2025 Reading Challenge discussion

This thread is to discuss The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult.

Pages: 461 pages

Length: 1 month (May)

Participants: Michelle1, SarahKat, Allison

Everyone reads at their own pace during a Buddy Read. Because participants can be at different parts of the book at different times, it is extremely important to mark spoilers so that the book is not ruined for someone who is not as far along as others!!!

Mark spoilers by placing {spoiler} before the text and {/spoiler} after the text but use the < and > instead of the { and }.

My audio hold came through on this already so I'm starting today.

I will start in a couple of days.

Aiming for the weekend then :)

Thanks for reading with me, everyone!

Joining this one. I likely won't start for a week or so.

I'm farther than this now but I forgot to move the note on my phone to the actual comments here...

Through Sage's 1st chapter 15% through the book: (view spoiler)[I was pulled in pretty quickly. It's interesting to me that Sage immediately started trying to turn Josef in. I think I would have wrestled with it more. I mean I know it's horrible what he did but it would be hard to make my current 90-year-old friend fit the Nazi mold. (hide spoiler)]

The audio is a little hard to comment on because the chapter titles are just names and they are so long! I'll probably update again when I'm done with Part 1.

I enjoyed your thoughts on the first 15% of the book, SarahKat!

Here are mine, a little after that until page 163, or about 40% of the book...

(view spoiler)[
I always wondered how the people of Germany could stand by and allow the Nazi party take over. But I saw that the economics of the situation, and the waiting for one politician after another to make a difference in their floundering, until Hitler came along and said he had a better way.

I was struck by how, little by little, the children of Germany were indoctrinated against anyone considered in any way inferior. And it was their parents who taught them. As mentioned in the book, if your parents said so, why wouldn't you believe them?

The contrast between Franz and Josef was interesting. How Josef was always taking care of his younger brother, but how even his passive younger brother was "going to be ok" when Josef got rid of his Jewish friend Artur and his family. How Franz, rage-filled at this betrayal and choking Josef, was finally proving that he was going to be able to take care of himself so that their mother wouldn't have to worry about him anymore.

Lastly, in this section, it was the endless killing getting to Josef so that he drank himself into oblivion to escape the "dangerous" place between wakefulness and sleep. This and hearing the toddler singing a lullaby, long after she was dead. (hide spoiler)]

I’m only about 100 pages in. Started on Sunday but haven’t been able to read this week yet. Been working an extra almost 2 hours a day and then too tired for anything but bed and YouTube lol.

But I was a little shocked too, SarahKat. She jumped right into action!

Michelle wrote: "I enjoyed your thoughts on the first 15% of the book, SarahKat!

Here are mine, a little after that until page 163, or about 40% of the book..."

I finished Part 1 yesterday, so just past this section. (view spoiler)[I agree. That is always the question about the Holocaust. How could so many Germans go along with it? How could everyone else not realize what was happening sooner?

Josef's POV is disturbing because of this. Germany had not been doing well and here's someone who they think can turn things around. And of course he didn't start marching Jews into gas chambers right away. There was a lot of psychological build-up to this, like you said, indoctrinating Germans against Jews, and dehumanizing Jews in small ways at first.

Something Josef said really hit me.
"I could have said no. Every time after that, it became easier, because if I didn’t do it again, I would be reminded of that first time I did not say no."

I don't feel bad for them, but I am sure many of the Nazis had PTSD and the faces of their victims burned into their mind for the rest of their lives. Josef lived a completely innocent and humanitarian lifestyle for the next 50 years but he's right back there in his mind. (hide spoiler)]

56% through, in the midst of Minka's story. (view spoiler)[Minka's mother was just taken and then all the children. This was rough. I liked that the German guy running the shop she works at tried to save as many moms and kids as possible. I can handle a lot of horrible things in books and real life but I can't stand kids being taken from their parents, or being hurt. And both are happening here. (hide spoiler)]

I’m into Minka’s section now.

I’m up to page 280 in the book so don’t read this until you’re there: (view spoiler)[The vision of the pit….bodies just bundled on top of bodies and yet people still tried to be human in their last moments. The ones about to die whispering comfort to the ones already in the throes of death as the guns get pointed to them next, omg. Or the mother singing to that sweet, little girl who kept on singing. I feel like that was foreshadowing Basia and Mayer since the girl was buried in her mother’ shoulder and poor Basia smothered her child keeping him quiet while the Nazis hunted her. No wonder she ran off, willing to be shot up. (hide spoiler)]

SarahKat wrote: "56% through, in the midst of Minka's story. [spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[Yes! It’s like Oskar Schindler who saved Jewish children under the pretense that he needed their little hands because they were the only ones that could reach into shell casings and polish them. By coming up with that on the fly, he saved all of their lives. I hope Herr Fassbender was based on someone’s true story so 50 mothers out of work and children about to rounded up, really did survive. (hide spoiler)]

I have completed the book...

(view spoiler)[
What a double twist at the end! First, we find out that it's not Josef, but Franz! Then Franz asks "How does it end?" and I thought he was talking about the poisoning!

And, of course, we have Sage, who has given in and killed Josef/Franz. Wow.

(hide spoiler)]

This book has been on my TBR list for several years. I'm so glad I got the opportunity to read it with all of you!

