A note: I received a digital copy of this book via Netgalleys in exchange for an honest review, so I’d like to express my thanks to Netgalleys and the publisher for allowing me the opportunity to read it!

I very much struggled with this book at first. It is very slow, in line with the main character Janice’s everyday life. Since Janice collects the stories she overhears from the people around her, the book affords plenty of detail to background and supporting characters, which is interesting at times but in such great quantities at the beginning of the novel, it comes across as unfocused, disjointed, and a bit overwhelming. The plot and subplots take a while to start directing the story; the beginning of the novel drifts slowly, like Janice does, through everyday motions. Much of the narrative exists filtered through Janice’s internal perception of herself and her thoughts about the world around her. This results in a busily contemplative yet exceptionally slow-paced start to the novel, which for me was difficult to engage with. I also struggled to connect with Janice as a character because she is so defined by her external situation in life at the beginning of the novel; I imagine someone whose life situation is nearer to hers than mine would much more easily connect to her as a character.

But these issues lessened as I continued reading and I settled into the book as it went on. The concept of The Keeper of Stories itself matched the cozy, casual, reflective way it presented its narrative. I got used to the very slow pacing and Janice’s patterns of thought about life, and by the middle of the book I found myself almost as absorbed into its narrative as Janice is. The plot, though it is necessarily meandering, ties itself together more and more as the book continues, and I enjoyed following the various threads to see where they would end up.

What really struck me about this novel, though, was its main cast. Every character feels different from each other, all endearingly realistic, quotidian but quirky, and thoughtfully-written in their own ways. Each of the main cast adds something different to this book-- like how their stories add depth to Janice’s view of life-- and really facet the narrative with interesting detail and meaning to consider. Fiona’s character is a quietly determined one, trying as hard as possible to be a good mother but with understandable, lifelike flaws. Her grief for her husband is tangible and aching, but her resilience towards optimism shines in all she does. Her son Adam is realistically troubled, youthful and spiky with grief at once. Mrs. B is especially memorable: her independent, prickly, witty exterior is a satisfying contrast to her discerning but understanding, fiercely loving interior, and I loved how her character arc revolves so heavily around coming to terms with her own limitations and allowing other people into her life to help her. It mirrors Janice’s, in the end. Euan is also lovely and endearing; he is brightly solicitous, intuitive, and kind, a natural complement to Janice. Even the “bad guys” of this story were a joy to read. Mike is just the right amount of obnoxious and foolish, Tiberius the perfect mix of snobby, inconsiderate, and rude. They were fun to dislike and root against, with arcs that were immensely satisfying in that regard. I also loved Decius-- he brings humor and light to the story in a way that reflects Janice’s own telling of it, and I adored it.

Janice herself is what drives the novel; her arc is the narrative. The evolution of her mindset through the novel is fascinating and I really enjoyed following it once I settled into its slow pace. She starts off acting so profoundly regular, burying all her quirks-- like the story-collecting-- deep inside so that she can remain the Janice everyone, and especially Mike, perceives her to be: unassuming, docile, “just a cleaner.” The minimization of her identity by clients like Tiberius and his wife and also by Mike damages her own self-perception, and it is glorious when she begins to depart from their influence. Janice collects stories, but it takes reflection-- and a bit of help from Mrs. B and Euan and others like Geordie and her son along the way-- to realize her own is worth telling, too. Her journey to that point is emotional, funny and heartbreaking all at once, and I really enjoyed following it.

Also, concerning the ending of this novel and its plot twist: I thought it was set up well, and it genuinely blindsided me but made sense in retrospect. The end of the novel and the latter events of the middle section leading up to it cast the narrative in a new light and lend it new depth. The plot twist illuminates how heavily guilt weighs on the narrative, how avoidance and self-hatred coat Janice-- but the revelation of it gives her self-awareness that develops into the beginning of self-realization by the end of the novel. She, like Mrs. B, learns to let other people into her life. She no longer has to deflect attention away from her own story by collecting others’; she can accept it for what it is and begin to find kinship with other people instead of that deflection. The message is quietly profound, perfectly suited to Janice’s character balancing agency and acceptance of help. I really enjoyed it.

