I loved this warm-hearted book, and its fabulous cast of characters (especially the dog!) It was a real tonic in the current climate of doom and uncertainty, so many thanks to NetGalley and the author for such a lovely treat of a book.

I loved this book as it's a love letter to stories, storytelling and William Thackearay.
Janice and the cast of characters are a fascinating lot, each with a story, and there a parallel story that talks about Becky Sharp and The Bonfire of Vanity.
If you don't know William Thackearay please read his books as he was one of the most sharp observer of Victorian Age.
In any case this is an excellent book and I loved every moment. Storytelling, plot and character development: everything works fine.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

The Keeper of Stories
by: Sally Page
HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter
Publication date: Feb. 28, 2022
Genre: Women's Fiction

Sally Page is an expert story teller, and her writing prompts readers to think about their own stories. This is such an original and creatively written book,
This novel has moments of both heartbreak and warmth, for an emotional journey that is sure to be remembered.

Thank you to Net Galley and HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter for the advance reader's copy and opportunity to provide my unbiased review.

Absolutely Brilliant!!!

If you are pondering if you should buy this book then my advice is definitely do it. You will not be disappointed because it is story telling at it's best.

You can't help but like Janice. Even love her. As a women of a similar age it is easy to emphasis with her in her current stage of life but whilst she might 'just be a cleaner' she is actually way way more than that. A Mother, a sister, a friend, a carer. A truly good person who is haunted by her past and kept in her place by an awful husband. I loved her and, well i won't give the ending away but YAY!

Sally Page has woven a beautiful tale here, combining the stories of several people to create a novel that I couldn't put down. I read it in 4 days which for me is quick. It made me laugh and cry and give a few satisfying noises when some people saw their comeuppance.

5 golden stars for this wonderful read.

If you're looking for a story to give you all the feels, look no further.

Janice is a collector of stories. But her own is one she has buried deep as it's too painful to tell.

Describing herself as just a cleaner, she's trapped in an unhappy marriage to a selfish and uncaring man.

A new client Mrs B, seems at first to be horrendously rude but there is more to this lady than first impressions suggest. She reels Janice in with a story but Mrs B is savvy. She knows Janice needs to tell her own if she is to move on from her past.

It was a joy to watch Janice blossom from a mouse to a lioness and to watch how she brought light into other people's lives. And to see her finally allow happiness into her own.

Thoroughly life-affirming, beautifully crafted and an absolute pleasure to read from start to finish.

Janice is a cleaner, married to a man she no longer loves, or even likes. She is fascinated by other people's stories, but, for some reason, is reluctant to reveal her own.

We encounter many characters in this book, all well rounded by the author. The enigmatic Mrs B, the 'geography teacher' and others all have stories to tell. And perhaps, they might get Janice's story out of her.

A really lovely book - once you start it, you will find it hard to put down.

This was a little too slow for me to truly enjoy. I liked all the little stories that create the larger story, and I though the writing was beautiful. I just felt like things were dragged out a bit too much, and it slowed down the pace for me. The characters are great, and I thought they were truly brought to life through the writing, even down to the dog! I loved the dog! The cover is gorgeous. I think that this just needs a bit of additional editing to tighten it up a bit, and it would be great!

Special thanks to Harper Collins and NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

Janice is a cleaning woman who doesn't stand out in a crowd. But she cleaned houses and collects stories of the people she cleans for. I love short story books and this was really enjoyable for me because it could've been broken down into a short story book, so yes it was a good book for me. Janice thinks she doesn't have a story of her own, but everyone has a story.

When Janice starts working for an elderly lady in her 90's, she hears Jamie's stories about others but wants to know Jamie's story. Janice as I said doesn't think she has one, but shedoes. A story she buried deep down inside her and the elderly cantankerous woman wants to draw it out of her. Good book. 4 stars

Lovely story of Janice the cleaner who hears everyone's stories but no-one ever thinks to ask her about hers..... and she had the biggest secret of them all! Great characters and lots of stories within stories makes this a very enjoyable read

Janice is not only a 'cleaner to a varied client group, but also a 'collector of stories. Unknown to them all, she has the biggest story that she keeps well hidden until she begins cleaning for Mrs B.
We never know what has happened in people's lives, & all of our stories are varied & interesting. This book explores that well. Loved the characters & I want to know them all!

What a lovely book, I have thoroughly enjoyed reading all of the stories contained within. I loved the characterisation, Janice, Euan, Mrs B all immensely likeable. The story ran the full range of emotion, joy, laughter, surprise, sadness within so many of the stories. It was easy to identify with many of snatches of story and led to a questioning of my own stories and those of the people I meet on a daily basis. Great read, thanks to Sally Page, the publisher and netgalley for a free copy in exchange for this honest 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.

Sally Page’s The Keeper of Stories introduces readers to Janice, a British house cleaner in Cambridge. Because Janice is a good listener, her jobs sometimes start with sitting down with her employers for a cuppa and a story. Wherever she finds herself—at work, on the bus, or in the library--Janice collects other people’s stories but feels she has none of her own. She’s “just the cleaner.” Readers don’t take long to see how wrong Janice is, but she must learn to value herself.

Following Janice through her days, readers meet a host of interesting characters, such as elderly Geordie, who had discovered opera as a teenager but is now losing his hearing nd responds inappropriately based on what he thinks Janice said, She likes to start her Mondays with Geordie because she knows it will get her off to a happy start. Then there’s Fiona, who lost her husband, decided to study to become a mortician, and is creating an elaborate dollhouse that isn’t a dollhouse at all, but a mortuary with handcrafted caskets. It’s Fiona's son Adam, though, who will not only steal Janice’s heart, but readers’ hearts, too. Story after story get added to Janice’s week and her collection, but it takes the feisty Mrs. B. to open Janice’s eyes.

