Early on this year I read and enjoyed The Lost Bookshop by this author so I happily picked up the new title for entertainment during a long train trip to the other side of the country and back. I know it’s not polite to toot one’s own horn, but geez, that was a smart decision.
This book is about Sarah in 2011 and Anna in 1911.
New Yorker Sarah arrives in Ireland after making a rash decision at the airport, boarding a flight to Shannon, Ireland, instead of Boston. She bought a newspaper at the airport which had an article about a motorway being rerouted after successful protests of locals to safe a tree that has been known as the home of the fairies.
Yes, this book features fairies. Fairies are part of Irish folklore and if you’re imagining Tinker Bell-like creatures, you’re in for a surprise: The Good People, as they’re also called and referred to in this book, have a really dark side to them.
Sarah arrives in Shannon the day after Christmas and because the hotel airport is full, the manager takes her to a nearby village where he has a friend who rents out a holiday cottage.
Once settled at the cottage Sarah is lost for things to do and stuck with herself and all her feelings. There’s not much to do besides walking and on one of her walks she finds a treasure chest hidden in a tree. This chest contains Anna’s diary which Sarah starts to read. Anna grew up in the cottage that Sarah is staying at and she describes the arrival of American Harold, who is a scholar by way of Oxford. His area of interest is the folklore of fairies and he’s travelled all over to document people’s experiences. Anna becomes his assistant, translating the Irish that is locally spoken, and explaining the traditions and customs to him.
There are a lot of parallels between both storylines: there are visitors from America. Both Anna and Sarah experience traumatic events. There are storytellers and seers in both timelines.
The coincidence of Sarah finding Anne’s diary on the same day as Anne received it and started it a hundred years before, was a bit too much of a coincidence but aside from that it was a joy to read both Sarah’s and Anne’s stories.
Sceptics will probably want to steer clear but for the non-sceptics out there that are in the mood for a well written, slightly different story, The Story Collector comes recommended!
Bookworm in the City 