The Story Keeper

Jennia Beth is an editor with a New York publishing house. There is a room at the Vida Publishing where the rejected manuscripts from the last twenty years have landed--called the "Slush Pile." Somehow one of the manuscripts lands from the Slush Pile lands on her desk and when she reads it, she feels compelled to find out who wrote it and find the author. After a bit of research she finds that the author is Evan Hall, a once-famous writer of the Time-Shifters series for young adults. He has since become reclusive because of all the hoopla his Time-Shifters novels and subsequent movies have created. Jen wants to push the manuscript for publication. In presenting the proposal to her boss, she finds she will be dispatched to North Carolina where Evan is and where Jen's family lives.

After she gets to North Carolina, she finds she is in the middle of one of the two Time-Shifters fairs held in the area. Jen meets Evan's Aunt Helen who tries to help Jen talk to Evan. When Evan finds out who she is and what she wants, he kicks her off his property. Jen and Evan can't help running into each other and every time they do, Jen wears him down a bit.

Within this novel is the novel of the Story Keeper--the story of Rand Champlain and Sarra, a Melungeon, and their travels in the Appalachian mountains.

Lisa Wingate has put together an engaging novel with all of the characteristics of a good story--compelling characters, a bit of mystery, a lot of family dynamics that speak of real life in a way that relates to every reader. While Jennia Beth is in North Carolina, she meets up with her sisters and her father for a bittersweet reunion.

I have read other Lisa Wingate novels but not with as much enjoyment. This book captivated me from the very beginning and it was easy to bounce between the story of Jen and Evan and the story of Rand and Sarra. If it weren't for the fact that my eyes were slamming shut on me last night, I would have finished the book yesterday in almost one sitting.

Five Stars, Two Thumbs Up, and a story to pass down to your future generations.