Lovely period piece about a young American going through a divorce and losing herself in an old diary of a girl in post WW1 Ireland. The book jumps back and forth between present day and past history. It's a book about discovering one's self and growing up. I thoroughly enjoyed it. The book pulled me in and kept me enthralled.

The Story Collector by Evie Woods

I received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley for review. My opinions are my own.

5/5 stars

If you liked “The Lost Bookshop” you are REALLY going to like Woods next book. This book has dual storylines - one about a middle-aged woman going through a divorce who spontaneously goes to Ireland and another about an 18yo girl who is tasked with helping a traveling scholar with documenting stories about local folklore - particularly about fairies.

I could not put this book down. I read it in 24 hours and I may be a believer in fairies myself….

3.5 rounded up. This is a sweet, mystical, dual-timeline story following modern-day Sarah, who, reeling from a divorce and struggling with grief and alcohol dependency, impulsively flies to Ireland instead of home to her family on Christmas Day. Staying in a cottage in a small village, she finds the diary of Anna, which chronicles her experience serving as an assistant and guide to an American scholar studying Irish fairy lore 100 years prior.

I was less swept away by Sarah's fish-out-of-water storyline, which included a nice but not particularly special romantic arc, than I was by Anna's. The intrigue of both the politics of the village (and that period in Irish history), the dynamic between her and the scholar Harold, and the deep connections to the folklore and the land were all enjoyably explored. Spoiler and content warning: (view spoiler)

If you like fairy tales, stories rooted deeply in place and setting, and a little bit of romance, you'll probably enjoy this book—I did, though I didn't tear through it the way I have some other similar books that were a little better catered to my specific interests. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was expecting a collection of short stories, but this was a wonderful novel of two women struggling to change their lives in two different time periods, Irish good people (fairy folk), and following your heart. When a woman leaves her husband, planning to go home to her family, but instead books a flight to Ireland, she's in for a life-changing experience. When she finds an old diary of a young woman, she loses herself in legends of the land of the good people, shape-shifters and fairy folk. The past and the present are intricately entwined to lead her to the resolution of loss and heartbreak. It's poignant, imaginative, and captivating. I loved it.

Title: The Story Collector
Author: Evie Woods
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: 4.5 out of 5

One hundred years ago, Anna, a young farm girl, volunteers to help an intriguing American visitor translate fairy stories from Irish to English. But all is not as it seems and Anna soon finds herself at the heart of a mystery that threatens her very way of life.

In New York in the present day, Sarah Harper boards a plane bound for the West Coast of Ireland. But once there, she finds she has unearthed dark secrets – secrets that tread the line between the everyday and the otherworldly, the seen and the unseen.

I really enjoyed this story! Both timelines were engrossing and a bit magical and just made me feel good. Sarah’s story was wonderful, and I loved seeing how she came to accept herself and her place in the world. Anna was just lovely, but so naïve it kind of hurt to watch. Her story didn’t end like I hoped, but I enjoyed it just the same.

Evie Woods is a bestselling author. The Story Collector is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Harper 360 in exchange for an honest review.)

Fantasy, historical fiction, romance, Ireland, and BOOKS? The perfect novel for book people, full of ordinary characters with unusual stories and the occasional secret.

An ordinary life can be extraordinary. Sarah Harper has reached her limit. Her marriage is over, she doesn't want to go home to her parents. She is tired and life has been enough. On a whim, she books a flight to Ireland. She rents a cottage in the countryside, walking distance to the nearest town. The rustic charm of the countryside, town, and cottage begins healing her. She finds an old diary written in 1911. This diary is beyond the usual and quickly Sarah is drawn into the extraordinary story of Anna. Anna Is a poor farmer's daughter asked to translate for an American studying at Oxford. He is writing a book on fairies. He hopes that by having Anna accompany him, people will tell their stories.

Sarah and Anno both learn their strengths through experiences. Sarah's broken heart begins to heal and Anna learns the value of family. Each woman has undergone trauma and emerges from it as a better person. The story is told through Sarah and Anna's perspectives and is full of colorful characters. Evie Woods beautifully describes the allure of Ireland in both historical and contemporary times. This story merges magic, mystery, fantasy, and historical fiction into a wonderfully engaging story. As Anna's and Sarah's stories reach their conclusions, I wish I could somehow make the story slower. I found myself enjoying these two characters and of course hoping for the happily-ever-after endings. I won't spoil this for anyone, you will have to read this book to find out all the details. It is delightful!

⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Story Collector begins when Sarah from modern-day (2011) NYC decides on a whim to visit Ireland after her marriage falls apart. While she's there, she comes across Anna's story from 1911 Ireland. The timelines weave together to paint a rich picture of the Irish setting and its history and folklore. Young Anna is tasked with helping a young American, Harold, who is collecting and translating Irish fairy stories. I thought Anna's story really brought the magic of this one to life, but I struggled more with Sarah's storyline. I found myself wanting more of Anna and Harold's narrative, but Sarah's took longer to really get going, and I just wasn't 100% on board with her ending. I feel like this had potential to be a great book, but it fell flat for me because of the issues with Sarah's storyline. It should also be labeled as romance. I wouldn't have requested this one if I had known.

Thank you to Netgalley and Harper 360 for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of The Story Collector by Evie Woods.

This book was gripping and hard to put down. It didn't feel like everything else you see out there, it felt very fresh. I really enjoyed this book!

The first 1/3 of this book dragged a bit but as soon as it picked up, I had a hard time putting it down. You will probably like this book if you liked Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries, it has the same cozy vibes, fairies and folklore in a magical wintery Ireland.