Overall, The Keeper of Stories is a quaint, slow book that captures the meaning we can find in everyday life with aching emotion and lighthearted humor at once. Even if the pacing is difficult to connect with and the plot feels disjointed at times, the characters are interesting and more and more endearing as the novel goes on. This would be a good book for someone who finds themself defined by the normalcy of their life and the expectations others have for them; it would also be a good book to read over a long period of time, as it is languid in its pacing and warmly lavish in its detail. While I did find it difficult to get through-- I am not this book’s target audience, and I read it quite quickly, which I don’t think is the intended experience-- I enjoyed this book’s earnesty and appreciation for the variety of humanity, the vast array of stories people hold, and the identities we construct around them. How they connect us together, if only we tell them for others to hear.

I was not the right reader for this book. The main character was a miss for me. I had thought this book was a novel when, in fact, it reads more as a set of loosely connected short stories. I was not drawn in by the characters whose tales comprise the stories, either. Other readers have loved this book so I believe I’m an outlier. I received my copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Cleaning woman Janice is a “collector of stories”. I was looking forward to getting to know the characters that Janice knows so intimately, however, I never really clicked with the book, and the characters all melded into each other and became hard to differentiate.

Delighted to include this title in the January edition of Novel Encounters, my regular column highlighting the month’s most anticipated fiction, for the Books section of Zoomer magazine. (see column and mini-review at link)

I got sucked into this story right away. I loved Janice, the woman people gravitated to and trusted with their stories. While she maintained that she was 'just a cleaner, she was a special lady, with her own story to tell. I loved all the characters. It was written so well I had a hard time putting it down. I got to read an advanced copy through Netgalley., who I thank for the opportunity. Great book!

Janice is a collector of stories, and as a cleaner, she has gotten to know her clients through the stories they have shared with her. When she starts cleaning for Mrs. B (who was my favorite character in this book!), she finally meets someone who wants to hear her story…but it’s not necessarily one Janice wants to tell. She’s known for being the keeper of stories and this is one she has kept bottled up for years. But Mrs. B is a headstrong and tricky woman, and she knows just how to peel back Janice’s layers.

I really enjoyed reading this book, and I loved all of the dynamic relationships Janice had with those around her. She definitely had the gift of lending her ear to others and because of this, people seemed to easily open up to her so. But when it came down to her opening up to others, she really struggled. Mrs. B was a wonderful addition to this story, and I adored her and her stubborn ways. I truly think she and Janice entered each other’s lives when they needed it the most.

This is definitely a neat book!
I love to listen to people'a tales and when they are true, you can alway come away with something if you really hear the journey!
So--- naturally I truly got caught up with main character, Janice. She is a housecleaner, but OH so much more!
She is a friend, confidante, dog walker and house cleaner, amongst other things.
The stories and secrets she learns are amazing and this is just a very well told, interesting and warm novel!
I would love to know her and now am able to feel as though I do!
Well done and very well told!
Thank you to @NetGalley and to @Blackstone Publishing for this ARC and allowing me to read and provide my own review.

The Keeper of Stories by Sally Page

350 Pages
Publisher: Blackstone Publishing
Release Date: January 24, 2023

Fiction (Adult), General Fiction (Adult), Storytelling, Family Dynamics, British

Janice is a cleaner and her husband says the word like it’s dirty. One day while cleaning a customer’s house, she is offered another cleaning position for an older woman. The day she arrives at Mrs. B’s home she doesn’t think she will take the job. The woman is cranky, and the house is closed to be a hoarding house with stacks everywhere. After a conversation, she realizes the fire inside the woman is worth the work. Janice has found another storyteller.

The story has a steady pace, the characters are developed, and it is written in the third person point of view. Janice’s character grows throughout the story especially as she spends more time with Mrs. B. Janice’s husband is a user and a despicable person. I had a feeling how the story would end but was surprised when I was wrong. If you like dramas about dysfunctional family dynamics, you will enjoy this book.

The Keeper of Stories will make you laugh, cry, and fill you with a desire to hug the book when you are finished. It is the story of Janice, who, in her words, is " just a cleaner" who engages with her clients and learns their stories. Over time she collects these stories and tells them to herself when she is home at night in her home, with her disaster of a husband. But what is Janice's story, who will she share that with, and when will Janice recognize that she is worthy of a more remarkable story for herself?
This was such a heartwarming tale and so engaging. You will fall in love with all the characters and the stories they share. I could definitely see this being made into a movie.
Thank you to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

The Keeper of Stories by Sally Page is a breathtaking story!

