The Keeper of Stories

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of death by suicide.

The motif of stories within stories runs throughout the novel. The narrative is peppered with individual personal histories of clients, acquaintances, and those Janice meets in passing. Clients appreciate that she is a good listener, and before long, they open up to her about their backgrounds. Janice is uncertain of when she consciously began collecting the stories, but as the story opens, it is part of her daily routine: “[N]ow the stories are reaching out, and she gathers them to her. She knows she is a receptive vessel” (2).

Initially, recalling and reflecting on others’ stories appears to be a calming hobby that Janice carries on, partly because it assuages her unhappy marriage but also because it suits her introspective personality. Foreshadowing clues, however, lead to the revelation of Janice’s sad, traumatic childhood; in actuality, Janice collects stories to avoid confronting her own troubled narrative and to fill the empty spaces in the lonely life that she’s consigned herself to because of guilt.

The “story” of Janice and Euan’s relationship is also built on stories that they share about others, such as the Italian prisoner-of-war. These stories become conversation starters that help the two find common ground and connection. Mrs. B’s Becky story is another example of a story told within the novel; significantly, Becky’s story ultimately compels Janice to tell her own.

Finally, Janice’s story to Mrs. B is so painful that she uses a story within a story (within the novel) frame to get through it, referring to herself as “the girl” and adopting the style of a dark fairy tale. Janice’s story forges permanent connections between Mrs. B and herself and shows Janice both a path toward healing and new ways to reflect on others’ stories. As seen through these examples, the motif of stories within stories supports the theme of Storytelling as a Means of Connection.