Love this book! It hits on all the emotions. This book has it all tragedies, heartbreak, healing, building of character. Wonderful characters and storyline. I was given an advanced reader copy of this book by NetGalley and I am freely sharing my review.

4 ⭐️

Thank you so much to netgalley and the publisher for allowing me access to The Story Collector in exchange for an honest review.

I really did enjoy this book, however, it was a bit of a slow burn until the last 25% for me.

It carried strong messages about overcoming grief, love after loss, new beginnings, not focusing so much on how we expect our lives to turn out rather than flowing with the reality of what it.

This book is told from two female perspectives, one in the modern age and one in the early age.

Sarah is your modern day pov. She traveled to Ireland on a whim after going through a painful divorce after she lost a baby at 7 months. She is struggling to grieve as she feels very much responsible for the loss. The book mentions how guilt is a way of our bodies not allowing us to process grief which is felt was a quite poignant view. I could relate to this story thought as I lost my grandfather a few years ago and didn’t make it home in time to hold his hand as he transitioned and I felt very guilty. Thinking back on that time, he sent me a dream shortly after his passing where he reassured me that the reality at hand was what was meant to be and it could have been more traumatic had it happened differently. I felt so blessed to receive that dream.

Anna is your diary pov. She is quite young and has lost her sister milly. She feels quite guilty as well because she was so distraught after her passing that she was unable to attend her funeral. She never got a proper goodbye.

The magic of this book is the town, the folklore of the fairies, the history of the town and the beautiful humans (and possibly fairies) who reside there.

I really hope to visit one day and reread this special book.

This was such a great follow up to the Lost Bookshop! The dual timelines were so well done and I really enjoyed this.

The concept of this book was very interesting. Personally I felt very disconnected from Sarah's character and did not really like her. I also felt like the style of writing from Anna's diary was a bit odd. I don't know if this was this author's debut, but I think the Book Collector was a much more polished and cohesive story.

This story has a little of everything, magic, history, romance, mystery. I usually read pretty quickly but I moved slowly through the story. It has a dual timeline which in parts were a little confusing - some chapter changes weren't clear as to which timeline I was in. Once I kept reading I could figure it out - but it could have been a little more clear. That being said, this is a great read and I enjoyed the story. I was instantly drawn into Anna's story through her diary. I found that much more compelling than Sarah's story. I think I could have followed Anna's story much farther!

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper 360 for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This was a sweet book that intertwined two timelines. The past and present blend together allowing us to see how the past has influenced the future. While not both timelines end happy, we do get resolutions and character growth.

Evie Woods' *The Story Collector* is a captivating journey that seamlessly intertwines dual timelines, weaving together the past and present in a way that enriches both the plot and the characters. This novel is a treasure for readers who appreciate well-developed characters and a narrative that artfully explores the echoes of history on contemporary lives.

One of the novel's standout features is its dual timelines. Woods masterfully balances the past and present, allowing the reader to gradually uncover how the lives of the characters are connected across time. The historical narrative is vivid and immersive, bringing to life a world that feels both distant and intimately familiar. At the same time, the contemporary storyline is engaging and relatable, grounding the more mystical elements of the plot in real human experiences.

The characters in *The Story Collector* are richly drawn, each with their own unique voice and depth. Whether set in the past or present, they are compelling and fully realized, making their journeys both heartwarming and heartbreaking. The protagonist’s growth throughout the story is particularly well-handled, as she navigates the mysteries of the past while also confronting her own personal challenges. The relationships between the characters are complex and layered, adding emotional resonance to the unfolding mystery.

Woods' writing is lyrical yet accessible, with a flow that keeps you turning pages late into the night. She has a gift for creating atmosphere.
Overall, *The Story Collector* is a beautifully written, deeply engaging novel that will appeal to fans of historical fiction, mystery, and character-driven stories. The dual timelines are handled with finesse, and the characters are so well-developed that they stay with you long after you’ve turned the last page. This is a book that invites you to lose yourself in its pages and discover the stories that connect us all. Highly recommended!

I was really intrigued by the cover art, title, and blurb and really thought I'd enjoy this one, despite my general lack of interest in books that self-categorize as romance. Unfortunately, I struggled with this one early on and just never found the threads to connect to either the contemporary or historical storylines... It felt like reading two novels combined into one, and while that can work it also runs the risk of pulling the reader out of both stories on a regular basis - and that's how I felt. This one just wasn't for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and Harper 360 for ARC. I really liked the premise, and the promise of its two timelines, and certainly the Irish folklore and fairy stories. But the execution fell a little flat for me. Anna's early 1900s story was told through her "diary" which wasn't really a diary, but rather a novel within the novel, complete with verbatim conversations about her work assisting an American researcher who is writing a book on Celtic fairy faith. Sarah's story is in the present day, and she is a hot, grieving mess, dealing with alcoholism, a failed marriage and another loss that I won't spoil. She finds Anna's diary, meets a widower and his daughter who bonds with her about the diary's fairy stories, and meets a wise woman healer who cures her grief with a special tea, and then boom, she is in a new relationship. I think I would have liked it better with just Anna's story.

4.5 Stars
This was a beautiful story that wove the past and present together with a common thread: fairies. Following the stories of Anna (from 1911) and Sarah (present day, 100 years later), we learn about these women, their relationships, and the secrets that haunt them. This book provides a reminder that while not everything happens the way we want it, everything happens as it should. I loved the connection of fairy folklore and beliefs that were woven into the story – it was unlike other stories I’ve read in the past.Thank you NetGalley and Harper 360 for the eARC.