"The Story Collector" by Evie Gaughan weaves an enchanting tale of mystery, folklore, and dual timelines that transport readers between a quiet Irish village in the past and present-day New York. The novel beautifully blends elements of historical fiction with magical realism, creating a rich, atmospheric narrative.

The historical storyline follows Anna, a young Irish farm girl, as she assists an American visitor in translating Irish fairy tales. What starts as an innocent project soon spirals into a compelling mystery, one that could alter Anna’s life forever. Meanwhile, in the present, Sarah Harper travels to Ireland, where she uncovers long-buried secrets that blur the line between reality and the mystical.

Evie Gaughan’s writing brings both timelines to life with vivid descriptions of the Irish landscape and a captivating sense of wonder. The folklore woven throughout the story adds depth and intrigue, while the characters, though ordinary on the surface, possess extraordinary stories of their own.

For readers who enjoy books with a touch of magic and a dash of mystery, "The Story Collector" is a delightful escape that explores the power of stories to connect people across time and space.

The Story Collector is an interesting premise. Sarah, a woman newly separated from her husband, drunkenly derails her planned flight from NY to Boston and somehow finds herself in small town Ireland at Christmas. She is lucky to find hospitality that folds her in like family.

In her exploration, she finds a diary hidden in the trunk of a tree. The 100 year old diary belonged to a girl named Anna who documented her time working with an American who collected stories about fairies from the locals.

Their stories intertwine and Sarah finds herself.

I felt the story was cute, and I enjoyed the fairy stories a lot. The actual story collector is more of a supporting character, though, and doesn’t get much “page time”. The diary entries are written more like a novel, far too formal for that modality to be believable. For two female main characters, they both could’ve been stronger characters. Maybe a juxtaposition of a weaker FMC from 100 years ago to our protagonist in current day would’ve been a nice way to see that feminist growth.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper360 for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a light read with a bit of historical fiction flair and back-and-forth timelines. I'm not sure I ever really felt all in on the characters, so perhaps the writing didn't quite work for me, but the story moved along well enough. I do wish there'd been a bit more fairy magical bits, but I think it was more about the folklore as culture and history of this place in Ireland than it was about actual fairies.

Another beautiful adventure from Evie woods. Her books are always an enjoyable escape from the real world with beautifully written characters.

I should have finished "The Lost Bookshop" before getting the ARC for "The Story Collector." I would have been more prepared for the disappointment in character these books have. The back cover promises mystery and intrigue in Ireland--a favorite setting of mine--across multiple timelines--a favorite trope of mine.

There was so much promise I kind of just dove off the cliff and got both books at once. Then immediately landed flat on my face. "The Lost Bookshop" had horrible role models and a mountain of trauma. Then this book opens with a woman walking out on her husband, which most likely stems from a mountain of trauma. I'm done. DNF. Have a nice day.

The Story Collector by Evie Woods is a beautifully atmospheric novel that blends Irish folklore, mystery, and a touch of the supernatural, creating a compelling dual-timeline story that will captivate fans of both historical fiction and magical realism.

Set in a quiet Irish village, the novel intertwines the lives of two women—Anna, a young farm girl in 1920s Ireland, and Sarah Harper, a modern-day woman seeking escape and answers. The connection between them unravels slowly, tied together by myths, fairy stories, and the secrets of a community steeped in tradition and superstition.

Anna’s story is steeped in Irish folklore, giving the novel a deep, enchanting sense of place. When she begins working with an American visitor to translate local fairy stories, what seems like a harmless task turns into something far more complex. The mystery she finds herself caught up in threatens her simple, rural life, pulling her deeper into a world where the boundaries between reality and myth blur. Woods’s portrayal of 1920s Ireland is rich and immersive, filled with the kinds of old-world superstitions that give the story its eerie, magical undertones.

In the present day, Sarah Harper travels to Ireland hoping to escape her own life and find a sense of peace. But instead, she uncovers long-buried secrets that echo Anna’s mysterious past. Sarah’s narrative is grounded in the real world but tinged with the same sense of otherworldliness that haunts Anna’s story. As she delves into the village’s history and the myths that surround it, Sarah becomes an unwitting participant in a mystery that bridges generations.

Woods excels at creating vivid, relatable characters, with both Anna and Sarah being strong, determined women whose lives are shaped by the secrets they uncover. While Anna’s journey is more tied to survival and the unraveling of a personal and cultural mystery, Sarah’s arc focuses on self-discovery, healing, and the allure of the unknown. Both characters are easy to root for, and their stories are woven together with a sense of inevitability that keeps the reader engaged.

