The Blessing Stone [Paperback]

Barbara Wood (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Saint Martin's Press, LLC (2003)
• ASIN: B000WL1NOO
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What a terrific journey!, January 22, 2003

By 

Debra F. Gilbert (Alton Bay, NH United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Blessing Stone (Hardcover)

From 3,000,000,000 years ago, to the "wild" west, this stone has seen it all...

Everyone of the stories captured something wonderful, survival, love, hate, passion, faith, hero's and heroine's, villians and nature.

I enjoyed the stories all by themselves, but it was so cool to read the history of the world through the travels of the "Blessing Stone", and to see it come full circle and back out again to enchant someone else's life.
I really enjoyed every story and every character, I think most people will...so read on!

Enjoy,

Debbi :)

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars There's no such thing as too many stories!, March 29, 2003

By 

"phlicker" (Coconut Creek, Florida USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Blessing Stone (Hardcover)

Barbara Wood has too many stories to tell. For some authors, that could be a problem. For the redoubtable Ms. Wood, it is a challenge, and with "The Blessing Stone" she rises to that challenge superbly. The mysterious blue stone of the title connects the stories as it moves from hand to hand throughout the ages.

We begin at the dawn of, er... Woman, with an early human woman named Tall One who finds the stone and with its guidance (or at least it inspiration) leads her people to water and safety. The tale progresses to pre-Biblical times where we visit with some people who might be the ancestors of the Hebrews. (Was it the Reed sea or the Red sea? Hmmm...) The story pulses with the charm of a well-told folk tale as we learn the (unlikely?) origins of wine and beer. Ms. Wood's eye for the interesting detail is ever sharp, and her sense of humor holds sway even during the most dramatic episodes. On through ancient Rome to an England under siege by Vikings, we visit a Turkish harem, the island of Martinique (beware of pirates) and take an arduous journey through the American west along the Oregon trail.

If all of this sounds like too much, then heed the words of Bono when he sings "too much is not enough," because the author leaves us happily wanting more.

In her latest book, Barbara Wood touches on some familiar themes and visits some familiar settings, but what's most familiar here is her deft control of the narrative thread as she weaves this enchanting tapestry. Some of the episodes are quite short, others nearly novelette length, but all are perfectly constructed to bring home Ms. Wood's overiding statement that, in any age, sisterhood is powerful and women are indispensable.

Yes, "The Blessing Stone" is a gem.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars most engrossing book I've ever read, April 17, 2004

By 

R. Dickerson (CLARKSVILLE, IN United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Blessing Stone (Hardcover)

I loved this book. It had something for everyone. It was part clan of the cave bear, part history novel, part romance, part fantasy and a really good read. The book is divided into several vignettes that follow a central character's journey. I worry I'll never find anything as good as this again.