The Storyteller (Picoult novel)
| Company type | Novel |
|---|---|
| Industry | Literature |
| Founded | 2013 |
| Founder | Jodi Picoult |
| Products | Novel |
The Storyteller represents the twenty-second novel authored by American writer Jodi Picoult.
Plot
Sage Singer, aged 25, resides in Westerbrook, New Hampshire. Following a car crash that claimed her mother’s life and left Sage with a facial scar, she leads a reclusive existence, working night shifts as a baker. She distances herself from her siblings, Pepper and Saffron, convinced they hold her responsible for their mother’s death. Her closest companion is Mary D'Angelis, a former nun who owns the bakery where Sage is employed. Sage maintains a relationship with Adam, the town’s funeral director, who is married; she accepts this situation to preserve her autonomy.
Though raised in a Jewish household, Sage identifies as an atheist. At a grief support group, she encounters Josef Weber, an elderly gentleman locally regarded as a gentle former German instructor and baseball coach. Josef confides that he was once a Nazi commander at Auschwitz concentration camp and requests Sage’s assistance in ending his life through suicide.
Josef admits to committing atrocious acts and seeks help to die. Torn by this revelation, Sage contacts law enforcement and then reaches out to the U.S. Department of Justice, where Leo Stein oversees cases related to the Holocaust. Leo initially doubts Josef’s story and finds it challenging to confirm his identity. No SS officer named Josef Weber appears in records at first; under pressure, Josef reveals his true name: Reiner Hartmann, an officer at Auschwitz.
Sage collects proof from Josef—such as photographs, dates, and documents—that Leo authenticates but deems insufficient for legal prosecution. To establish Josef as Reiner Hartmann conclusively, an eyewitness testimony is required.
Minka, Sage’s grandmother and a Holocaust survivor imprisoned at Auschwitz, eventually shares her experiences with Leo and Sage. She describes life in a Polish ghetto, her imprisonment at Auschwitz, and survival through a 1944 death march. During captivity, Minka secretly penned a story alongside her friend Darija. An SS guard named Franz Hartmann showed interest in their narrative, trading small comforts for daily pages.
Minka recalls witnessing Reiner Hartmann murder Darija to conceal theft from prisoner funds and subsequently frame Minka for the crime. Her testimony identifies Reiner as the perpetrator.
To ensure Josef’s arrest and extradition, Sage records his confession by wearing a wire. Josef admits to killing Darija and framing Minka; this revelation profoundly impacts Sage.
Following Josef’s suicide attempt and subsequent hospitalization, Sage reassesses her relationship with Adam after seeing him with his wife. She terminates their affair despite Adam’s proposal and plans for divorce. After Minka’s passing—whom Sage feels responsible for causing distress—she begins a relationship with Leo.
Ultimately, Sage refuses to forgive Josef for his offenses. Josef confesses that his gravest act was witnessing his brother’s death without intervening. Sage poisons him with pastry laced with monkshood; his final words allude to Minka’s unfinished story.
Later discoveries reveal discrepancies: Josef’s hospital wristband indicates blood type B+, whereas Reiner was AB. Sage uncovers Minka’s story among photographs taken by Franz Hartmann—Reiner’s brother—who created an alternative ending for closure. She realizes that Josef was actually Franz Hartmann and that she mistakenly killed the wrong man. Nevertheless, Franz was also implicated as an SS officer burdened by guilt.
Main characters
- Sage Singer: The central figure who unknowingly forms a bond with Josef Weber, a former Nazi, and consents to assist him in ending his own life.
- Josef Weber: An aged ex-Nazi convinced that he must atone for his Holocaust-related offenses through death.
- Leo Stein: A Justice Department agent and Sage’s love interest.
- Minka Singer: Sage’s grandmother and a survivor of the Holocaust.
- Darija Horowicz: Minka’s closest companion, who was murdered by Reiner Hartmann during the Holocaust.
- Mary D'Angelis: Former nun, Sage’s closest confidante, proprietor of a bakery, and trusted counselor.
Narrative style
The Storyteller unfolds through the voices of four narrators—Sage, Leo, Josef, and Minka—each distinguished by a unique font. This technique of alternating perspectives is a hallmark in Picoult’s work, also featured in titles such as My Sister's Keeper, House Rules, and Change of Heart, among others.
Response
The Storyteller attained the top position on the New York Times Bestseller List.
Removal from libraries
In 2023, this novel was among 92 books removed from school libraries within Florida’s Martin County School District. This action followed calls from Moms for Liberty after the 2022 enactment of the Stop WOKE Act, which received backing from Governor Ron DeSantis. The book contains accounts of sexual violence perpetrated by Nazi concentration camp guards. Twenty of Picoult’s works were withdrawn, prompting her to condemn the move as a "disturbing violation of freedom of speech and access to information." She compared this censorship to Nazi-era book burnings, highlighting the "striking irony" of history seemingly repeating itself.