Heart of Stone [Paperback]

Renate Dorrestein (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: See notes (1980)
• ASIN: B001DBWL8O
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (38 customer reviews)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I had to miss work to read this book., January 24, 2001

By 

Anna Frank - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Heart of Stone (Hardcover)

I bought this book on a whim, and was absolutely gripped by it. Could NOT put it down. Had to miss a whole day at work. And it was absolutely worth it.

The gripping tragedy Ellen struggles with is never forced upon the reader, it is never obvious, and best of all, there is not a trace of sappyness in this book.

Even though the story is certainly not ordinary, I was suprised by how closely I could se elements of myself and my family in this book. The author made me care for all the characters, and I was able to identify with Ellen, the narrator.

Just a beautiful book. So well written. I cannot remember the last time I have read such a seamless book. Renate Dorrestein slips so effortlessly between the past and the present, in such an intimate way, that I felt she was sitting right next to me, relating her extraordinary tale. And I did not want her to stop, even not when it was time to go to work.

Do yourself a favor. Shell out the money and buy the book. You will not regret it.

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of my favorite books of the year, May 31, 2002

By 

Ratmammy "The Ratmammy" (Ratmammy's Town, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: A Heart of Stone (Paperback)

A HEART OF STONE - By Renate Dorrestein

Of all the novels I've read this year, this one I feel the most strongly about. As I read the book, I pictured it in my mind, as if I was watching a black and white film. The story is told in flashbacks, going from one time period to another. The flashes are brief. We'll get a scene here, another scene there. And through this technique, we slowly learn the story of Ellen Van Bemmel, and her memories of a family that appeared happy to the rest of the world, but in reality was full of turmoil and unhappiness.

Ellen had many happy memories of her father, sitting on his lap and laying her head on his chest, feeling safe. No one could hurt her when she was with Daddy. He had promised her. And she loved her mother. Her parents seemed so in love, at least from what she remembered. Her beautiful sister Billie (Sybille), her brothers Kester and little Carlos (Ellen's name for her brother) - they shared happy times, all those years ago. But a tragedy happens on her 12th birthday - it was such a horrible day, that Ellen has blocked most of it from her memory. It takes her decades to realize what really happened all those years ago. It takes her that long to come to terms with her past.

I highly recommend A Heart of Stone. The book held my attention the way a good mystery would. With details revealed in bits and pieces, I found myself wanting to spend all my time reading this book until I reached the end. A warning - this book is not for the faint of heart.

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Heartbreaking, February 5, 2001

By 

demimonde (Windsor, CO United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Heart of Stone (Hardcover)

This was not an easy book to read. The heartwrenching story of what happens to a family of seven whose mother is experiencing an extreme case of post-partum depression left me speechless and emotionally drained. Dorrestein does a fantastic job of drawing the reader into the daily lives of the Van Bemmel family. She tells their story matter-of-factly and without a trace of sentimentality but is still able to create powerfully moving and stunning tale. I do recommend Heart of Stone but with the small warning that your own heart may well break.