3.5 - This was a really unique story set in two timelines in Ireland. The historical time is a man coming to document stories about local "fairies" and the woman who helps him. The modern has a woman running away from her life in America. Both have people in need to healing.

Sarah is losing her self-control. In the midst of a divorce, drinking too much, she impulsively gets on a flight to Ireland instead of going to stay with her sister in Boston.

Two timelines start, 100 years apart, when Sarah finds the diary of Anne, a local Irish girl, and her role as the assistant/translator to an American scholar, Harold Griffin- Krauss (based on the real scholar Walter Evans-Wentz) to collect stories about fairies.

A truly enjoyable read.

As are the characters in her book, Evie Woods is a story collector. In fact in her book, The Story Collector, she gives us two stories that take place 100 years apart.

After arriving at Shannon airport through the oddest of circumstances, Sarah finds herself in a world of folklore, fairies, a small Irish town and its inhabitants, kindness and love. And, after finding the hidden diary of Anna, she is transported back to a mystical time a century before.

In Anna’s diary, Sarah learns that fairies roamed the streets and backwoods of Thornwood mostly unseen. They intervened in people’s lives. And when we learn more about Sarah’s life, we wonder if they still do.

We want to know what will happen to Sarah and we want to know what did happen to Anna. Do they stay in Thornwood or are they bound for America? Will it be Harold or Jackson or Oren? And what stories will the Story Collector hear as he goes about learning more and more about the “Good People” (aka fairies) who live in the special Hawthorne tree?

Evie Woods spins a good tale that I just sank into.

Special thanks to Harper 360 and NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

I really enjoyed this book. I think if you're a booklover you will enjoy it as well. Also it is about a woman named Ann who goes to Ireland to translate fairie tales from Irish to English and this brings Ann somewhat of a problem.

Also if you are a book lover, I think we all are, this book is extra special because it's about books and lost manuscripts and I think it is worth the read. I'm giving it 4 stars bc I enjoyed it so much.

Books, libraries, history, secrets/ really, what more could one want? A solid book that I wish had more -
Only because I was sad to finish it!


Thank you NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review!

I enjoyed the magical elements this book offered, and the character growth shown. It kept me engaged with dual timeline as well!

I really appreciate a look into different cultures’ lores and traditions. I loved the cozy Irish setting.

I’m not a huge fan of diary entries that don’t read like diaries. I had a hard time buying into the romantic relationships— I want to feel the chemistry, not just be told that there is chemistry.

The pacing felt slow as well… and that may very well be because I wasn’t in the right “mood” for this one. Books can feel different at different times.

I was immediately drawn to the cover. My first novel by the author but I will definitely check out The Lost Bookshop now.

I've discovered that I am very into books involving faeries aka The Good People. This book has a great combination of storytelling mixed with real emotions. The book's major theme is about grief and how we process it in our lives. Almost every character in the book has dealt with grief and they are all dealing with it in different ways. Some better than others.

Thank you to NetGalley, Evie Woods, One More Chapter Publishing and Harper 360 for the opportunity to read The Story Collector. I have written this review voluntarily.

The Story Collector is an adorable historical fiction, dual timeline story by Evie Woods.

Sara, the FMC, find herself in Ireland right at Christmastime in 2010 after some life changing events. While out walking Thornwood she discovers an old diary written by Anna back in 1911. This book goes back and forth between both women connecting each other through many years. In 1911 Mr. Krauss, the story collector, is on a journey to collect the stories of fairies’ faith, superstitions and beliefs from the Celtic people. Anna becomes his assistant, taking him to the locals and translating the stories they have. She has her own fairy story to tell that has her eventually causing problems with another local. This book does not end how you think it is going to end and I loved that. Not everything is a happy ending for everyone in life and I appreciate that author, Evie Woods, brings that into her story.

I adore the magical feeling this book brings throughout both timelines. I have always loved the fairy stories from Ireland so I really enjoyed reading this book. The Story Collector is a quick and easy to follow read. Perfect for the start of fall and getting all cozy at home with a good book. I highly recommend this book for anyone who enjoys a fast-paced time travel through time book. I have had Evie’s first book, The Lost Bookshop on my TBR since it was published. I had heard great things so when I had the chance to get an ARC of The Story Collector I jumped at the opportunity. I will definitely be reading any books she writes in the future as well as her previous book under the name Evie Gaughan.


Thank you to NetGalley, publisher HarperCollins360, and author Evie Woods, for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.

This is a beautiful story about rebuilding your life after it falls apart. The characters come alive in the page and swirl with mystery, love, and ultimately, hope.

This a story told in dual timelines and featuring some wonderful fairy stories, though they're not necessarily the main point of the plot. Anna's story, told in her diary from 1911, is by far the stronger of the two. Her interactions with Harold and the revelations of her past are more interesting than the somewhat cheesy romance in Sarah's modern 2011 timeline. Ultimately this was an easy, cozier blend of historical fiction, fairy encounters, and emotional moments.

