Book Review: Stone Heart by Luanne Rice

Nomadic archaeologist Maria Dark is returning home again to the Connecticut shore–a magical place where she, her sister Sophie, and their brother Peter spent their childhood on the banks of Bell Stream. After fifteen years away, Maria hopes that she can rediscover the joy and optimism of her youth in the arms of her family. But things have changed. Maria’s siblings and her mother have weathered difficult times...and Sophie and her children are not as happy as they seem. Now Maria will embark upon an emotional journey–navigating the memories of a tender past–toward the truth at the heart of her family and the chance for a new beginning.

A remarkably graceful and intuitive novel, Stone Heart reveals the depths of faith and love that can mend life’s most fragile and precious ties. As never before, Luanne Rice inspires us all to look love squarely in the eye and never let it go. (Description from http://www.amazon.com)

My thoughts: 

My friend Ron from my gym handed me this book and suggested that I try it to get out of my post "The Casual Vacancy Funk." I was having trouble finding something to read and he thought this might cure my book slump.  I had seen a lot of people at the library check out books by this author and I really don't know why I didn't try them previously.  I also did not know that Luanne Rice is a Connecticut author!  Having visited the Connecticut shoreline many times, I could picture some places that could be Hatuquitit. I enjoy reading about places that I "might" have been. It helps bring the story to life.

This book was a serious read. It is about domestic violence and about how much it can be hidden, even among close family members. Maria finds out that her sister Sophie's life isn't as perfect as it seems. Maria must find the way to the truth about her sister. As she is doing this, Sophie make a choice that has a lot of consequence for herself and her family. I liked the way the author includes a subplot ( Maria is an archaeologist and finds the skeleton of an Indian woman who was murdered on a nearby island). The subplot was nicely woven into the main plot without becoming overbearing. Luanne's writing style is easy to read and although the ending was sad, it made sense to the story. Recommended!