The Storyteller

In response to The Daily Post’s writing prompt: “That Stings!.”

Jodi Picoult’s books always have the ability to pick at your brains and drown you into depths of desperation and enchantment. Written with a powerful blend of emotions and life lessons, each of her books have the power to challenge your perceptions and make you think. They sting you with bittersweet sentiments and send you reeling into an enthralling journey.

The last book I read of hers, which also happens to be her second best book according to me (first being My Sister’s Keeper) is named The Storyteller. The storyteller here, is Minka, who is also a survivor of the Holocaust, and till this day, is haunted by the memories of that fateful phase of her life. The story, the essence of the book, resides in Minka’s tale, of how the Jews suffered at the hands of the Germans, and how she too, like thousands of Jews, was sent to a concentration camp, but finally managed to escape.

The book is the story of atonement, of murder, of profound love, and asks you the question of whether a crime ceases to be a crime if the criminal feels guilty and asks for forgiveness. Is he no longer a man who should be condemned? Or is punishment still due, even though the crime was committed years ago?

Writing has always been the major forte in Picoult books. The way she deals with emotions and is always ready to deliver something in the best way it could be delivered is what makes her stand out from among most contemporary authors these days. Those little nuances and the small moments are what make up her books. But…this time, the stinging aspect of the book, hands down, was the story.

Be it Minka’s horrific recollection of a time spent in terror, or Joseph’s tale of his time as a Nazi officer, or Sage and Leo discovering themselves in each other’s company, every story was excellent. And what was more riveting was how Jodi beautifully connected the three stories into one. Hats off.