A note: Especially in the beginning, Sarah, a Boston native, thinks about how her suitcase is going in the boot of the car and how she is walking down the tarmac outside the cottage -- the author is clearly not American. :) This isn't a problem and it goes away fairly quickly, but it is noticeable since it happens so early in the narrative.

Thanks NetGalley and Harper 360 for an advanced copy of this book.

A dual timeline story with a bittersweet ending. Thanks to #Netgalley and #Thestorycollector for advanced digital copy.

I liked this book more than the previous book from this author for a few reasons:

1. The main characters, while clichéd, were more complex than in The Lost Bookshop. And that wasn’t just true for the main characters, it was also true for some of the secondary characters. I loved reading about Marcus and Fee, and Tess and Paddy!

2. The plot, in both the past, with Anna Butler, and the present, with Sarah and Oran, was compelling. With Anna’s story, there was a sense of mystery every time another villager shared their story about The Good People. And with Sarah’s story, there was a sense of discovery, and she was learning more about Anna and The Good People.

Were there clichéd moments in the book? Of course. There were certain characters, when introduced, that you could predict exactly what was going to happen with them. But, this book also had its fair share of surprises, and I enjoyed reading it.

Lovely period piece about a young American going through a divorce and losing herself in an old diary of a girl in post WW1 Ireland. The book jumps back and forth between present day and past history. It's a book about discovering one's self and growing up. I thoroughly enjoyed it. The book pulled me in and kept me enthralled.

The Story Collector by Evie Woods

I received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley for review. My opinions are my own.

5/5 stars

If you liked “The Lost Bookshop” you are REALLY going to like Woods next book. This book has dual storylines - one about a middle-aged woman going through a divorce who spontaneously goes to Ireland and another about an 18yo girl who is tasked with helping a traveling scholar with documenting stories about local folklore - particularly about fairies.

I could not put this book down. I read it in 24 hours and I may be a believer in fairies myself….

3.5 rounded up. This is a sweet, mystical, dual-timeline story following modern-day Sarah, who, reeling from a divorce and struggling with grief and alcohol dependency, impulsively flies to Ireland instead of home to her family on Christmas Day. Staying in a cottage in a small village, she finds the diary of Anna, which chronicles her experience serving as an assistant and guide to an American scholar studying Irish fairy lore 100 years prior.

I was less swept away by Sarah's fish-out-of-water storyline, which included a nice but not particularly special romantic arc, than I was by Anna's. The intrigue of both the politics of the village (and that period in Irish history), the dynamic between her and the scholar Harold, and the deep connections to the folklore and the land were all enjoyably explored. Spoiler and content warning: (view spoiler)

If you like fairy tales, stories rooted deeply in place and setting, and a little bit of romance, you'll probably enjoy this book—I did, though I didn't tear through it the way I have some other similar books that were a little better catered to my specific interests. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was expecting a collection of short stories, but this was a wonderful novel of two women struggling to change their lives in two different time periods, Irish good people (fairy folk), and following your heart. When a woman leaves her husband, planning to go home to her family, but instead books a flight to Ireland, she's in for a life-changing experience. When she finds an old diary of a young woman, she loses herself in legends of the land of the good people, shape-shifters and fairy folk. The past and the present are intricately entwined to lead her to the resolution of loss and heartbreak. It's poignant, imaginative, and captivating. I loved it.

Title: The Story Collector
Author: Evie Woods
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: 4.5 out of 5

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.

I really enjoyed this story! Both timelines were engrossing and a bit magical and just made me feel good. Sarah’s story was wonderful, and I loved seeing how she came to accept herself and her place in the world. Anna was just lovely, but so naïve it kind of hurt to watch. Her story didn’t end like I hoped, but I enjoyed it just the same.

Evie Woods is a bestselling author. The Story Collector is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Harper 360 in exchange for an honest review.)

Fantasy, historical fiction, romance, Ireland, and BOOKS? The perfect novel for book people, full of ordinary characters with unusual stories and the occasional secret.

An ordinary life can be extraordinary. Sarah Harper has reached her limit. Her marriage is over, she doesn't want to go home to her parents. She is tired and life has been enough. On a whim, she books a flight to Ireland. She rents a cottage in the countryside, walking distance to the nearest town. The rustic charm of the countryside, town, and cottage begins healing her. She finds an old diary written in 1911. This diary is beyond the usual and quickly Sarah is drawn into the extraordinary story of Anna. Anna Is a poor farmer's daughter asked to translate for an American studying at Oxford. He is writing a book on fairies. He hopes that by having Anna accompany him, people will tell their stories.

Sarah and Anno both learn their strengths through experiences. Sarah's broken heart begins to heal and Anna learns the value of family. Each woman has undergone trauma and emerges from it as a better person. The story is told through Sarah and Anna's perspectives and is full of colorful characters. Evie Woods beautifully describes the allure of Ireland in both historical and contemporary times. This story merges magic, mystery, fantasy, and historical fiction into a wonderfully engaging story. As Anna's and Sarah's stories reach their conclusions, I wish I could somehow make the story slower. I found myself enjoying these two characters and of course hoping for the happily-ever-after endings. I won't spoil this for anyone, you will have to read this book to find out all the details. It is delightful!