The Story Collector

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. The Story Collector weaves both historical and fantastical elements into a work of literary fiction. Which of these genre elements did you find most compelling as you were reading? How did their combination affect your overall experience with the book?

2. Woods is also known for her best-selling novel, The Lost Bookshop, which similarly blends historical mystery with magical elements. If you’ve read it, how did you feel this book compared? If not, does reading The Story Collector make you interested in exploring her other work?

3. What was your initial reaction to the dual-timeline structure? Did you find yourself more drawn to Anna’s story in 1911 or Sarah’s in 2010? Did that preference change as the novel progressed?

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

1. Harold believed that “if we lose our stories, we lose ourselves” (176). How does this idea connect to your own sense of family or cultural identity, and the stories that have helped shape it?

2. Sarah’s journey begins with an impulsive decision at an airport, a flight from a life that has become unbearable. Have you ever felt a similar urge to escape or make a sudden, life-altering choice? What do you think drives people to such moments of spontaneity?

3. Throughout her time in Ireland, Sarah interprets coincidences like finding the diary as fated signs guiding her toward healing. Do you look for signs or meaningful coincidences in your own life? How did this idea of fate shape your perspective on the events in the story?

4. Can you think of a book that has had a significant emotional impact on you or offered comfort during a difficult time, much like Anna’s diary did for Sarah?

5. What did you make of Oran’s inability to enter Butler’s Cottage because it was so full of memories of his late wife? Have you ever had a place that was so connected to the memory of a loved one that it was difficult to revisit?

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

1. How does the “Fairy Faith” function as a form of cultural resistance against the Anglo-Irish gentry, particularly in response to Lord Hawley’s actions?

2. The guide mentions the real-life 1895 case of Bridget Cleary. Cleary was killed by her husband, who believed she was a changeling. The schoolmaster in the novel recounts a nearly identical tale. What does the inclusion of this story suggest about how superstition can be used to rationalize violence, particularly against women?

3. A central event that sparks Sarah’s journey is a modern motorway being rerouted to protect a sacred hawthorn tree. What does this real-world example suggest about the tension between progress and tradition in contemporary society? Can you think of other instances where ancient beliefs or traditions have challenged modern development?

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

1. The narrative is built on a dual-timeline structure that directly connects events that occur a century apart. In what ways does this structure reinforce the theme of The Lingering Influence of the Past on the Present? How does it affect the novel’s pacing and suspense?

2. How does the recurring motif of the changeling evolve from a supernatural explanation for mental illness into a psychological lens for understanding human cruelty?

3. Beyond its role as a plot device, what symbolic significance does Anna’s diary hold that reinforces the novel’s central themes?

4. How does the Irish landscape, from the fairy hill of Cnoc na Sí to the decaying Thornwood House, act as a character in the novel, holding memories and influencing events?

5. Consider the novel’s supernatural interventions. The swarm of bees that attacks George feels like a fated, magical justice, while Harold’s rescue is a product of human planning and rebellion. What does this contrast suggest about The Interplay of Fate and Personal Agency in the novel’s world?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. Design the cover for Harold’s book, The Fairy Compendium. What imagery and style would you use to capture its contents?

2. The story ends as Sarah and Oran “[step] into their life together” (357) when he comes to New York. Describe their first year together. Have they returned to Ireland? How has their relationship grown outside the magical setting of Thornwood?

3. Add another story to Harold’s collection of local folklore. What would it be? Create a brief outline for a new tale from Thornwood, perhaps one explaining the origin of Maggie Walsh’s “sight.” What would be its central message?