The Keeper of Stories
A charming, uplifting debut novel—full of humor and depth—that has taken audiences around the world by surprise.
Everyone has a story to tell. But does Janice have the power to unlock her own?
She can’t recall what started her collection. Maybe it was in a fragment of conversation overheard as she cleaned a sink? Before long (as she dusted a sitting room or defrosted a fridge) she noticed people were telling her their stories. Perhaps they had always done so, but now it is different, now the stories are reaching out to her and she gathers them to her …
Cleaner Janice knows that it is in people’s stories that you really get to know them. From recently widowed Fiona and her son Adam to opera-singing Geordie, the quiet bus driver Euan, and the pretentious Mrs. “YeahYeahYeah” and her fox terrier, Decius, Janice has a unique insight into the community around her.
When Janice starts cleaning for Mrs. B—a shrewd and prickly woman in her nineties—she finally meets someone who wants to hear her story. But Janice is clear: she is the keeper of stories, she doesn’t have a story to tell. At least, not one she can share.
Mrs. B is no fool and knows there is more to Janice than meets the eye. What is she hiding? After all, doesn’t everyone have a story to tell?
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A charming, uplifting debut novel—full of humor and depth—that has taken audiences around the world by surprise.
Everyone has a story to tell. But does Janice have the power to unlock her own?
She can’t recall what started her collection. Maybe it was in a fragment of conversation overheard as she cleaned a sink? Before long (as she dusted a sitting room or defrosted a fridge) she noticed people were telling her their stories. Perhaps they had always done so, but now it is different, now the stories are reaching out to her and she gathers them to her …
Cleaner Janice knows that it is in people’s stories that you really get to know them. From recently widowed Fiona and her son Adam to opera-singing Geordie, the quiet bus driver Euan, and the pretentious Mrs. “YeahYeahYeah” and her fox terrier, Decius, Janice has a unique insight into the community around her.
When Janice starts cleaning for Mrs. B—a shrewd and prickly woman in her nineties—she finally meets someone who wants to hear her story. But Janice is clear: she is the keeper of stories, she doesn’t have a story to tell. At least, not one she can share.
Mrs. B is no fool and knows there is more to Janice than meets the eye. What is she hiding? After all, doesn’t everyone have a story to tell?
Amazon Customer –
Absolutely brilliant!
This book is a feel good story or rather stories I shall say. Each character is well written and connects with the reader, of course.I love Janice the main protagonist of the story but MrS.B is my favourite character. Each story is heartfelt and keeps you wanting to read the next chapter.
K. Sellin –
Delightful
Janice is “just a cleaner,” going from house to house cleaning people’s homes, trying to make up for the crushing debt her selfish husband has created. She likes to collect stories, as she describes it. She quietly befriends some of her clients, and they become central to her own story and her new beginning.
Gigi Jordan Hunter –
Everyone has a story
Sweet, hardworking Janice is a collector of stories, other people’s stories. She cleans houses for others. Each family for whom she cleans has their own story. She loves her cleaning families except Mr. NoNoNotNow and his wife Mrs. YeahYeahYeah. They are pompous and unaware of anyone else except themselves.Then there is Mrs. B, the 92 year old ex-spy who is Mr. Nononotnow’s mother. She is a force to be reckoned with! She becomes Janice’s greatest defender.Let’s not forget the Jack Russell terrier that pulls the best out of every situation. Decius helps a grieving boy, an insecure cleaner, and an except learn to live again.Janice has her own story, but doesn’t want to share it. She carries so much guilt from her childhood.Her lazy husband doesn’t appreciate all she does to keep them afloat financially. He’s always got the next great scheme going. He’s had more jobs than anyone can imagine. When he spends all their savings without talking to her about, Janice moves out.Euan is a bus driver who has stories also. He and Janice develop a friendship. They share their stories.Every person is important to this story. Their stories are important.We all have a story to tell (or not tell).
Sue Spadaccini –
An absolute delight!
Everything I think a book should be: a wonderful “ cast of characters”, a sympathetic, intelligent main female character, some laughs, a few tears…very well done
Amazon Customer –
Slow Start, but Worth the Time to Read
It starts off very slowly. I really considered putting it down and picking up something else from my “to read” stack. I’m glad I didn’t. About half-way through I found I was so caught up in the characters, I couldn’t put it down and spent the afternoon reading the whole thing. It is well worth the slow start!
P. Greer –
Picks up at the end.
The premise of the book and the story line sounded so promising. I thought it would be a book I loved. I did like it, I just didn’t love it.Janice is a cleaner and Janice collects stories. She collects other people’s stories and files them away in her mind, to pull out to tell others or just to remember them. I loved that idea. The idea of collecting stories.I was about halfway through the book when I realized that, I felt like there were too many characters. She’d start talking about Fiona – and I’d be like…now who is Fiona?Then there was a story within a story that Mrs. B was telling her, about someone named Becky. I couldn’t figure out why that was even in there. At first, I thought it was going to turn out that Becky was Mrs. B. and the whole story would make sense, but nope.But then it picked up the pace in the last quarter of the book and I did enjoy the ending with all the loose ends happily tied up together. And, the dog was definitely a plus.
Rhonda –
Good read!
I really liked this book and the characters in it. I loved the way Janice would watch people and make up her own stories of how they might live. I also loved that she was a listener of stories from her elderly clients. I feel we can learn a lot from our elderly if we just gave them the time and attention they deserve. As always a good love story woven in is always a positive. I was glad to pick this book to read. Will look forward to reading more from Sally Page.
Sharon Cunningham –
I Wanted More
This was a beautifully written story. The characters were really well developed & interesting.I loved the entire book & can’t wait to read more by Sally Page!
kp –
I had totally run out of books from the plethora of author’s I usually turn to and this book was suggested as something I might like by the kindle app. To be honest, it wasn’t the genre I’m currently exploring and I wasn’t sure I’d like it, but stuck waiting somewhere I thought I’d read a chapter or two just to pass the time….Well, the characters are people you could know, believable, funny, sad, real. Decius, the Fox Terrier is as wise as he is funny. This is a story of a woman who collects stories, and in a lot of ways maybe we all do as we travel through life.The friendships she builds and the trials she faces, alongside of those of her friends make for a beautiful heartwarming story.I don’t want to spoil the story by giving anything away so will just say if you want a bit of joy in your life this is a good story for you. Well written and easy to read, but hard to put down.Who would like this story… everyone.Happy reading.
Barbara –
An unusual format of continuous unfolding of stories within stories and a wonderful cast of characters. I cared about almost all of them—with a few notable exceptions. For me, this book has been intriguing, touching, upsetting, and joyful.
藤井シンディ –
This book made me laugh and cry and worry about the characters! I’ m relieved that Desius finally got to have his real home! Thank you!
Paulina –
In some moments was boring and there was too much descriptions of the side plots
Arun –
The book made me conscious of the fact that observation happenings around you gives rise to many stories. This book of Sally is very lovable