What a great summer (or anytime) read! The Story Collector is a tale of two women, one hundred years apart and how the tragedy of one helps heal the heart of another, via an old diary.
It's Christmas 2010 and Sarah finds herself in County Clare Ireland after a spur of the moment, alcohol-induced decision. New friends and an old diary are exactly what she needs, even if she doesn't know it.
St Stephen's Day 1910 finds Anna happily going about her chores and thinking about what a nice Christmas it had been and the beautiful journal she received. Little did she know that her life was about to change.
The book introduces colorful characters along with their stories of The Good People (who aren't always 'good'). It is well written with believable characters. It is an easy and relaxing read.
I could have easily read another few chapters but the ending wrapped things up nicely.

100 years ago, a young farm girl named Anna took on the role of translator for a young American scholar who was researching tales of the Fairy Folk in Irish history. Currently, Sarah keeps drowning her misery in alcohol and finds herself on a plane to Ireland on Christmas Eve, when she was supposed to be headed from Boston to New York. Both women have sorrows in their past and each is trying to escape those hurtful times in their lives. In a wonderful blending of past and present, author Woods draws reader's into each woman's personal story. We become invested in the young naive farm girl's crush on the local landed gentry's son and in Sarah's struggle to cope with a past that she just can't forget. Healing comes in the wild an beautiful Irish countryside and the local people's willingness to help their neighbors no matter the circumstance.
An enchanting read from start to finish.

Evie Woods (The Lost Bookshop) delivers another rich exploration of finding love after loss, discovering faith in the midst of disillusionment. in this dual-timeline blend of historical fiction, romance, and magic set in the lush backdrop of The Emerald Isle.

Woods deftly intertwines two compelling stories:

On Christmas Day, 2010, Sarah escapes from her failed marriage and unspoken grief, impulsively catching a flight to Ireland instead of home to her family in Boston. In a remote village in Shannon, she befriends a widower named Oran, and his daughter, also dealing with unspoken grief. Meanwhile, she uncovers dark secrets, both worldly and magical, as she reads the diary of a farmer's daughter named Anna, which Sarah discovers in a tree purported to be protected by fairies.

In 1910, young Anna, a farmer's daughter, records the details of her life as the assistant to American scholar Harold Griffin-Krauss, who is researching stories about fairies for his Oxford thesis. Set against the backdrop of Anglo-Irish tension and division between the privileged and the poor, the tale of Anna and Harold compels Sarah to confront her own internal strife and seek a path to healing.

Both timelines are populated with charming local characters who serve as foils to the protagonists and their companions. While it is categorized as a historical romance, this novel transcends the genre by integrating a strong sense of culture and its expression through stories and legends.

The Story Collector is a dual POV told 100 years apart. We follow Anna, from 1910, who is living a normal life until a young American man shows up at her family’s doorstep looking for stories of the fantastical kind. Ana’s is interested in the stories and also the man as he interviews people all over town. 100 years later Sarah, the newly separated woman who decides to board a plane to Ireland, finds the diary of the young Anna as she recounts her time with Harold. As Sarah tries to find herself, she begins to unravel the story of fairy folk in Ireland.

Unfortunately, I have to DNF this book. This may be the case of “not a bad book, just not for me.” When I think of stories with fairy encounters, I expect them early and often. After over 100 pages in the book, there has been little to no magic in the book. The main character, Sarah, is a very flat character. Woods brings so much unnecessary backstory into every chapter that is not relevant and it makes the main characters very one dimensional. This is what’s lead to my DNF at 27%. Thank you to NetGalley and One More Chapter Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this ARC!

I really enjoyed this story. While the plot centered around grief and loss, the story was not too heavy. I enjoyed reading the stories of The Good People and thought the historical sections were really well written. As an American, I felt that Sarah’s voice really missed the mark. The British spelling didn’t bother me, but the word choice did. While I appreciated the symmetry of Sarah being American, she came across more British than American.

In “the Story Collector,” Sarah leaves her husband on Christmas Day 2010 and goes to Newark airport to board a plane to Boston to stay with her sister, Meghan. Instead of going to Boston, Sarah gets drunk at the airport and boards a plane for Ireland after reading an article about a Hawthorne Tree in a small village saved from destruction by forcing the re-routing of a motorway that would have required the tree to be removed. In Ireland, she rents a small cottage from a local farmer, and soon after discovers a diary written in 1910/1911 by Anna, a local teenager, who helped a visiting American scholar interview locals about their knowledge of fairies. The narrative switches back and forth between Sarah’s perspective in 2010 and 2011 and Anna’s diary entries in 1910 and 1911.

