This was about people and their stories. Janice works as a cleaner and collects stories she hears as she travels to works and while listening to her clients.
Set mostly in Cambridge in the UK in the present time.
Janice has a group of people who hire her to clean their houses. Janice obtains new clients on recommendations, so most of her clients are connected or know each other.
Janice loves listening to their stories and when she is on her own she goes back over the stories she has heard, which helps her forget her own stories that have haunted her all her life.
Eventually Janice meets Mrs B who had an interesting life as a spy. Mrs B gradually starts delving into Janice’s story and trying to find out what Janice is trying to hide.
I loved the way the different people were connected and their interactions with each other. I liked the way Janice gained confidence in herself as she started telling her story to Mrs B.
This story was slow to start as all the characters and their stories were introduced. Half-way through the pace speeds up.
This was about families, grief and relationships.
I loved the descriptions of Mrs B’s house and the way she lived surrounded by her husband’s books.

I was sent a copy of The Keeper of Stories by Sally Page to read and review by NetGalley. To begin with I wasn’t too sure about this book and set it aside for a while. When I came back to it I found I must have been in exactly the right ‘place’ as I really enjoyed it! I loved the characters and I enjoyed the snippets of other people’s stories that protagonist Janice collected. I must admit that I became a bit weary of Becky’s story, told by Mrs B, even though it was based on a true story, but that was only a very slight niggle. This novel is insightful, amusing and heartfelt. It could easily be classed as a holiday read, but I think really it is much more than that!

This is an unexpectedly compelling story about a cleaner called Janice. This could be about the interesting stories she collects, but if all of these, hers is the most poignant. Here is a woman who loathes herself and underestimates her impact on others. Here is a woman who doubts her every move, who hides from being the star of her own life with other people’s stories. Here is a woman in search of love – friend love, platonic love, companionship love, unconditional pet love, passionate love, self love. Yet, she is not a pitiful character. She is wholly likeable. Janice unbeknownst to her, is actually quite enigmatic and draws people to her. Why? Because she actually gives a shit about them.

This book is also a story of societal behaviours, of prejudices and an antiquated class system. As a domestic cleaner Janice is treated differently by her clients which is a window into the stratification of our society. She is a friend, an ally, a maid, an employee, and most horribly by her husband who calls her ‘just a cleaner’. Just recently I feel that the value of cleaners and cleaning shot to the forefront as the most important part of societal infrastructure due to a global pandemic. Certainly they are skilled and important. Most recently, life savers.

I befriended Janice instantly, looked forward to joining her world for the evening and then found it hard to leave her. I highly recommend this book by Sally Page and look forward to her next one.

I absolutely loved this book. Janice is one of my favorite characters ever and her relationships with her clients were just lovely. This book is so well and deals with some really difficult topics beautifully. Highly recommended.

This was a well-written story that really focuses on characterisation. It is what I would consider an ‘observational’ drama, and this feeds into Janice’s character as a ‘story-teller’ or, as some may call her, a bit of a gossip.

But Janice’s intentions are purely innocent and she recalls the stories she hears as a cleaner and on the bus. It is a way of keeping her company in a very isolated life. Whilst her clients are generally kind and accommodating, this is certainly lacking in her loveless marriage where her husband expects everything and gives nothing in return. It’s no wonder that Janice lives vicariously through the stories she has collected.

When Janice meets Mrs B one day, it is like she has met her match in story telling. It would seem that Mrs B also has this gift and tells Janice a very lengthy story about a girl called Becky, whose tale travels around the globe and includes Princes and riches… plus a fair amount of drama too. It’s captivating for Janice, who recognises Mrs B’s story-telling qualities like her own.

Over time, Janice’s clients feature increasingly in the story. She draws away from her husband and turns to her friends for support and each use the other for a type of confession. Although this made the story quite a different read, I was expecting something a little bit more on offer. Yes, there is a charm about the plot but I did not find it as magical as I had hoped. Furthermore, I started to get a little bored by Mrs B’s story about Becky, failing to appreciate the significance of this narrative.