The novel’s pacing is gentle yet gripping, building layers of intrigue as it alternates between past and present. Woods balances the magical with the everyday in a way that makes the story feel grounded but still enchanting. The fairy stories, while central to the plot, also serve as metaphors for the characters’ journeys—both Anna and Sarah are navigating their own personal folklore, full of unseen forces and untold truths.

One of the novel’s standout features is its exploration of how stories—whether folklore, family secrets, or personal histories—shape who we are. As Anna and Sarah dig deeper into the myth and mystery of the village, they also come to understand the power of storytelling itself. This theme adds an emotional resonance to the plot, making The Story Collector more than just a tale of mystery and magic; it’s a meditation on the stories we tell ourselves and others.

Overall, The Story Collector is a wonderfully evocative novel that draws readers into its magical world with charm and grace. Evie Woods has created a tale that’s full of heart, mystery, and just the right touch of enchantment. Fans of historical fiction with a dash of the mystical will find much to love here, as will anyone who enjoys stories where the past and present collide in unexpected ways.

What a delight! This book was like a warm Irish hug; I loved every part. Magical realism is possibly my favorite genre, and when mixed with historical fiction in Ireland's countryside, I am hooked. I enjoyed how the author developed and concluded both the story in the present day and a century in the past and how she tied the two timelines together. While this book touched upon grief and loss, it did so with acknowledgment and sensitivity.

Quick recap without spoilers:
It is Christmas day in New York, and Sarah Harper is traveling home to Boston after finalizing her divorce. After drunken spontaneity results in a plane ticket to Shannon, Ireland, the location of a fairy tree featured in a magazine, the locals pity Sarah and give her a place to stay. While exploring, Sarah finds the hidden journal of Anna, a farm girl from a hundred years ago. Anna is excited about her new job as an assistant for an American who is researching fairy folklore. The past and the present have themes of love, loss, and a little magic.

I gave this one 4.5 stars. Thank you to Harper 360 and NetGalley for the advanced copy; I will post the review on my page.

Cute book! I like the magical realism feel to it and the character back and forth. I think I have to say I really enjoyed the first book more.

The first one was a lot better. This one wasn’t that bad.
*The Story Collector* by Evie Woods is an enchanting tale about the transformative power of books and storytelling. It follows Ana, who stumbles upon an old bookshop in a quaint town while her life is at a crossroads. The bookshop holds secrets, and as Ana unravels them, she finds connections to the past that change her own future. Evie Woods beautifully captures the charm of small towns, the magic of forgotten stories, and the joy of self-discovery. It's a heartwarming, uplifting read for book lovers who believe in the magic hidden within the pages of a good story.

I found The Story Collector by Evie Woods to be enjoyable. I liked the characters and the plot, as well as the writing.I found myself enthralled and wondering what was going to happen next. I really did like this book, all up until the ending. Not that it was a bad ending, but not the kind of ending I like in my books. If you enjoy a mystery with fantastical stories and a little bit of romance, I think you'll like this story.

4.5 stars

Irish folklore and superstitions - about fairies, witches, and the like - form the core of this charming novel.

****

In 1882, Anglo-Irish Lord Hawley decided to build a manor house for his new wife in a woodland in western Ireland. A gnarled old hawthorn tree, a fairy tree, grew in the middle of the woodland, and a seeress warned that "misfortune would befall any man who so much as scarred the twisted bark." Lord Hawley pooh-poohed these 'superstitions', cleared the land, and constructed a mansion called Thornwood House. A few years later Lord Hawley's wife had a difficult pregnancy and gave birth to twins - George and Olivia - whom Lady Hawley insisted weren't her children. The seeress knew this meant the Good People [fairies] "had exacted their revenge by taking the human children and replacing them with evil, sickly souls." Keep this in mind, because we'll meet George and Olivia again, when they're grown.

From here, the story proceeds in two alternating timelines, 2010 and 1910.

Towards the end of 2010, after a difficult period in their three-year marriage, New York residents Sarah and Jack Harper decide to divorce. Sarah sends her possessions ahead, and makes plans to fly to Boston, where her family lives.

