Book Review: The Story Keeper

Synopsis: Jen Gibbs is an editor who has just landed a job at Vida House Publishing in NYC . . . she's working her way up the ladder, and while Vida isn't the biggest publishing house in the city, it's got a stellar reputation and Jen is thrilled to have this position.  Not bad for a girl who grew up in rural Appalachia, in poverty, but Jen has put that life behind her to live her dream in the big city.  That is, until she finds a mysterious manuscript on her desk. The Story Keeper, apparently found in Vida's infamous "slush pile," draws Jen in from the first page, and ultimately leads her on a journey of discovery to Tennessee, trying to discover if reclusive author Evan Hall is the author of this fascinating story.  But the journey also takes Jen back to her roots in Looking Glass Gap . . . a place she doesn't want to go.

My thoughts: I really, really liked this book.  I think The Story Keeper was my first Lisa Wingate book, and I was very impressed with her writing.  I loved how she wove the two stories together . . . the manuscript story of Sarra and Rand, and the modern-day story of Jen herself.  I loved the threads that tied the two stories together, and watching Jen grow and change through the book.  It's really hard to sum up The Story Keeper in a brief review, but this was a book that stayed with me, and I highly recommend it.  I was also fascinated to learn more about the Melungeon people of Appalachia (I had never heard of them before!), and I felt like I could picture every setting in Wingate's story--she's excellent at making you feel as if you're there!  I actually was sad to see this book end.  It ended in a very satisfying way, but I would have liked it to keep going.  And that's one of the marks of a good story, for me. :)

Thanks to Tyndale House for the free review copy of this book.  I was not required to write a positive review, and all opinions expressed are my own.