This is a story that offers something quite different. It is about a very quiet woman who seems to be on the outskirts of society, but has more power than she realises. I enjoyed reading her monologue of the dog she walks and appreciated seeing Janice’s lioness emerging as she finds her voice. For instance, I’m not sure I could have tolerated Janice’s husband as much as she had!

In all honesty, this is a gentle read where not much happens. But, actually, I quite appreciated this story for the absence of twists and turns. The scenes between Mrs B and Janice were dominated with dry wit and sarcasm which I thought added to the entertainment of the story. It is definitely a novel about character personalities over everything else, and this reinforces the slower pace of the book.

With thanks to One More Chapter, Harper Collins and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I love a good story and this is why I of course love reading. I love hearing snippets of stories as I go about my day, what is the rest of the story, what brought that person to that point when I over hear the story. Where will the story go next?

For Janice sees herself and assume that others see her as just a cleaner. A former boss of mine said, no one is just anything and Janice is not just a cleaner, she is a collector of stories. Stories that she has picked up along her way in life and whilst also being a collector she is living her own story as well. But what is Janice’s story/

Along the way in this book, we meet Fiona and her young son Adam, grieving from the loss of her husband and father and creating a world that is not sustainable. Then there is Geordie; the opera singer, Mrs Yeahyeahyeah permanently attached to her phone with a fox terrier who has the ability to read Janice’s mind it seems.

Then we are introduced to the redoubtable Mrs B – she knows there is story to tell, she has many of her own but she knows Janice’s story is what is holding her back from the future.

Through some crafty wit and events along the way, we learn as does Mrs B about Janice’s story and we start to learn that everyone has one. A story, in fact they have many and the ones they choose to tell are the ones that we use to shape our opinions of them. Is the story you are being told the truth? And actually are other peoples stories all the more fascinating because they are not ours?

This book is full of human nature in all its forms, it is told through the stories of others as well as Janice, and I was fascinated by it’s structure and how it was going to conclude. It proves that there are so many stories to be told and that actually we have to take time out and listen to them – because people may just surprise you!

The book surprised me, it delighted me and will leave an imprint on my reading soul.

Janice is a cleaner who collects stories. As she goes about her daily routine in Cambridge, she collects snippets of other people’s stories and their lives.

Whilst Janice collects other people’s stories, she keeps her own past close to her chest. As she goes about her busy day, she realises that it is letting the stories be told that really allows Janice to get to know people and this book has a brilliant array of characters. From opera star Geordie to the annoying Mrs Yeahyeahyeah and my favourite; the wonderful Decius the fox terrier. We meet a whole host of people but it is Mrs B whose story acts as a turning point for Janice.

I absolutely loved this book and could not put it down. This novel is lots of stories interwoven through the main storyline. Each story is carefully weaved through the book, so that you gradually learn about each person or family, but it is Janice’s own story that is the missing piece of the jigsaw. Can she find the courage to tell her story and address her fears?

This book is beautifully written and it is so engaging. I quickly became absorbed in all of the stories, which take the reader from Paris during the first world war to Egypt and to Tanzania.

I highly recommend this novel and the cover is so pretty!

5 stars

I had high hopes for this story. The title was so catchy, and i thought it’d be a page turner. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case. It felt as though I was being told the story instead of the characters showing me.

If you ever feel like you need some light entertainment in between more serious or painful reads, then this is the right book for you. I certainly felt I could do with such a book and it filled that craving nearly perfectly.

So why only three stars? Because I found the main character, Janice, pretty annoying and clueless. She is portrayed as a smart middle aged woman, but her actions are all on the contrary: she stays with her freeloading husband, she doesn't stand her ground with people that push her around, and miraculously, she is friends with many of her clients. Having said that - and if you are prepared to get past this - the stories are nice and the dialogues with the dog made me smile all the time.

And the writing is pretty good, it is engaging and the flow is just perfect for this kind of book, which is way out of my comfort zone and therefor quite difficult to rate and review.

A sincere thanks to NetGalley, One More Chapter press and the author for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Netgalley and HarperCollins UK for the chance to read The keeper of stories by Sally Page. This was another book I was eager to read, but I found it a bit slow to start, and kept putting it down. Some of the cleaning stories Janice 'told' were funny, and some were sad. In the end I found it an ok read.

