The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult

Lucia chose the book and hosted the discussion. She read this book before and remembered she loved it enough to read it again. When you walked into Lucia's home, you could smell bread baking just as though it was a bakery. She even made Minka's rolls using the recipe in the back of the book which were delicious served with a salad and other assorted breads.

In this book an insecure young woman with a scarred face (Sage) learned about the horrors of the Holocaust from her grandmother and from an elderly gentleman she met in a grief support group. The elderly man eventually enlisted her help to commit suicide, but instead, Sage contacted officials to turn him in for his past crimes. when pressed, Sage's grandmother reluctantly told of her experiences at Auschwitz, and in a third storyline, a fictional tale was woven through this book that moved back and forth from the World War II era to the present time.

Most of us enjoyed this book. We thought it presented good ethical issues that led to interesting discussion. It told the story of what it is like to be human despite all adversity. We wondered what the interaction would have been like if the two individuals that outlived the Holocaust had been able to meet. Some of us struggle with reading about such a terrible time in our history, but the book kept our interest enough that we wanted to know what happened next, especially regarding Sage's relationship with Leo. 

In typical Jodi Picoult fashion there was, of course, a twist at the end of this story. The twist related to Sage's decision whether to assist in the suicide and the question of the identity of the elderly man. Most of us were surprised by the ending, though a few of us suspected the truth.

Author's website: http://www.jodipicoult.com/