The premise of the book seemed interesting because I like books with magical realism and pastoral settings; however, the first half of this book was so boring that I almost DNF’d it at 40%, but because I had received a copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review, I persevered. The writing was flat, even when describing Sarah’s alcoholism and “the Big Bad Thing” that precipitated it; the characters were uninteresting and one dimensional, and the story progressed very slowly, filled up with inane inner monologue and mundane tasks. Finally, at about the 50% mark, the writing became more emotional, the characters became more interesting, and the plot picked up. (The beginning of the second half of the book felt like the movie the Wizard of Oz when it switches to color from black and white.)

This book may interest others who have the patience to plod through until the book picks up, otherwise the slow start ruined what could have been a very good book. Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for providing me a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

Sarah travels to Ireland after losing her baby and divorcing her husband. she stumbles upon a diary and is transported back in time. wonderful dual timeline story.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. I was excited to read this book, especially since I loved the author’s “The Lost Bookshop.”

“The Story Collector” is a beautifully written novel that celebrates Irish mythology and the art of storytelling. Woods’ descriptive writing vividly brings to life the Irish landscape and its rich folklore, particularly the fairy legends integral to the story.

While I enjoyed the story, I didn’t like this book as much as her previous ones. I felt it needed a stronger connection between the two timelines. However, I would still recommend it if you are looking for a glimpse into Ireland and its folklore.

4.5 stars! This book is the perfect mix of magical realism, historical fiction and romance. The Story Collector tells the present day story of, Sarah, who travels to Ireland after separating from her husband. While there, she finds the diary of Anna from 100 years earlier. As she becomes absorbed in Anna’s story, Sarah begins to heal and process her grief.

I was completely absorbed in both Sarah and Anna’s stories and so invested in their outcomes! Atmospheric stories are my favorite Woods masterfully transports the reader to the lush Irish countryside.

Read if you like:
✨Irish folklore
✨Well-developed characters
✨Dual timelines

Note that The Story Collector is being republished under the author’s pseudonym, Evie Woods (formerly Evie Gaughan). The book was originally published in 2018.

Thank you Net Galley and HarperCollins360 for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review. Will post to Instagram and Goodreads on the publication day.

Thank you to Harper 360 and NetGalley for the ARC of The Story Collector in exchange for an honest and independent review.

While I have to say that romance, magic, and mysticism are some of my favorite feel good reads I could ever ask for, this is my first read centered around fairy lore and the folklore of 1900s Ireland where fairies are concerned.

In a dual timeline spanning 100 years apart nestled in the hills of Ireland, we find two women enthralled in a mystery on a journey to self discovery. The year is 1911 and Anna Butler is a farmer's daughter who sets out on a quest with American journalist, Harold Krauss, in search of the unspoken fairy lore of Ireland that has been passed down through generations. It is an upspoken culture that is so deeply engrained in society that it directly impacts the day to day operations of peoples lives, whether you believe in them or not. Anna serves as Harold's translator and happens to have her own unique tie to the fairies that helps to fuel her passion for this project, and eventually for Harold himself. Throughout their time together, Anna journals her travels with Harold and their experiences as they take in stories from other townsfolk that span centuries.

Fast forward 100 years and Sarah Harper, an American artist, has escaped on a last minute trip to Ireland to grieve the loss of her unborn child and her marriage as well as clear her head. She finds herself as a resident of the old Butler cottage and happens upon Anna's old diary hidden in the hollow of a tree. In an escape from her own demons, Sarah dives into Anna's diary and becomes engrossed with her tale and her research into fairies, all the while watching her grow and morph into a very courageous young lady. No matter how many years separate Anna and Sarah, the simple fact remains that something is afoot in the hills of Ireland and it stands to reason that fairies may not just be the simple folklore we've made them out to be.

The beauty in this novel rests in the dynamic between the two strong willed female characters, Sarah and Anna. Both have faced their fair share of hardships and learn to process their pain in a healthy way, all the while growing into the women they always sought to become. There are moments of pain where you feel for them so deeply and then moments of such pride when you see their resiliency. Their stories are beautiful and woven through time in such a manner befitting of some of our favorite fairytales. This novel truly made me slow down and absorb each sentence as so much of the insight gained was so profound in measure. I loved every minute of their journey's and I'm confident you will too. The Story Collector is out August 13th and I would be doing you a disservice if I didn't recommend going out and picking this one up this summer. It's a great story to lose yourself in and allow yourself to believe for just a moment that maybe the stuff of fairytales are in fact rooted in something much deeper and magical than we could have ever even imagined.

"An evocative and charming novel full of secrets and mystery, from the million-copy bestselling author of The Lost Bookshop.

In a quiet village in Ireland, a mysterious local myth is about to change everything...

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.

