The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult

Katherine enjoyed the moral dilemmas posed by this book.

Sage Singer is a baker and a loner, until she befriends an old man who's particularly beloved in her community. Josef Weber is everyone's favourite retired teacher and Little League coach. One day he asks Sage for a favour, he wants her to kill him. Shocked, Sage initially refuses but then Josef confesses his darkest secret. He deserves to die because he had been a Nazi SS guard. Added to this is the fact that Sage’s grandmother is a Holocaust survivor.

As Sage attempts to resolve her dilemma she discovers more about her family history and the horrors of war. She is faced with some difficult questions. How do you react to evil living next door? Can someone who's committed truly heinous acts ever atone with subsequent good behavior? Should you offer forgiveness to someone if you aren't the party who was wronged? If Sage even considers Josef’s request, is it revenge or justice?

Recommended by Katherine R, one of our readers