The Story of the Forest

Shortlisted for the Orwell Prize • A Paste Most Anticipated Historical Fiction for Fall

“An epic story of a young woman coming of age in the early 20th century, set against the backdrop of the tumultuous events happening in Europe at the time. It’s such a joy to be in the hands of an assured, vivid storyteller like Grant.” (Good Housekeeping)

It’s 1913 when Mina, the young and carefree daughter of a Jewish merchant, roams into a forest on the edge of the Baltic Sea looking for mushrooms. Instead, she encounters a gang of unruly, charismatic Bolsheviks―an adventure that will become the stuff of familial lore for generations to come. Intending to save her from further corruption, and in an act that forever changes the trajectory of their family’s life, Mina and her eldest brother, Jossel, board a ship to England.

There the threat of a different war looms large. When WWI hits, Jossel is sent to the front, where he keeps a severely wounded soldier in his unit alive ‘til morning by telling him tales―including that his sister Mina will marry him if he survives. The soldier lives and asks for Mina’s hand, their marriage uniting two growing trade dynasties. But over time Mina and Jossel will learn that not everyone in their family has survived the wars and pogroms, even as they and their offspring struggle to build new lives in Liverpool in the midst of ever-shifting discriminations.

Based on the author’s own family history and legends, The Story of the Forest is a remarkable record of family lore; a meditation on the power of stories to ground us, particularly in the face of life’s inevitable losses, told with a keen wit and a sharp eye to the charms and the foibles of family by masterful British novelist Linda Grant.

This discussion guide was shared and sponsored in partnership with SJP Lit, an imprint of Zando.

Book club questions for The Story of the Forest by Linda Grant

Use these discussion questions to guide your next book club meeting.

Do you think Mina really encountered the Bolsheviks in that forest? Why or why not does it matter what really happened?

The novel is loosely inspired by Grant’s own family records and lore. How did that affect your perception of the story?

The Story of the Forest follows one family over generations and countries. How does each character differ from one another based on their different life experiences? What are the differences and similarities across generations? How are their identities shaped by their time period?

Readers move through early 20th-century Europe to mid-century Liverpool and contemporary London. How does the author use these settings to influence the characters and their choices? What role does the sense of place play in the characters’ identities?

How do the characters’ lives and identities evolve over the course of the novel? What role do personal choices versus societal expectations play in these transformations?

Which character did you sympathize with the most? Who did you have the most trouble with? Why?

Each character has different interpretations of pivotal events that have happened in the family. Why do you think this is done? What does it say about family lore and the power of storytelling?

Explore the theme of immigration and assimilation. How do characters maintain or redefine their cultural and personal identities as they move countries and cultures?

The Story of the Forest Book Club Questions PDF

Click here for a printable PDF of the The Story of the Forest discussion questions

Praise

“A gorgeous, heartfelt generational saga about stories told and retold, some true, some embellish, that create the personal mythologies that define who we are. I loved every moment of this epic story!” ―Sarah Jessica Parker, SJP Lit

“An epic story of a young woman coming of age in the early 20th century, set against the backdrop of the tumultuous events happening in Europe at the time. It’s such a joy to be in the hands of an assured, vivid storyteller like Grant.” ―Good Housekeeping

“Tracing the arc of Mina’s life over the full span of the 20th century, The Story of the Forest defies expectation. It is a sprawling family epic elegantly contained . . . a story of Jewish assimilation from the margins of Jewish history . . . sharp observation tempered with humor and tenderness . . . the characters themselves spring from these pages, vividly, unforgettably alive.” ―Clare Clark, Guardian

“Such an intelligent family saga, ambitious and moving and funny too. . . . I loved it.” ―Tessa Hadley, author of The Past and Free Love

“Epic and marvelously entertaining. . . . The Story of the Forest hums with the boisterousness of family and community life. . . . There’s a furious energy to the novel, which constantly moves forward even as it looks sorrowfully back.” ―Catherine Taylor, Financial Times

“Like all good stories, it teems with false starts, mysterious clues and dead ends. . . . Grant’s particular gift is for the arresting scene that blends menace with comedy.” ―Alex Clark, Observer

“What an amazing novel. . . an epic, fascinating, and moving story. . . . Vivid storytelling with complex and colorful characters. I thought it was spectacular.” ―David Morrissey

“[A] wise, sad and sometimes humorous family saga . . . Grant explores how families build their identity on stories and myths that mutate in the telling. It is fascinating to observe one family’s changing domestic experiences and expectations in the 20th century, felt more keenly as their relatives back in the east experiences the horrors of war and dictatorship.” ―The Times

“The tale is told with humor and sensitivity. . . . Grant’s own Eastern European roots in a culture with few written records and a strong tradition of storytelling informs the narrative.” ―Independent

“[A] smartly compressed dynastic novel. . . Grant’s exquisite writing shows us the Latvian immigrants who adapted to Liverpool, then London, as well as offering grainy glimpses of those who stayed in Riga, reviewing the whole saga in a triumphant, elegant ending with never a word of schmaltz.” ―Tom Payne, Mail on Sunday

“Engrossing. . . . Readers are in for a treat.” ―Publishers Weekly

“In this offbeat historical epic, a prosperous Jewish family from Latvia reinvents itself when it’s divided by twentieth-century realities and differing dreams of success.” ―Kirkus

“I’m not sure it could ever be possible to do justice to this magnificent novel in a few words: the flawless writing, wonderfully flawed characters, its epic sweep combined with a warm immediacy, indeed every page of it just bowled me over completely. I’m in awe, I’m charmed, and I want to press a copy on everyone I know.” ―Nigella Lawson

“I devoured The Story of the Forest, an engrossing family saga that spans Latvia to Liverpool and the best part of a century . . . a truly terrific book. ―Stephen Bush, Financial Times

“Grant makes her characters talk from the heart, as does Anna Cordell’s versatile and haunting narration.” ―The Times, Audiobook of the Week