Before Sarah boards her plane to Boston, she's browsing through an airport shop called 'The Emerald Isle Gift Store', where she buys a bottle of whiskey and an Irish newspaper. The Irish tabloid's headline reads: THE FAIRY TREE THAT MOVED A MOTORWAY. The accompanying story is about a motorway in a town called Thornwood, in Clare County, whose route was changed to protect a very beautiful hawthorn tree. (The Emerald Islanders apparently learned from Lord Hawley's mistake.) In any case, Sarah impulsively changes her plans and boards a plane for Ireland.

Sarah is embraced by the people of Clare County and soon finds herself ensconced in a cozy domicile, called Butler's Cottage, for her visit. During a brisk nighttime walk Sarah finds a diary in the hollow of a tree, whose cover reads 'The Diary of Anna Butler.' Anna's entries begins on Saint Stephen's Day (December 26), 1910, and reveal that she was an 18-year-old farm girl who lived in Butler's Cottage with her parents and three brothers. Sarah is VERY drawn to Anna's diary, and immerses herself in the entries. Sarah reads a few pages of the journal at a time, between her day to day activities.

Anna begins her 1910 journal with descriptions of Christmas festivities, then mentions meeting a young American scholar called Harold Griffin-Krauss. Harold's bicycle gets two flat tires near Butler's Cottage, and he comes to the door to request assistance. Anna's father helps fix the bicycle, then tea is served, and Harold explains that his mother is Irish, and he's an anthropology student at Oxford, studying Celtic folklore - particularly fairies. Harold has traveled around Scotland, Wales, Cornwall in the south of England, the Isle of Man, and Brittany in northern France, and Ireland is his last stop before returning to Oxford.

Harold goes on to explain, "Some people are happy to discuss their experiences, but many are wary of a foreigner asking questions. So, in each area I visit, I try to hire a local person to help me with my interviews." The upshot is that Anna is hired to accompany Harold on his interviews, and to translate Gaelic into English when necessary. As Anna and Harold work together, a strong friendship develops.

During Harold's interviews he records numerous fascinating tales about the fairy folk and other magical creatures, who are real to many people in County Clare, including Anna herself. Some of these tales are frightening, such as one about a man who thought his wife had been turned into a witch, so he burned her to death. The husband thought the witch would fly up the chimney, and his real wife would return. (She didn't.) Anna is appalled by tales like this.

On their perambulations, Anna and Harold come across Lord Hawley's (now grown) 'evil twins', George and Olivia, who live in luxurious Thornwood House, ride fine horses, wear elegant clothes, have handsome carriages, throw lavish parties, and so on. Anna is enthralled by handsome George, and though she knows it's impossible, Anna fantasizes about George being her beau. This leads to big trouble.

Interspersed with Anna's 1910 diary entries are chapters about modern Sarah's life in Thornwood. Sarah's activities include a lot of lone drinking, and grieving over a sad incident that haunts her. Though Sarah thinks about her Boston family and her estranged husband, she allows herself to be drawn out by some of the locals, including a hotel manager and his lady love; a kindly grandfather; and especially County Clare's conservation officer, Oran Sweeney and his teenage daughter Hazel, who also have a tragedy in their past. During one afternoon outing, Sarah and Oran even climb over a fence and break into Thornwood House, which is now a derelict structure where no one lives.

As things turn out, the fairy folk may have drawn Sarah to Clare Country, because Sarah, Oran, and Hazel help each other heal their wounds and move on.

For me, the 1910 timeline is more compelling, with tales of life in rural Ireland; Irish lads striving for Irish independence; and the Irish folklore recorded by Harold Griffin-Krauss. We learn that Harold later publishes his collection of Irish tales in a book called 'The Fairy Compendium', which is read by Sarah and Hazel.

In her acknowledgments, author Evie Woods notes that 'The Story Collector' was inspired by the 'real Harold', Walter Evans-Wentz, "who came to [Ireland] in search of the mystic and captured all of Ireland's beauty and mystery."

I enjoyed the novel, especially the Irish legends and fables, and highly recommend the book to readers interested in the subject.

Thanks to Netgalley, Evie Woods, and Harper 360 for a copy of the book.

The lost bookshop is on my TBR, so i was not familiar with Evies work. I think i was expecting more fae than fairy when i started reading it. I loved the first third of the book. I read it in a blink of an eye, the second third was neat, but kept freaking me out a little bit. The last third kinda fell off the rails, it felt very rushed. I also HATED Anna's ending, that was heart wrenching to read, I was really rooting for her.