With a taste for the magical in everyday life, Evie Woods's latest novel is full of ordinary characters with extraordinary tales to tell."

All about the fairy stories being translated. Perhaps something was released?

I absolutely adored this book! I rated it a 4 star. I loved the modern and historical aspect with also a bit of magic in there. I LOVED Anna and Harold’s story the most I think those were my favorite parts of the book. Overall it was a fantastic read I will be purchasing a physical copy when it releases. Thank you for the ebook ARC!

I’m not a fan of Hallmark Channel romances, but I have a soft spot for any set in Ireland. These films all feature Irish folk music and great shots of the magnificent landscapes. How wrong can you go, no matter how silly the plot? Evie Woods’ “The Story Collector” doesn’t have the music or the cinematography. Still, it has a healthy dose of Irish fairies and two heroines trodding the same landscape a century apart. The novel has plenty of charm and plenty of blarney, but one half of the story doesn’t always live up to its potential.

First, a word of explanation about the book. “The Story Collector” was first published several years ago under the author’s given name, Evie Gaughan. It has recently been re-published (with much better cover art) under the author’s pen name, Evie Woods. I don’t know what changes, if any, have been made to the book’s contents. I agreed to read the book’s current (Woods) version at the publisher’s request.

“The Story Collector” begins on a miserable Christmas night in 2010 in New York City. Sarah Harper’s marriage has fallen apart, and she’s trying to decide whether to move in with her sister or her parents in Boston. However, when Sarah stumbles across the Aer Lingus gift shop at the airport, she impulsively buys a ticket to Dublin instead of Boston. When she arrives, Sarah finds the airport inn booked solid, but the hotel manager offers her a ride to the “nearby” village of Thornwood (almost an hour’s ride), where she finds an unofficial Airbnb cottage available. Sarah’s stay in Ireland will soon be considerably more extended than expected.

At this point, “The Story Collector” has all the makings of a typical Hallmark movie, especially when Sarah befriends a young girl living nearby with a widowed father. However, Sarah’s tale is only half the story and the less interesting one. While exploring her environs, Sarah finds an old box hidden inside a tree trunk. The box contains the diary of Anna Butler, an 18-year-old girl who lived in the cottage a century earlier. To her surprise, Sarah discovers the diary begins precisely 100 years before the day she found it. Further, as Sarah reads the diary, the present-day events usually dovetail the diary entries one century apart.

Anna’s story is far more interesting than Sarah’s. She’s a bright girl destined to lead a typical existence as a rural housewife. Then, she meets an American traveler, Harold Griffin-Krauss. He’s a student researching fairy tales in Ireland and the various parts of the United Kingdom. And I don’t mean Hans Christian Andersen’s stories. Harold is researching stories of actual fairy sightings and encounters. Anna soon becomes his tour guide and assistant. As Harold does his research, he finds fairies have been prevalent in the Thornwood area for many years. Many Thornwood residents share their stories of fairy encounters with Harold and Anna. These stories are more one- or two-page flash fiction than fully plotted tales. Usually, the fairies are up to no good. Combine all the stories from Anna’s journal, and Harold and Anna formulate a theory about how the fairy underworld beneath Thornwood’s fields works. I can see how the book Harold later publishes would be entertaining (I’d read it if it were real).

Anna’s journal ends before Harold’s work finds its way into print. However, readers of “The Story Collector” learn the book was published in 1912 by the Oxford University Press, thanks to Sarah’s young friend Hazel, who has a used copy. That’s just one example of the author’s clever use of foreshadowing. Instead of burdening the book with “had I but knowns,” Evie Woods has Sarah discover seemingly trivial bits of information, like the area’s grand estate that had fallen into disrepair. In 1911, it was the home of a wealthy young man who courted Anna. Other examples include several 21st-century characters who are direct descendants of those mentioned in Anna’s diary.

Anna’s diary has everything that Sarah’s story lacks. The author notes some tragedies (including her divorce) that happened in Sarah’s life and how she eventually comes to terms with them. However, it’s a flimsy structure for a novel, even an Irish romance. Sarah uncovers details about Anna’s story that aren’t contained in the teenager’s diary, but her inquiries don’t rise to the level of an entertaining mystery.

By contrast, Anna’s story has it all: a classic love triangle, political intrigue, and even what may have been an actual encounter between Anna and some fairies (at a crucial moment in the story). Even though the present-day scenes give away some details of how Anna’s story ends, the last few pages of Anna’s diary still pack an emotional wallop. If I were making “The Story Collector” into a movie, I’d have scrapped Sarah’s story almost entirely and concentrated on filming Anna’s diary.