What an amazing story! It took a while to get going - mainly because it has so many characters which I struggled to separate initially. But so cleverly plotted and woven that it is worth reading slowly and even rereading bits as many of the minor incidents come back later on to add texture to the story. This isn't just one story but is multilayered. What initally felt frothy and light had such a sting in its tail that I did not see coming at all!

I loved the characterisation - Janice seems so insipid and a positive shrinking violet/doormat figure that I wanted to applaud when she finally shows her true colours. I thought the wide variation of her client type really brought colour and realism to the story. The names of some of them and their back stories had me cracking up: they seemed so authentic.

Finally, there is her relationship with Decius the dog and Mrs B - heartwarming and comical! Don't miss this read. Hard hitting moments couched between wonderful observations of real life told in entertaining and unique ways.
Be aware there are elements of alcoholism, suicide, abuse mentioned in this book.

received from One More Chapter

I was blown away by how much I was enveloped with the story. It's simple, but it somehow worms into your mind and heart, until you can't help but feel for every character (almost every, I greatly dislike Mr No, no not now :))

Janice is a cleaner. We follow her through the weeks as she visits and works for her many clientele. She has a very interesting hobby, Janice collects stories. There are rules of course. They have to be freely given, and she doesn't have a story to give.

There is an old opera singer, with kids all over the world, recently widowed Fiona with son Adam, who both have trouble moving on. There is a delightful old lady, for who she bakes sometimes and then there is horrible Mrs YeahYeahYeah with the cutest dog, Decius. Janice is his dog walker sometimes, too. One day Mrs YeahYeahYeah asks her to clean for her mother in law, who is old and refuses help. Janice is reluctant, but there is a lot more money. The old lady is horrid at first, but just as the lady warms up to her, Janic starts to like her and her story gets told too.

Soon her stories start to intertwine. I was enveloped by the story from the start until the end. It's beautifully written, the characters just jump from the pages and very addicting.:)

When I started this book I was a little unsure whether I would get into it . I am so glad I carried on turning pages as I loved this book, . I found Janice lovely and the story was so heat warning . It made me laugh and it brought a tear. A lovely book. Thanks to Netgalley and Harper Collins Uk for giving me the opportunity to read this book

This was a very well written book with a lovely uplifting and heartwarming message: we all have a story to tell. There was a great host of interesting characters that we meet through the eyes of Janice, the cleaner, as she goes about her daily life. Janice collects other people's stories in her head whilst cleaning. Janice doesn't feel she has a story of her own however. But what is Janice's story and what secret is she hiding?
It took me quite a while to get into this book as there were quite a few different 'stories.'
I grew to love Janice as the book progressed and loved watching the friendship that developed between Janice and her two friends Mrs B and Fiona. Although a little slow paced for me, I found this an enjoyable read.

This is a novel about Janice and everywhere she goes she hears other people's stories. As we read more about Janice who is a house cleaner, we learn that Janice is not happy. Through her clients she becomes interwoven in their lives. and in that way she makes a change in her life. This was a surprising read and I think if you pick this up to read you will enjoy it.

I thought this sounded wonderful- light but meaningful, soft but gripping.
Sadly, this was light and soft, but I struggled to stay invested in the characters and their stories, ironically.

A heartwarming debut from Sally Page, The Keeper of Stories is an uplifting book that feels like a warm hug throughout.
The protagonist is a cleaner who collects the stories of those around her while thinking that she is not worthy of having a story of her own, until she meets the shrewd Mrs B who knows different!
Although the plot isn't intense or full of drama, you are still impelled to keep reading as it is so well written with characters you can engage with. I'm not a fan of overly sentimental books but this is at just the right level and a book that is ideal to read if you want something easy going and relaxing. . 4.5*

Thank you to NetGalley for the advance copy in return for an honest review.

