Today, April 8, 2013, is Yom Hashoah, or Holocaust Remembrance Day.

Today is the day that commemorates the murder of millions of people during the Holocaust. Between 1938 through 1945. 6 million Jews were murdered and millions of other groups such as gypsies, Poles etc.

This was a horrific time and will never ever be forgotten. Recently, a popular novelist, Jodi Picoult took on this subject and wrote a novel “The Storyteller” which was released in February. I read this book last week and I have mixed feelings.

Although I love Jodi’s writing, her imagery, her extensive and accurate research and her heavy topics that she chooses (such as autism, school shootings, end-of-life care, teenage suicide…and the list goes on…), I found that some parts of this book were excellent and others were mediocre.

The story is a takeoff of a real-life situation that happened to Simon Wiesenthal the famous Nazi hunter.  Mr. Wiesenthal was asked by a Nazi, at his deathbed  to “forgive” said Nazi for his atrocities during World War II.

Jodi Picoult, in her usual “what if?” style designed her entire novel out of this dilemma that Mr. Wiesenthal had. In her novel, “The Storyteller,” a Jewish girl, Sage Singer meets a nice, gentle old man who is in his 90’s at a grief support group, befriends him and then is stuck with a huge dilemma when he asks her a favor. I will not disclose this request of his because of spoiler risk, however, suffice it to say that the entire book is all the stories that Sage enlists from various people (her grandmother, the old man and others), in order to make her decision.

When you read this book, expect Jodi Picoult’s usual twists and surprises, but know up front that her typical courtroom scene that her other novels have, is not present in this novel. In this way, she breaks away from her usual formula that some readers criticize her for. I happened to love Ms. Picoult’s writing, her formula, and even the atypical style of this novel, “The Storyteller.”

I loved the story told by Sage’s grandmother. It was realistic, gripping, and full of interesting characters. I also enjoyed the subplots of the other characters, however, the part in which a Nazi’s upbringing is described left me with many painful feelings. I was not interested in reading about how a Nazi “defends” his acts because he was “just following orders.” I know that that was the reality but I still think that that section would be difficult for those who are children or grandchildren of survivors to read.

Jodi Picoult is not a child of survivors, although she is Jewish. She claims that her own mother provided her with the names and numbers of people who were survivors whom she can interview. As I said, I appreciated her narrative by the grandmother, the survivor because while reading it, I was really becoming attached to that character, rooting for her and her friends, and feeling the realism in her personality.

However, the other characters were more 2-dimensional, and I was not drawn into their experiences. On the contrary, I was frustrated by some of their thoughts.

I would recommend this book to those who want a good read as is typical of Jodi. But be prepared to run the gamut of feelings of anger, frustration, and sympathy — from section to section.

Also, be prepared – to Jodi Picoult’s credit – to be left with many questions of ethics. And that is a good thing. A good author leaves the reader with questions for thought.

Photo credit: http://www.publicdomainpictures.net/view-image.php?image=24115&picture=two-sides-every-story