It’s hard to assign a rating to “The Story Collector.” Unlike books in which an author includes two shorter works to form a novel-length book, these two narratives are entirely intertwined. My only quibble with Anna’s diary is that the writing style is far beyond what a home-schooled 18-year-old in rural Ireland would compose. The colorful descriptions and turns of phrases are the work of a skilled adult author. (Similarly, Sarah’s relatives in America wish each other a “Happy Christmas” instead of a “Merry Christmas.”) But I can easily overlook that flaw because the story is so entertaining. Sarah’s story is rather bland and interrupts the flow of Anna’s tale whenever the older woman takes a break from reading to go about her daily activities. “The Story Collector” is a collection of one fascinating century-old story and one not-so-fascinating modern-day tale. Put them together, and the book is still solid entertainment.

NOTE: The publisher graciously provided me with a copy of this book through NetGalley. However, the decision to review the book and the contents of this review are entirely my own.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to read and review this book.
First the positives: I thought this was a really sweet story. The characters were lovable, the atmosphere of the book was immaculate. It made me want to visit Ireland in the winter because the weather and the vibes sound right up my alley.
Now for the… I’m not going to say negatives because I don’t think there is anything wrong with these things but something to consider… Sarah is from the states but there are quite a few phrases she says throughout the book that are quite British. The way her words flow sometimes isn’t quite how we would say it in “American” English. If she was living in Ireland for longer than she did and picked up on these phrases it would make sense but she was only there for like a week at this point. Something for the author to note. The ended although I felt very realistic left me a bit “meh” feeling. I understand not every book has to have a HEA, but some closure would be nice. I wished we could see a fuller development of Sarah and Oren’s relationship, it felt very rushed. And her relationship with Jack never felt over- it felt very open ended still. I wished their last conversation had felt more final- they can still be friends- but she was still referring to herself as his “wife” at one point after she had already started developing feelings for Oren.
All in all I really enjoyed the story and will be recommending it!

Delightful with just a touch of darkness! Just like The Good People. I thouroughly enjoyed this novel by Evie Woods and I am looking forward to picking up The Lost Bookshop. If you are interested in a feel good story this should be on your TBR.

I've always had a soft spot for all things Irish, and magical realism in fiction is also a favorite. Unfortunately, I couldn't find that same admiration while reading THE STORY COLLECTOR. I feel like the magic was missing, and the story was slow and sluggish.

In the modern day, Sarah leaves her husband on Christmas. Readers are fed hints of "The Bad Thing" that happened, marking the start of the marriage's decline and the impetus for Sarah's drinking. But, at the 55% mark, where I stopped reading, we still have few details. Instead, the author immerses readers in the diary of a young woman from the same Irish village that Sarah is visiting, written one hundred years earlier.

While I do have some issues with the diary itself—which reads like the rest of the narration of the book with only a different narrator to differentiate—it was the most vivid of the worlds built in THE STORY COLLECTOR. I found the fairy stories fascinating, but not enough to entice me to keep reading.

Perhaps the dual stories were too much for this one book, or the pacing needs work to hold the reader's interest and anticipation. Though this book wasn't for me, you know what I always say: not every book is for every reader, and that's okay! I'd like to thank the publisher and Netgalley for making the ARC available to readers willing to share their honest thoughts and opinions.

Oh my goodness, this book #TheStoryCollector was a delight, giving you all the feels! There was heartbreak, romance, mysteries, curses, fairy folklore. So enchanting, very descriptive, felt like I was there. This was my first read from this author #EvieWoods, but definitely not my last! If you want a good quick, charming, and fun read, then this is for you!
Thank you #NetGalley & Harper360 for the ARC and chance to read and review this beautiful book.

This is a book full of magic and the women it affects from 2 different generations and 2 different countries. 100 years ago, Ann helps an American translate from Irish into English, the fairy tales around her. In present day New York, Sarah goes to Ireland, but once there she discovers a lot of dark secrets that tread the line between real and unreal. This is a wonderful book that will make you escape into a different world for a while.

Evie Woods has touched my heart again. I loved The Lost Bookshop and I love this new book by Evie The Story Collector. The story develops between two timelines. I found the book hard to put down as I wanted to know what was going to happen next. I love books that take place in Ireland and have that touch of the Good People in them (fairies). But this book is not one that casts the fairies as a cartoonish character but in my opinion much more like a realistic look. I loved everything about this book and that is my honest opinion as I was giving this book as an ARC for an honest review.

My first Evie Woods book but definitely not my last. This was a break from my usual genre of thrillers. Perfect break and great palate cleanser. Filled with a little magic, a little more mystery and a lot of emotion. Fun dual timelines and fantastic characters.
Thank you NetGalley, Evie Woods and Harper 360 for the opportunity to read and review this book