The Story Collector entwines three women's stories: a German, Katerina, who lives and runs a bakery in the East End of London; Miriam, who is working as a nurse and part time help to a German linguistic professor in a first world war prisoner camp in Germany; and present day Edie, who is an illustrator and recently widowed decides to relocate to an old family cottage in Cornwall.
Initially all three stories appear to be running along their own tracks and are unlikely to converge but they do all tie up with a satisfactory conclusion.
I very much enjoyed the historical scenes with Katerina in the East End and the problems she had as someone of German extraction and Miriam in the prisoner of war camp. It is clear from the bibliography that the author did some considerable research into these periods and settings to create a realistic atmosphere.
I also enjoyed the mystery of the found box and the unravelling of the that secret - the tying up of the separate strands was clever - but there were a couple of weaker points, the building of an art gallery was very convenient from someone with only a passing knowledge of art for example and then Katerina's final decisions didn't quite hold true for me, given what we knew of her character and emotions earlier on.
But it was an enjoyable read and I would recommend it as an interesting, twisty and emotional read.
With thanks to Netgalley and Penguin General UK - Fig Tree, Hamish Hamilton, Viking, Penguin Life, Penguin Business for an arc copy in return for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review. The Story Collector by Iris Costello blends elements of mystery and historical family saga.

The narrative unfolds over 3 viewpoints, one perspective set in London during WWI, Another perspective delves into the prison camps, providing a unique angle by presenting the experiences of Germans, particularly those sympathetic to Allied prisoners. The third perspective is the present day, revealing the lasting impact of the wartime decisions made on the world today.

The Story Collector by Iris Costello
Rating- 5 stars

First off, I would like to say a huge thank you to Iris Costello, Penguin General UK and NetGalley for allowing me to have my very first E-ARC. Thank you for giving me this opportunity to give my honest review of this book.

This story follows three women from World War One to the present day where a long intertwined secret ties all of them together. I especially loved the multiple POVS throughout the book which made me become quite invested towards these characters. The characters were so well-developed and at times it made me feel for them with the things they were going through. The story about the mute prisoner and the researcher was my favourite POV throughout the whole book. It was so emotional and heart-breaking that I could not help but shed a few tears during this part.

Historical Fiction is not always the sort of book I go towards on a daily basis but I was so glad to have picked up this book. This book was very historically accurate and you could clearly tell the author had done her research throughout. I loved seeing the suffragettes through Kitty's story. Although Sylvia Pankhurst was added fictional into the story, it was lovely to see the work that she had done to improve the lives of working class women during the First World War. I really devoured this book in two days as I was unable to put it down due to how beautifully written it was. I would 100% reread this book over and over again. It has honestly become one of my favourite books that I have read this year. I will definitely be picking up a physical copy of this book once it is released in February.

This will be posted on the 22nd February 2024 on my Goodreads. This will be the week before the book is published. Down below is the link for my Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/93584170-phoebe

This book is set in Germany in the 1914-1918 Great War and at the same time in London. It is a story of short stories, within a larger framework of the whole book. It darts between the present day 2000s in Cornwall and those of 100 years ago. It was atmospheric, and emotional - a wonderful way to encapture the reader into what really happened in those prisoner of war camps. Then the disruption in London and the darker world of the Tarot cards.

Tarot reader Katerina is trying to hold her life together during the wartime chaos. When she opens a bakery in the East End of London, it offers tarot readings alongside the cakes and she is thought of as someone with hope,. but she is hiding a dark truth.

The Story Collector takes the reader to mute British soldier, who everyone thinks is German. He is taken to a prisoner of war camp in Germany, in 1918 where he meets Miriam, a researcher. She is drawn to his gentle manner and secretly vows to help him. He comes to her room every night amidst tight security ...

Then we leap to Cornwall and the present day. A recently widowed lady Edie, from London, moves into a cottage in Cornwall and she is amazed to find a box within her Cornish cottage, which as it is opened, reveals a secret that has lain hidden for over a century...revealing secrets that astound everyone.

The story is told from the prospective of three women, Katerina, Miriam and Edie, each living in a different time and place. At first there appears to be no connection between the three but as their lives unfold we find differently. Iris Costello has written a heartwarming story of love and loss, hope and despair which keeps the reader invested. and wanting to read on.

This is one of the best books I have read this year. The way the characters and story line intertwine is wonderful. I highly recommend it.

The Story Collector tells the stories of three women: Katerina, a German living in the East End of London, running a bakery in 1915, Miriam, a nurse and researcher who is working in a prisoner of war camp in Germany in 1918 and grief stricken Edie who has left London to live in Cornwall, in the present day. There are links which connect the three women. A mysterious box is found with items which will help to reveal the mystery.

This is absorbing and well written. The pace is good and the story compelling. Although being so multi-stranded it can be slightly confusing. I found I had to check exactly what had happened in the last part of some chapters of the stories; since there can be quite a gap between each women’s update, but it’s easy enough to flick back and forth to check.

I had a question about one of the settings, which the author was kind enough to answer. I wondered if the staff accommodation blocks would really have been so close and accessible to the prisoners’ huts? It is seems so dangerous, especially for unarmed women. I was very surprised there was no perimeter fence, or separate area. Apparently “it varied from camp to camp. Most POW huts would have been separated by perimeter fencing and some, like the camp in The Story Collector, were guarded and locked.” (In case anyone else wondered the same!)

An incongruity in one storyline was that a character in 1919 planned to travel back from London to Cornwall each weekend. This was obviously not the era of fast intercity trains. The fastest train would have taken around seven hours from London to Penzance in 1906, so this seemed a rather jarring modern day proposition..