This book is beautifully written with vivid descriptions and stunning surroundings I was absolutely captivated throughout.
I can't believe this is her debut!
The characters are fantastic and all of the supporting characters are well-rounded and disparate and their stories are enveloped in so much warmth, depth, and humour that it's impossible not to be engaged with them and the story.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Blackstone Publishing,
Thank You for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this eARC!

Sally Page, please write more books! I enjoyed the characters in this book so much. Janice was not "just a cleaner", she was so much more as the story went on. Mrs. B was also a wonderful character who cared for those who needed her help. then there were Euan, Fiona, Adam, Mycroft, and Decius, the fox terrier. I loved how Decius talked to Janice and I wondered if he talked to Adam as well - I'm almost positive that he did.
Janice slowly opens up about her story and we find out that she had a terrible childhood caused by the death of her father and her mother's retreat into alcoholism which lead to her eventual death. On the way to finding out what Janice's story was we are treated to the story of Becky that Mrs. B tells in installments to Janice. Everyone has a story or more than one and Janice collects these stories in her head.
I found myself wondering what the story was for Tiberius and Mrs. YeahYeahYeah - why were they so self centered and unpleasant. Even Simon, Janice's son, and Joy, her sister, came back into her story when she left Mike, her husband. They couldn't stand to see what he was doing to her and that she was allowing it to happen.
Page writes in a very engaging style that kept me turning the pages even when it was long past bedtime. I look forward to reading more of her writing.
Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC of this book. All the opinions are mine for which I was not compensated.

After reading some of the hype on this book I couldn’t wait to get started reading. I was intrigued with the idea of getting to know people through their stories. I got to know Janice through the stories she collected from other, both real and imagined. And I got to know Janice through her own story. I could empathize with her cowering wallflower existence as she lived her life as “just a cleaner,” and I cheered when she finally got the nerve to leave her useless husband. I loved Mrs. B’s character. She brought out the best in Janice. But after reading countless episodes in the life of “Becky” I expected that to lead somewhere. I though perhaps Mrs. B was Becky. But no, that whole thread led nowhere. I felt cheated learning that a character who I spent probably about fifteen percent of my time reading about had nothing to do with the story. In addition to the story falling flat, the writing left much to be desired. The author, unfortunately like so many these days, has adopted the idea if they don’t quite know what to say they can throw in a bunch of F-bombs and call it good. Sorry, but in every writing class I ever took I was told to eliminate unnecessary filler words. Page not only has the adults using them but also the dog and a twelve-year boy. Give me a break. Not recommended. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I did not want The Keeper of Stories to end. I loved Janice and the stories she tells as the narrator of this new novel. Janice is married to a lazy guy who changes jobs constantly, keeping Janice busy to support them by working as a house cleaner. She likes most of the people she works for, except for one couple who owns a dog that Janice adores!

As the story begins to make connections between the people Janice works for, it becomes suspenseful and endearing. Janice deserves a life so much better than the one she has with her creepy husband, and I went for the entire ride, rooting for Janice, the dog, the kid, and most of the adults.

Sally Page made Cambridge a nice place to live with interesting people. The story demonstrates that social and economic status does not guarantee a life without deep pain and a need for someone like Janice.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the advanced copy of the book.

The Keeper of Stories is definitely a keeper of a story and Janice is someone I would like to know. Sally Page, I can’t wait to see what you write next!

I started having a sense of deja vu as I was reading this book. How did I know what was going to happen? This is what happens when you read book after book after book, the plot blurs and you’re on to the next one. I finally realizes I had read this book before from Netgalley UK. The following is the review I left for them.

Keeper of Stories is a lovely, delightful book filled with rich wonderful characters, and an intriguing plot. At the heart of the story is Janice, just a cleaner of houses is how she thinks of herself, and a collector of others stories. As the novel progresses we see Janice is so much more to everyone else, and they value and love her more than she can herself. The characters in this book are beautifully and richly created, and the writing is sublime. It took me a couple of chapters to fully sink into the story but once I did the book took off and I couldn’t put it down.
My big regret is that it’s not available to order for our library in the states. I hope it eventually becomes published here for it would be a shame to deprive so many people of this wonderful debut novel.

Let me end with the fact I’m really excited this book will be published in the US. It will be a big hit with so many of our readers.