If you need a feel-good book during a bleak time in history, Sally Page’s The Keeper of Stories should lift your spirits.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK/One More Chapter for an advance reader copy of this lovely novel.

What first drew me to this book was the beautiful cover, Then I read the synopsis and was intrigued. I am so glad I requested this book. What a feel good story.

Janice is a cleaner, she is peripheral to the lives of her clients. She cleans their messes and arranges their lives, but she also listens and collects their stories and the stories of those around her. Janice goes out of her way to be unnoticed, but what she does not realize, is that she is noticed and more appreciated than she knows. She has a deadbeat husband and a hard job, but she takes the time to care about the people she interacts with, Fiona and her son Adam. Mrs. B and her horrid son Tiberius, Geordie, and of course the lovely Euan. By collecting the stories of those around her, Janice finds the strength to face her own story and work towards a better ending.

This was a lovely read, they say you cannot judge a book by the cover, but in this case, it was a judgement well made. I highly recommend this book for a feel good read in these trying and stressful times. I look forward to the next book my Ms. Page.

Thanks to Netgalley, One More Chapter Books and the author for the chance to read and review this book.

I enjoyed this book. Bit of a slow burner at the start but I loved the characters and their stories and this kept me wanting to find out more. Janice is a cleaner who's marriage is falling apart and she loves books and collecting other people's stories. A good easy read.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for an Arc in exchange for an honest opinion

The Keeper of Stories is stacked with delightful characters and their stories. Janice is a cleaner in Cambridge. As she goes about her work she sees a lot and feels everyone has a story to tell. She is an inspirational character along with ninety-two-year-old Mrs B; Geordie Bowman, a landlord and opera singer; a bus driver and geography-teacher-lookalike; widow, Fiona and her son, Adam; the wonderfully named Mrs Yeahyeahyeah, married to Mr Nonotnow and their fox terrier, Decius; then there's Mike who is Janice's husband. I was taken to many different places as their stories unfolded. Portraying the importance of friendship this is a delightful début novel, a breath of fresh air and a riveting story.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from One More Chapter via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

Wow, wow, wow!!! I absolutely adored this book! This wasn't a story that shouts about the drama instead it slowly draws you into the characters and their stories, making you fall in love with them. Janice was an absolute treasure and the mystery surrounding her childhood had me hooked from the beginning. I adored the relationship between Janice and Mrs B, they were the perfect pair and offered so much to each other. By the end I was crying tears of joy at how heart warming and lovely this story was.

‘Everyone has a story to tell. But what if you don’t have a story? What then? If you are Janice, you become a collector of other people’s stories.’

The Keeper of Stories is a superb book - brilliant in fact - one to certainly treasure. I found it to be beautifully written with such heartfelt emotion across a wide cross selection of themes and characters. I simply love the concept of collecting stories whilst unknowingly unraveling one kept so close to your own heart. Sally has penned an intelligent yet thoughtful book that is sure to endear itself to many readers.

The lead character, Janice, is the key to this eclectic cast of characters and she is superb. Quiet and unassuming, ‘just a cleaner’, who goes about her everyday life gathering other peoples stories. I simply adored Janice - she is pivotal not only to the other sub stories sprinkled throughout but also to the great life lesson in finding your very own story.

“In my stories, and I do collect stories…” She feels a sense of relief at saying this out loud. “I love that normal people do the unexpected, that they are courageous, funny, kind … selfless. I know these people have faults - of course, that’s life.”

This is such a character driven tale and testament to the writing, I was not confused once as to who was who. The care that Janice provides to each of her clients is special - just like she is. There are some wonderful characters but it would be remiss of me not to give a big shout out to Mrs B and Decius the swearing fox-terrier. As Janice cleans and cares, she collects the essence of conversations she hears - some are special and many are very funny - but all very believable and relatable.

‘She wants to hammer home with true conviction that she is the story collector. That she gathers stories because she doesn’t have a story. She wants to shout this loudly to drown the little voice within her.’

Then there Janice’s own story - and she does have a story - but has hidden it away. Digging deeper you can see that topics such as suicide, our treatment of the elderly and alcoholism are sensitively handled with this book offering varying degrees of depth and sentiment but all up providing such truth through its tender writing. You will be cheering loudly for Janice and dearly hope she gets her happily ever after from a past that has confined and defined her for too long.

I absolutely loved every moment spent with Janice and in particular her time with Mrs B - “I bloody love you, Mrs B!” This is a book I shall not soon forget for its sublime writing and storytelling from start to finish. I cannot recommend highly enough The Keeper of Stories and can't wait to see what Sally Page offers her readers next.

“I listen to the quiet voices.” Janice stops and looks at him. “What do you mean?” “I figured out long ago that if I listen to the few people who shout at me, I am making them more important than they are. What they say will stay with me, upset me, and those loud voices will go on and on, even when the shouting has stopped. So instead I listen very carefully for the quiet voices - which is most people. The people who teach a perfect lesson with nobody knowing.”








This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

A delightful, emotional read about Janice, a charming, engaging character, who is a domestic cleaner and who takes great interest in her clients' everyday stories, to detract from her own unhappy marriage. Janice's own sad story is always lurking in the background and is slowly revealed.
I liked that essentially everything in the book is drawn from real life, especially when I read the author's note at the end. It makes for a very enjoyable and satisfying read.

I loved this book, all of the characters are so well written and kept my attention This is the first book I have read by Sally Page and I hope there are more to come.