The Anonymous Storyteller

From the bestselling author of the Murray McBride series comes a heartwarming ode to books, music, and love that brims with hope, heartbreak, and the transformative power of stories. In 2026, Andie, a thirty-year-old podcaster and single mom, learns she has terminal cancer. Her sole focus now is how to leave her beloved eleven-year-old son, Jax, a meaningful legacy. So Andie sets out to uncover the identity of the mysterious bestselling novelist known as the Anonymous Storyteller to seek their help with writing a story to guide Jax after she is gone. Almost twenty years earlier, thirteen-year-old Simon Branch is an only child in a close-knit family of musical storytellers, living in a bubble of domestic warmth and anonymity. But the Branches learn the price of fame when Simon’s mother, Cassandra, becomes an overnight singing sensation. Soon it becomes all too clear that her touring schedule and constant hounding by the paparazzi are a threat to the family’s idyllic life. Years later, Simon, now an adult, is still reeling from personal loss. He decides to volunteer in a program to read books to palliative care patients, where he crosses path with Andie. Both grappling with their own grief, Simon and Andie are drawn to each other by a mutual love of words and become vital parts of each other’s lives. A moving novel of family and perseverance, The Anonymous Storyteller is a poignant reminder of the power of stories and songs to strengthen us in the face of life’s challenges.