When Elizabeth is sent to stay with an aunt she's never met, she gains comfort from a drawing that she finds of a girl who looks remarkably like her. It turns out that her ancestor Eliza (known as Zee) lived during the time of the American Revolution, and shared many of Elizabeth's traits and insecurities. The story alternates between Zee's story and Elizabeth's, and even though their lives are separated by 250 years, there are remarkable parallel's in their lives. After Zee loses her mother to British Loyalists at the beginning of the war, she sets out to find her father and brother who have left home to fight for the Patriots. Along the way, she discovers an inner strength she never knew she had. As Elizabeth tries to come out of her shell with her aunt, Zee's story inspires her to reach beyond what she ever thought she could accomplish.

Written by an award-winning author, Storyteller is the lovely story of two girls who have uneasy relationships with their fathers, but who ultimately discover inner strength and self-confidence. It is a quick read that alternates between modern day and the early days of the Revolutionary War. There is a nice dash of history that is more interesting because it is told from a young girl's point of view. Zee feels clumsy and inadequate in her family during their lives as farmers, but when she finds herself alone at the start of the war, she discovers that bravery and determination have been with her all along. Similarly, Elizabeth is quiet and insecure until she is forced into a living situation she didn't ask for. She discovers a portrait of her distant relative Zee, and the more she learns about Zee, the more she learns about herself and her previously untapped talents. There are nice lessons about embracing your strong suits, whatever they may be.

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