For the teenager grappling with unexpected truths about a loved one, this poignant story explores family secrets and the path to understanding and acceptance.
A parent should reach for this book when their teenager is beginning to realize that parents are complex, flawed individuals with lives that existed before they were born. Set during the Great Depression, this quiet, poignant novel follows fifteen-year-old Quinn as she uncovers a painful secret about her beloved father, a charismatic storyteller she has always idolized. The discovery forces her to reconcile the hero she thought she knew with the imperfect man he truly is. This story is an excellent tool for navigating the common, yet difficult, developmental stage of parental disillusionment. It gently explores themes of forgiveness, moral complexity, and how family love can endure even after trust is broken. It's a thoughtful read for teens grappling with shifting family dynamics and their own emerging identity.
A beloved father is revealed to have abandoned a previous family, challenging the protagonist's views.
Sensitive Topics
The core sensitive topic is parental fallibility, specifically a father's past abandonment of another family. The approach is direct and emotionally grounded, focusing on the daughter's perspective. The narrative is secular. The resolution is realistic and hopeful; there is no perfect, easy fix, but Quinn achieves a new level of understanding and acceptance, which represents significant emotional growth.
Ideal Reader
A thoughtful, introspective reader aged 13-15 who is beginning to question or see the complexities in their own parents. It’s for the teen who has just learned a difficult family truth or is simply in that developmental stage of realizing parents are not perfect and have their own complicated histories.
Parent Prep
The book can be read cold. No specific scenes are graphic or shocking in their depiction, as the emotional impact is the primary focus. Parents should be ready to discuss moral ambiguity and the idea that good people can make terrible mistakes. The book does not condemn the father outright, which is a key point for discussion. A parent hears their teen express disillusionment or shock about a family member's past behavior. The trigger is a child's black-and-white worldview being challenged, perhaps with phrases like, "I can't believe he would do something like that," or, "I feel like I don't even know them."
Age Experience
A younger reader (12-13) will likely focus on the plot's central mystery and the perceived injustice of the father's actions. An older teen (14-16) will connect more deeply with Quinn's internal struggle, grasping the nuances of forgiveness, the impact of the historical setting on personal choices, and the painful but necessary process of re-evaluating a loved one.
What Makes It Special
While many YA books tackle family secrets, this one stands out for its quiet, historical, and character-driven approach. It avoids melodrama in favor of deep psychological realism. The Great Depression setting is not just wallpaper; it's integral to understanding the pressures and limited choices that shaped the characters' lives, providing a unique lens for a timeless story of disillusionment and forgiveness.
Read plot summary
In a small Washington town during the Great Depression, fifteen-year-old Quinn idealizes her charismatic father, whose stories provide hope for their family and community. Her world is upended by the arrival of a mysterious woman, Audrey, which leads Quinn to uncover a devastating family secret: her father abandoned a previous wife and child years ago. The novel follows Quinn's internal journey as she grapples with anger, betrayal, and disillusionment, ultimately working toward a more mature and nuanced understanding of her father as a flawed, but still loving, human being.
This overview was generated by AI based on the book's content and reviews, and may not capture every nuance.
Discussion Prompts
1
Before learning his secret, Quinn saw her father as a hero. After, she sees his flaws. Do you think it's possible for someone to be both a hero and a flawed person? How did your opinion of her father change?
2
The book is called 'The Storyteller's Daughter'. How did Quinn's relationship with her father's stories change after she learned the truth about the story he never told?
3
Quinn's mother knew the secret all along. Why do you think she kept it from her children? Do you agree with her decision?
4
How does the setting of the Great Depression influence the characters' actions and choices, particularly the father's past decisions? Would this story be different if it were set today?
