Rated of 5
by Marjorie Water, Stone, Heart
Loved the characters in this book - Will North really brought them to life for me. The notes on the flood of August 2004 before each chapter made one realize how frightening and terrible it must have been. Because I enjoy fiction woven around some facts, I rated this book as very good. It is not a heavy read and I found it hard to put down. Anyone who enjoys a good story should enjoy Water, Stone Heart.
Rated of 5
by Vivian Emotionally moving and bittersweet
I read the advanced reading copy of Mr. North's new book on the heels of his debut novel "The Long Walk Home". The way Mr. North handles a story remains the same - beautiful descriptions of the landscape (this time, Cornwall), engaging characters who have suffered loss and find true love later in life, and interesting secondary characters. Mr. North's characters fall in love within days of meeting and readily recognize it as such.
I really enjoyed the story, but not as much as his first novel. With this one, I found myself skimming through some of the narrative regarding the hedge building, witchcraft and the devastating storm.
Nevertheless, there is plenty to ponder here and I recommend it for readers of contemporary fiction and book clubs. I'm looking forward to the author's next effort.
Rated of 5
by Katherine A true story woven with guilty pleasures
Loved the beautiful Cornwall settings, the building of stone "hedges" and especially appreciated that this was a true flood. Climax builds with "The Perfect Storm" like weather reports. Quirky, warm villagers, a Real Witch Museum and the back stories of the two main characters all enrich an easy, enjoyable read.
Rated of 5
by Wendy Water, Stone, Heart
Andrew Stratton is running away from a divorce, Lee is the quirky kid who relates better to adults than people her age and Nicola is fleeing an abusive ex-husband. These three, along with some colorful ancillary characters, bring this quasi-predictable storyline alive with some excellent characterization, unlikely friendships and a tender romance. The setting, the beautiful Boscastle, England, almost becomes a character as well when Andrew must grapple with his physical and metaphorical stones in his hedge-building class. (Hedges are those picturesque English stone walls - called walls in some parts of the country and hedges in others.) Noth ties in actual Boscastle history and the history of witchcraft to bring about a well-written, gentle novel. While there is physical abuse "off the page" and a harrowing rescue scene, the book has the pace one might imagine in of a small tourist town in Cornwall.
Rated of 5
by Diane A historial and griping story
It was entertaining and I was drawn in as the book moved along with many surprises and the setting in England was so picturesque and learning about building hedges and then it became so very warm and personal. The further I read the faster I turned the pages. It was a love story, a human interest and sad story and taught me a lot about good witches, info I had never heard before. It was the best read so far of the year 2009. It was based on a true story so that makes it even more of a page turner. 5 stars doesn't do this one justice.
Rated of 5
by Becky Shallow
I really tried to give this book a chance. I was intrigued by the title and the setting, near Cornwall in England. The backdrop of building stone hedges was unique. However, the characters were not developed deeply enough for me to become engaged. There were some wide opportunities to go deeper with Lee and with Andrew, but it just didn't go long enough when needed. I never got the chance to really know the characters before the plot jerked forward. Sorry, not for me.
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