I finished!

(view spoiler)[I started thinking Josef was probably Franz during Minka's story when we really saw the difference between the two brothers. I just couldn't see Josef being as brutal as Heiner (spelling?) was. I thought Minka would have been the one to identify the other brother and when I only had 20 minutes left in the book and both Minka and Josef were dead I figured I was wrong.
I'm glad I was right. I think it's interesting he kept her notebook all those years.

I like that Sage and Leo get together, but I wonder how the guilt of killing Josef will affect her. (hide spoiler)]

I also finished.

3.5 stars.

I liked Minka’s part best. Sage bugged me.

(view spoiler)[What is she going to do now that she’s already starting her new relationship on a huge lie?! (hide spoiler)]

I agree Allison. (view spoiler)[I figured we wouldn't get a very good resolution at the end after they talk about Minka's story going unfinished, but that's definitely not the way to start a new healthy relationship.

Sage was not my favorite either. She was just the vehicle through which to tell everyone else's story. The self-pity got a little old. (hide spoiler)]

Just staring today with the audiobook.

How’s the audiobook? Anyone famous/good narrating it?

I started today with the audiobook. I'm only three chapters in, and I am very much into it. Leo's and Irene's date was hilarious.

There's no one that I've ever heard of reading the audiobook.

I'm really looking forward to hearing Josef's story but especially Minka's.

Two things I just read and loved.

1. Sage puts a 40s music station on Sirius XM
2. Sage’s thought: “Had I been hiding because I was a freak, or was I a freak because I’d been hiding?”

Oh, oh, oh, I loved this book! I love Leo! Excellent, excellent ending.

I found a couple discussion questions.

Josef/Reiner’s brother, Franz, says “Power isn’t doing something terrible to someone who’s weaker than you. It’s having the strength to do something terrible and choosing not to. ” (p. 146) In what ways does this reflect upon the actions of Reiner? Franz? Sage?
(view spoiler)[Between Reiner and Franz, Franz is the more powerful one because, while stuck in the situation he was, he did choose ways to minimize the terrible things he did. But even saying that, Franz still was guilty for being a cog in the machine. Reiner, like all bullies, felt his power through cruelty, which is physical power of course, but not emotional or moral power. Sage keeps on doing the right things (except her seduction of Leo after he decides to keep distance from her... the things he does for his country hahaha!), which makes her one of the most powerful characters of the story. (hide spoiler)]

“Morality has nothing to do with religion” she says. “You can do the right thing and not believe in God at all. ” (p. 187) Do you agree?
Absolutely. I believe that religion has really very little to do with a person's morality. Sure, for many people, religion provides a path and a life guidance to follow. But there are immoral Christians and Jews; there are moral atheists and agnostics. And there are religions around the world who do not believe in the Judeo-Christian God, and I would believe that most of those believers are moral.

Beth wrote: "Oh, oh, oh, I loved this book! I love Leo! I found a couple discussion questions.

Josef/Reiner’s brother, Franz, says “Power isn’t doing something terrible to someone who’s weaker than you. It’s h..."

Fantastic points. I really like what you said about Franz vs. Josef/Reiner. And Leo is pretty terrific. :^)

Michelle wrote: "And Leo is pretty terrific."

He is my new fictional boyfriend. 🥰

Beth wrote: "Michelle wrote: "And Leo is pretty terrific."

He is my new fictional boyfriend. 🥰"

;^P

Yes, I agree 💯
I’m an atheist and still have a moral compass. Meanwhile there are actual things in modern day religions that are HIGHLY questionable.

Beth wrote: "Josef/Reiner’s brother, Franz, says “Power isn’t doing something terrible to someone who’s weaker than you. It’s having the strength to do something terrible and choosing not to. ” (p. 146) In what ways does this reflect upon the actions of Reiner? Franz? Sage?"

(view spoiler)[I agree Reiner is the weakest person in the book because he thinks his cruelty and brutality give him power. Franz is powerful in that he tries to show some kindness as much as he can without getting into trouble. Sage's decision to kill Josef/Franz was powerful because she could have let him go through the legal proceedings she started. And honestly I think her initial decision to turn him in was pretty powerful too. I think Minka was one of the most powerful characters considering what she went through and she was still a kind and caring person. She even helped Reiner. She used what little "power" she had to help others instead of hurt them. (hide spoiler)]

“Morality has nothing to do with religion” she says. “You can do the right thing and not believe in God at all. ” (p. 187) Do you agree?

I am a Christian and I agree. When people are mad at "us" for something some loudmouth in Texas (or wherever- but it's usually Texas haha) is doing or saying I tell them there are going to be jerks in any group of people, and there are going to be amazing people in that same group. Some of ALL people suck.

SarahKat wrote: "When people are mad at "us" for something some loudmouth in Texas (or wherever- but it's usually Texas haha) is doing or saying I tell them there are going to be jerks in any group of people, and there are going to be amazing people in that same group. Some of ALL people suck."

It's either Texas or Florida, TBH (sorry, Texans and Floridians!)

All Christians aren't alt-right extremists; the great majority are not. All Muslims aren't terrorits; the great majority are not. As you say, every group has its fabulous folks along with its problematic (putting it mildly) people.

Some of all people do, indeed, suck. Wise words! :)