It’s clear from the bibliography that Iris Costello has read and researched the different settings during the First World War, and explored attitudes to Germans in this country during the war and the treatment of British prisoners of war in Germany. There are sources of information to read about the real life linguistic project, upon which Miriam’s story is based.

I felt there were some weak points in the resolution of the story; one of the women’s behaviour does not really seem to fit with what we know of her character and the intense romance and bond she had formed with another. A contemporary character’s actions seem far fetched in his reaction to long ago historical events. However, overall I felt the separate strands of the stories were deftly woven together, resulting in a fairly satisfying read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read in advance copy.

The Story Collector takes readers on a captivating journey through time, connecting the lives of three women with threads of mysticism and the tarot. As someone unfamiliar with the tarot myself, I was pleasantly intrigued by the sprinkles throughout and the familiarity that quickly came. There's a subtle but compelling sense of connection across the different eras, and although the ending may not follow the traditional path to a happy ending, turning the final page still leaves readers with a profound sense of growth. Each character has a distinct voice and perspective and despite the differences in time and circumstance, the reader is skilfully invited to step into the shoes of these women. This ability, to evoke empathy in foreign situations, makes the book distinctly 'human' feeling. A wonderful book with a beautiful story that I'm sure to pick up again.

I loved this book, the three main female characters draw you in and it urges you to keep reading and discover the connection. It took a while to get into the jumping between the three but once I had I loved it. Would highly recommend you read this.

What lovely book to read - I would certainly recommend this to other people. Thank you to the writer, publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to review this book.

Love, hate, and judging people are all very powerful- for good and for bad. All three 'stories' in this novel illustrate this beautifully.
There are 3 POV's, all in different time periods- one is now, one in 1915, another in 1919. It took me a while to get into the stories, but about halfway through I started feeling connected and invested in the characters. They did come together at the end in a surprising way and I was impressed with the intertwining of the stories.
There were points in the book that I just wanted to fast forward, and other parts I felt like I needed more. That is the reason for the 3 stars.
I received an early copy of the book from Net Galley for my honest review.

A beautifully written story of three women in 1915/16 and the present day. Cleverly crafted to eventually wind all their stories together. It is an emotional rollercoaster of a story but giving a different perspective on the war. Highly recommended

Oh what a lovely book! 3 different storylines in 3 different timelines which dovetail together at the end to answer a mystery that builds through the book. It’s a story that takes you on a journey through time, through wartime hardships and modern day loss, it really pulls at the heart however has a sweet ending.

Many thanks to the publishers, author and Netgalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review

This story spanning over 10 decades is really well done and the descriptive writing brings every scene to life.
Very enjoyable read.

A lovely book well presented, ideal for a Winter read.

A tale of three different people throughout the ages, but all interconnected. At first it does not seem to be any connection but as the book develops the link is there for you to discover.

Tissues at the ready as it bring home the cruel times that war brings to people.

A truly charming book with lasting memories.

Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to read this book.

This was a beautiful story, carefully intertwining 3 womans lives over 2 different time periods and in 3 different places. These womans lives and written separately, but the way there lives link is unexpected. It features many links to events and people of the past and there is a but at the end of the book by the author, of what inspired her. I'm definitely going to be reading more about the history.

Thank you to Netgalley, Penguin General and the auther for the opportunity to read this book.

This is not my usual sort of read but the description made me want to read this. From the first page I was glued to the pages and absolutely loved it! From the writing to the twist in the story, I truly loved it The only reason I didn't give it a five star is because with each chapter we switch characters and at times it needed a little extra attention to take note of who we were about to read about. Overall I loved it!

Loved this so much. The multiple POVs of Miriam and Kitty during the war and present day Edie worked really well, and I found myself invested in each of the characters. It's such a poignant story but also a very heartwarming read. Huge thank you to NetGalley and Penguin for my eARC of this one - I'm definitely going to have to get my hands on a physical copy in February!

This book blends three seemly disparate female narratives and keeps the reader guessing.till the very end. In WW1 London, Kitty is a German immigrant in a relationship with Gillian, who finds a new persona to save her own. In a German prisoner of war camp, Miriam assists a professor recording the dialects of captured British soldiers. And in modern day Cornwall, recently widowed artist Kitty has left London after the death of her husband. She begins work on a new commission for a deck of tarot cards.

As I say, disparate. Costello blends the three narratives together skilfully and keeps the reader guessing till the very end. To say so much would ruin the rich surprises therein, but let’s just say that all families have their secrets… even fictional ones. And pay attention!

It’s part social history, part linguistic text, part family history and is an eminently readable book. I also think that it’’s one of those books, in an age where everything you read gets streamed it will be available on tv soon. It’s a page turner with depth, weight and optimism. It’s published on 29th February and my thanks go to Penguin books for a preview copy.

A roller coaster of a read, it takes the reader through stories from both sides of the First World War, through to today, nicely weaving the stories together in a very satisfying way, including some great twists. I love the idea of Katerina, with her skills and talents, a woman who stands out from the crowd in more ways than one. Then we have Miriam, a young woman who should have been studying but finds herself working in a prisoner of war camp. And then Edie, present day, struggling to come to terms with the loss of her husband so decides to move to a place where she’d found happiness as a child.

It’s a moving read, showing how racism and bigotry affected peoples lives in so many ways during the war, how women struggled to cope with inequality and the poverty for the families left at home during WWI, literally starving, and often homeless. Recommended.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.