We traveled to Ireland a year ago, and the descriptions were absolutely spot on. In reading about Ireland makes me desparately want to go back and look at everything with a new lense. I wonder what would happen if i asked them about the good people? The book was about two women with very similar parallels in their own lives. Sarah is set in the modern day present reading about Anna's life in the past through a diary. Anna helps an american fellow, Harold, write down stories about Irish folklore which includes the fairies or the good people. Sarah and Anna are both working through some guilt and grief that makes its appearance known in many ways. This book was about finding yourself through lifes trials and tribulations with the extreme of not wanting to be found out for talking to fairies incase you were tried for witchcraft.

Anyways I enjoyed the concept of making true to the unexpected, and working/sitting through your grief, i was just left with a few questions
-was the creepy lady who acosted sarah in the street a fairy, maggie, or olivia?
-why didn't Anna follow Harold? (This part felt unfinished and very rushed)
-did Sarah leave Oran and get back with Jack?... wasnt that the main reason she left for ireland in the first place because she wasnt feeling seen in the relationship

Any read that starts out with Robert Frost and a fairy tree is a hook in my book. Wholesome and warm hearted with a wee bit of mystery, this dual timeline takes you from America to Ireland chasing Celtic fairy stories and matters of the heart. A quick, engaging read! Love the sacred places and otherworldly tales. 🌲✨♥️🧚‍♂️

While other authors are writing of high fae, Woods writes of a different type of fairy! I love that the author incorporates magic into her stories, having read The Lost Bookshop immediately before this.

Ireland was a perfect setting. I loved that we were immediately immersed into the story. The characters were easy to love.

TW: child loss.

With a gorgeous Irish setting in County Clare, dual timelines set 100 years apart, and enchanting tales of fairy folk, this book ticked all the boxes for me. Picture the words coming up off the page, spiraling around me, and pulling me down into the book. My favorite part was the collecting of the stories, especially the spooky ones. I balked a little bit at first at the "diary" entries, since they were not really written that way (no one I know writes dialogue into their diary entries...), however, I was enthralled enough with the storytelling that I quickly found I didn't care about that little quirk. Overall, the pace was fast, the characters were well-developed for the most part, the writing was smooth, and the storyline was engaging.

This book was so cute!
Historical fiction- Irish beliefs, fairies and all of that in between. There is a little romance as well!
I always love a book that writes in past and present - it makes it feel even more magical!

4 stars!

Thank you Netgalley for the advanced reader copy!

Publish date: 08/13/2024

“The Story Collector” by Evie Woods follows two women whose timelines are 100 years apart and connects them through a lost but now found journal and a mystery of superstition surrounding a village in Ireland. This magical and heartwarming book is beautifully written and brings elements of historical fiction blended with magical elements of “fairy” tales and emotions such as heartbreak, loss, and love. Evie had me completely immersed from the beginning. The dual perspective via different timelines was a game-changer, allowing me to connect with both Sarah, Anna, and the American visitor from the past. I just wish the ending had been a bit more satisfying and I feel like Sarah’s character development could have been better. I feel Sarah’s story was a bit more rushed and not as focused on as Anna’s. Now Anna’s story had me completely drawn in and I found myself eagerly waiting for her chapters. Though it didn’t meet all my expectations, the story is beautifully written and I highly recommend. If you're looking for a captivating and heartwarming tale filled with magic, love, and loss, that you can cozy up with, this book is a must-read.

This book was a little bit of drama, a little bit of fantasy and a little bit of romance. It was altogether a very good book and I enjoyed it. A little unbelievable at times, but that is where the fantasy part definitely comes in. How many of us have wanted to escape from life, just jump a plane and go anywhere? Well, this is the book for you, as the main character does exactly that. The characters are very well developed, and at times bring out strong emotions.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper 360 for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. My opinions are my own.

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to review this title. An interesting take on one of my favorite things, magical realism.

"The Story Collector" begins when Sarah Harper makes an unplanned trip to Ireland. Finding a hidden journal, Sarah finds herself immersed in a story written by Anna over 100 years ago. Anna had a mission; to assist an American scholar collecting folklore in her Western Irish countryside. The stories they collect were magical and sometimes mystical. As Anna's story is revealed amid the Irish landscapes, Sarah learns of the magical and sometimes sinister history of the area.

"The Story Collector" is a story inside a story which is always a joy to read. Blessed are the authors who can create 3 dimensional stories for their readers. It must be magic.