📖 Featured Book of the Month ~ The Keeper of Stories by Sally Page

One More Chapter
28 February 2022

My thanks to the publishers for my copy of this book

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; and the awful 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 tricksy 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?

📖 My Review ...

Those who get to know Janice love her but some, it must be said, take advantage of her good nature and willingness to go the extra mile and although in her husband's words, Janice is 'just a cleaner' she really is worth her weight in gold. Some of her clients leave much to be desired in terms of bad manners and obnoxiousness, especially Mrs ‘YeahYeahYeah’ whose only saving grace is that she owns a delightful little dog called Decious, who really does, in his own inimitable style, take centre stage more than once. 

Janice loves nothing more that trying to discover what makes people tick and loves finding out their individual stories so when she is asked to clean for the eccentric Mrs B, Janice realises that there is more to this bad-tempered nonagenarian than first appears. Gradually over the space of this lovely story we discover more about Mrs B whilst at the same time watch how Janice starts to be transformed.

Beautifully written The Keeper of Stories quickly becomes an engaging read which made me laugh out loud in places and cry gentle tears in others. The characterisation is really quite special, with people who you love from the start, but also with those, naming no names, you are glad to see get their comeuppance. You can't help but warm to Janice, she's a real unsung heroine who never feels that she is special and yet, she is more than worthy of having the starring role in this lovely story.

Wise, wonderful and warm-hearted, I am delighted to have The Keeper of Stories as my Featured Book of the Month in March.

Best read with...a pot of tea and some fancy cakes

About the Author

After studying history at university, Sally Page moved to London to work in advertising. In her spare time she studied floristry at night school and eventually opened her own flower shop.Sally combines her love of history and writing with her abiding interest in the stories people have to tell. Sally now lives in Dorset and The Keeper of Stories is her debut novel.

Twitter @SallyPageBooks #TheKeeperofStories

@0nemoreChapter_ @HarperCollins