Wingate’s latest tale is beautifully crafted and has so many layers to appeal to readers — history, a contemporary love story, a bit of mystery and details about the book publishing industry. Jen’s character is endearing and the plot moves at a quick pace to keep readers enthralled and turning pages to discover what happens next.Jen Gibbs is the new kid on the block at a New York publishing company, trying to prove her worth. When she finds an anonymously authored old manuscript on her desk she

A Quickie ReviewAn exciting story that plunges back into a part of history with which I was previously unfamiliar. Part historical fiction, part modern drama, this is good stuff.Score: 4/5

4.5 starsJen Gibbs is a successful non-fiction editor in New York just beginning what could be her dream job at a new publishing house. When a mysterious manuscript shows up on her desk from the infamous, off-limits “slush-pile,” she is weary, but inexplicable drawn to the story therein. A child of Appalachia herself, Jen is compelled by the story of mixed race Sarra, a young Appalachian woman in the early 1900s and travels back to her home to search for the rest of the manuscript. With suspicio...

Spellbinding! The kind of novel that hits hard (literary sucker punches to the nth degree!) and engages a reader's heart and mind with emotions on full throttle.I haven't met a Lisa Wingate book I haven't loved but the emphasis on stories in this one touched me in so many ways. The author celebrates the power of words and the importance of remembering and celebrating everyone's story no matter how broken or unpolished. This book really made an impact on me.Dual timelines set in the Blue Ridge Mo...

Lisa Wingate seems to be a pro at telling a story within a story. “The Story Keeper” is a delightful example of discovering a bit of history within a modern-day story.I loved the line “I understood the lure of a good story. Sometimes a world that doesn’t exist is the only escape from the one that does.”As an avid memoir fan, Lisa had me when her lead gal said, “The personal side of history had drawn me toward memoirs long before my first editing job.”The characters were strong and well developed...

by Andrea Renee CoxSometimes a story woos you, dropping a few teasing hints at just the right moments to ensure it captures your heart before wrapping you in a whirlwind or emotion and hope. Novels like these tend to hold on to you long after you’ve placed them back on the shelf.The Story Keeper by Lisa Wingate is one such novel. But it’s also so much more. It squirrels away secrets you desperately want to learn, and as the story unfolds, you find that each piece of the treasure you were searchi...

Another excellent book by Lisa Wingate. This is a very well written, interesting book that I would recommend for all readers. Lisa's storyline is actually two books in one. Her characters are strong. I was fortunate to be picked to preview the book. As with all her books, faith is a thread that quietly runs throughout the storyline. The first storyline of Jen and her life runs in the present time and the storyline of Sarra and Rand is from the past, around the turn of the century. She amazes me

SUMMARY: Successful New York editor, Jen Gibbs, is at the top of her game with her new position at Vida House Publishing -- until a mysterious manuscript from an old slush pile appears on her desk. Turning the pages, Jen finds herself drawn into the life of Sarra, a mixed-race Melungeon girl trapped by dangerous men in the turn of the century Appalachia. A risky hunch may lead to The Story Keeper's hidden origins and its unknown author, but when the trail turns toward the heart of the Blue Ridge...

I have mixed feelings about this book. First of all, it took a long time for me to get into it. I came very close to just giving up but the reviews were SO good that I was sure it would be worth it to persevere. And, eventually I did get into it but.... I'm not sure my perseverance really did pay off.Here's what I did like-- The main character, Jen Gibbs was interesting. I really enjoyed the fascinating story of her past and her interactions with her family and her experience of growing up in a

The Story Keeper was primarily about current day characters Jennia Beth and Evan. Jennia Beth was born and raised in Appalachia and was thankful to have escaped when she was 18 years old. Evan is a reclusive successful author.A secondary story is about Rand and Sarra that lived in Appalachia many years ago.It was an enjoyable story and one I'd recommend to those that enjoy contemporary fiction with a bit of history woven in.In this same series is The Prayer Box. The two novels are similar in som...

This was a good story about a good story. :) Jen Gibbs, a new editor at a prestigious publishing house, finds a partial manuscript on her desk and is immediately drawn into the story of Rand and Sarra. She determines to find the author and the rest of the manuscript. Her journey takes her back to the part of Appalachia where she grew up and had vowed never to return. I found the description of her family’s “Brethren Saints” cult both fascinating and horrifying. The Brethren Saints claim to be th...

Don't read this book unless you love a story that resonates long after you're finished. Unless you love a book to keep calling to you when you aren't reading. Unless you love characters who are broken but fighting for their place. Unless you love a setting so rich you could see every word. Unless you love a story that resonates. Lisa Wingate is a masterful author and this book is probably my favorite yet. Jen is an editor trying to make it in NYC when a manuscript shows up on her desk. She is en...

Pick up this book and savor it. Jen has just started her her job as a book rep for a small publisher in New York. She finds an old manuscript submission in her office and wants to publish the book. She identifies with the rural North Carolina setting and sets out to find the author. She goes back to her home town and finds things haven't changed much from when she left years before. While in the area she visits her sister and family who are dirt poor and "controlled" by her father, the preacher

Sometimes a story becomes part of you ... and so it is with The Story Keeper. I don't want to give too much of the story away, or sound like I'm gushing over my friend and associate's masterpiece, but suffice to say, I took the book along when I went to get a pedicure and ... well, let's just say I stayed a LOT longer than it took my nails to dry. "Let me read just one more chapter," I told the owner of the shop. "Then I'll get out of the chair ..."Get this book ... and take it along for a pedic...

I was really surprised by this book! It was really well written and I was drawn instantly into both of the stories. I loved learning about the culture in the mountains. The characters had so much depth and I loved hearing their stories. I wish I could have learned more about Evan though. I felt like he was the one character I never really got to know. I would recommend this book, especially if you like learning about different cultures and some history.

I received this book free as it was damaged. It contains a story within a story which can attract a wider audience as if you don't like one of the stories you may like the other. I read on the back cover that the author writes for the Christian market but I wouldn't describe this as a Christian book, more contemporary fiction.The main story is about an editor in New York who is sent to the mountain area in which she was raised to investigate a mysterious part manuscript that was left on her desk...

Thanks Lisa Wingate for another good book. Besides a good story I learned about the Melungeons. I did have to Google it to find out more about these dark skin, blue eyed people. Very interesting. I was excited to be a part of the Sisterhood of the Traveling Book. We experience the journey through the story together as a Sister Circle in which we share the same book through the mail. We also share our thoughts and photos through email and Facebook. I got to read this book before it hits the shelv...

When successful New York editor Jen Gibbs discovers a decaying slush-pile manuscript on her desk, she has no idea that the story of Sarra, a young mixed-race woman trapped in Appalachia at the turn of the twentieth century, will both take her on a journey and change her forever. Happy with her life in the city, and at the top of her career with a new job at Vida House Publishing, Jen has left her Appalachian past and twisted family ties far behind. But the search for the rest of the manuscript,

Jen Gibbs has recently got a job at Vida House Publishing and everyone knows that the slush-pile in the conference room is strictly forbidden to touch. So Jen is quite surprised when she finds a manuscript on her desk from it one morning. She has no idea who put it there and, at first, all she can think of is putting it back. That is until she starts to read it and get engrossed in the story about Sarra, a young woman in the Appalachia at the turn of the twentieth century, and Rand a young man t...

I didn't even know this is a part of a series when I picked it up on audiothere were some issues with a pace and I would wish more of an epilogue but overall it is a very satisfying book to read