was definitely invested in Sarah, I was always anxious to get back to Anna’s world. After all, it was filled with fairies and tales that excited and shook me in equal parts. This story switches back and forth between two time periods and women, but it was not difficult to keep up with where the story was with each jump. The characters were all engaging and kept me intrigued with each turn of the page. I loved the touch of romance as well as the angst I felt regarding a potential villain. This was a fast paced read that had both lighthearted and darker moments. I loved everything about this story and found myself completely satisfied with its ending.

The story begins with the legend of the Thornwood house where a Hawthorn tree was cut down, which cursed the people who lived in the house! This book alternates between 1910 and 2010 surrounding the Legend! 2010-Sarah’s marriage was not working out, so she leaves her husband, Jack, on Christmas Day to move in with her sister Megan, who lives in Boston. She gets to the airport, but in her drunken state, somehow gets on a plane to Ireland instead! Megan is upset when she finds out! Sarah is welcomed by the community and finds Anna’s diary at the house she is staying at. Sarah begins to investigate the Thornwood house. Who will Sarah meet and what will she find out? Does this experience help Sarah give direction to her life? 1910-Anna meets an American visitor, Harold, when his bike breaks down at her family’s farm. Anna agrees to be his assistant, investigating the fairies and lore surrounding the Thornwood Village and house! Anna translated stories for Harold! What will they find out? Will the curse live on? Definitely not an uplifting book, but it was an entertaining read! I enjoyed both timelines and loved how Sarah found Anna’s diary! Which set Sarah on her own journey of discovery! Perfect for book clubs as this book will lead to interesting discussions!