The Keeper Of Stories by Sally Page is a delightful contemporary debut novel that enchanted me from the start.
We all have a story to tell. Some we want to share, others we want to keep hidden. As an excellent cleaner, Janice, goes about her job collecting stories along the way. People take her into their confidences and open up to her. Janice has a likable, trustworthy personality that invites people to share their stories – but Janice has a secret and doesn’t want to share it.
Sally Page has written a book that is not only charming and entertaining but full of pathos as we witness lives that are lonely; put upon; or drowning in grief. By sharing their stories, they learn to live again.
The characters were an eclectic mix from a twelve year old boy to a ninety two year old lady. I particularly loved the fox terrier with his rather fruity language – he made me laugh! I loved all the characters.
We see that we are never too old or too young to write a new story. Static lives can open up with encouragement and have a fresh purpose.
I adored The Keeper Of Stories, it was a read that wrapped around me like a cosy blanket on a cold day. I am hoping that Sally Page writes many more books because I want to read them. She really is the master of the pen as she fires up the imagination.
I received a free copy. A favourable review was not required. All opinions are my own.

Janice is a cleaner, she's a very good cleaner but to her husband and her clients she is just a cleaner. Janice hides secrets and collects stories but when her professional and personal lives start to collide Janice realises she must confront her past in order to have a stab at a better future.
I actually chose this book by mistake, I thought it was a new Libby Page book! Happy accident, as Sally Page is the mother of Libby Page and the two are very similar. This is not a story to challenge the reader, it is like the hot chocolate referred to throughout, a warm hug, a book that wraps the reader in a comfortable blanket for a few hours and relaxes and calms. Sometimes that's all I want and so it hit the spot!!

Summary
“She can't recall what started her collection. Maybe it was in a fragment of conversation overheard as she cleaned a sink? Before long (as she dusted a sitting room or defrosted a fridge) she noticed people were telling her their stories. Perhaps they always had done, but now it is different, now the stories are reaching out to her and she gathers them to her...”

Janice is a cleaner in Cambridge and when she starts cleaning for a new client - Mrs B, a shrewd and tricksy woman in her nineties - she 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 thoughts
With its themes of love, loneliness, loss, guilt, and self-discovery, The Keeper of Stories is such a lovely life-affirming, heart-warming, thoughtful and ultimately uplifting story. It is a poignant mix of sadness, heart-break and positivity, which starts off very gently as the various threads are arranged in place, but soon ignites into a truly captivating and completely engaging novel which has the reader racing to the end to find out how everything will be resolved.

The novel has an amazing cast of beautifully drawn characters, most of whom are Janice’s clients. There are many whom the reader falls in love with, and a few that they love to hate.

There are Janice’s clients: Fiona, and her son Adam who are both struggling, but trying so hard to build a new life and come to terms with the loss of their loved one to suicide; there is the larger than life, internationally famous opera singer Geordie; the irrepressible former spy Mrs B; and the truly vile and awful Mr and Mrs ‘YeahYeahYeah’ and their fox terrier, Decius.
And then, of course, there is the bus driver who looks like a geography teacher, and a very able and thorough lawyer called Mycroft.

As a cleaner (the best in Cambridge), Janice has a unique insight into the lives of her clients, and eventually, she manages to develop a similar insight into her own situation - her now hollow marriage to her know-it-all, dead-loss of a husband who cannot keep a job for 5 minutes. The man who looks down on his wife because she is “just a cleaner”.

Sally Page’s development of the character of Janice is a particular triumph. Janice collects the stories of others but keeps her own well hidden. As the novel unfolds, the author weaves together the stories which Janice has collected, and eventually Janice has no option but to confront her own personal story and come to terms with it. We see Janice grow and develop from a woman who is hard-working, caring, put-upon, and lacking in confidence, into someone who realises her own strength, worth, and validity. Someone with a positive and hopeful future ahead of her. The reader roots for Janice throughout the novel and at the end is positively cheering for her.

Similarly triumphant is the character of Decius who is surely the best Fox Terrier in contemporary fiction. Everyone needs a Decius in their lives!

This novel is a wonderful read, with really strong characterisation and a depth and authenticity informed by the author’s obvious human insights and understanding. Given that it is a debut, I can’t wait to read Sally Page’s next book! Highly recommended.

With thanks to NetGalley, Sally Page and One More Chapter for the ARC in exchange for an honest and independent review