Customer Reviews

Stone Heart

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

The Stone Heart is one of the most heart-wrenching books I have ever read. Very good book, but get ready to cry. It is the story of horrifying domestic abuse, and how hidden that abuse really is. Luanne Rice brings into her story all the aspects of Domestic Violence too, how it affects the children and immediate family, and how family will often fight to keep it under wraps. The excuses, the denial, the hopelessness, and the immense pain that abuse brings are all very present in this book. She brings up the dysfunction and trauma of the early years of both the abuser and the victim, and brings into the light the mental cruelty along with the physical violence that eventually culminates in the worst case scenario of all domestic abuse, death. Although she delves deep into the pain and horrors of domestic violence, I felt she barely skimmed the surface of the agony of suicide, especially when those left behind are children. She does minimally portray the confusion from a death such as this, but I felt should have spent more time on this aspect of abuse since she did such a good job portraying all other aspects. Stone Heart is far more brutal than say, Belva Plain's Whispers. But the most horrifying part of this story is that although it is fiction, in real life this does happen in varying degrees from just the mental abuse all the way up to what unfolds in this book. Maria, our lead character, is no hero either. She struggles with her own personal problems and problems with her dysfunctional Mother, and often does not have the answers. But this is just another way the Luanne Rice stays close to reality in this book, because Maria does keep trying whether she is right or wrong. There is a kind of sub plot to this book that a previous reviewer took offense at. It does involve the excavation of ancient grave by Maria, but I wouldn't read into it all that nonsense about this book being racist. The uncovering of the ancient grave is a real sub plot (Maria is an Archeologist) but it is also a metaphor for the uncovering of her own family secrets, and things about herself, her sister, and her family that maybe should have been left buried. It is a small sub plot and actually is historically inaccurate, but if you want a historical document then go and buy something that doesn't say "Fiction". This novel is a very emotional journey through one family's encounter with hidden, and yet extreme, domestic abuse, and although it will anger you and also make you cry, it is a definite worth-while read.

Forget all the other reviews you've heard about this book and go get it now. I borrowed this book from the library, but after reading horrible reviews, let it sit for a week before opening it out of curiosity. It was too hard for a die-hard Rice fan like me to believe that she could write anything less than wonderful. And to my delight, I was right. I really enjoyed this book. Unlike most of Rice's books, it didn't have the "ride off into the sunset" type of ending, and it really gave this book another type of dimension for it's readers. It wasn't a perfect life, or a perfect wrap-it-all-up type of ending, and that's what made it great. It follows the lives and lies of one family in a small (how'd you guess) beach town. Although looking in, they seem like the perfect family, it's rotten with lies, abuse, and mental turmoil that keeps you hooked. It also deals with issues many are afraid to touch. I can't even begin to do this book justice. All I can say is get it, read it, and sit amazed at it's twisted story that will keep you hooked and wanting more.

I know most of the reviews here aren't so positive, but I found this book a good read. It is the first Luanne Rice book I have read, and it won't be the last. I thought the story was a sad, but realistic one. It was filled with surprises, twists & turns.
I enjoyed the characters, but at times, didn't understand where they were coming from. However, I believe that in a good read, you get more than the predictable story & characters you can relate to. There should be characters who you CAN'T relate to. But at that instance, you learn about people & human nature.
And at the end of the story, it should make you stop & think about a situation or attitude that before you didn't know or consider. I recommend this book.

This story is not a warm fuzzy one. It isn't easy to read about abuse of any kind however I think this is a very moving story about what happens when life goes down that street. I almost didn't read this book after reading the previous reviews but I am so glad I did. I wouldn't recommend this story to everyone but it is very real and paints a picture of what complicates the lives of this family. I felt the characters were honest and that it didn't really have a happy, tie up the package with a pink ribbon, ending.

I was rather disappointed in STONE HEART after reading two other Luanne Rice books. It did not have the same appeal as Cloud Nine or Follow The Stars Home. The plot was a little disjointed, and the main character's relationship with another character a bit unbelievable. It had too much unesential description and detail and was very hard to get through. I skipped a lot 3/4 of the way through but read the last three chapters just to see how it ended. It was definetly not up to L.R.'s par!

Stone Heart, by Launne Rice.

I am very glad I did not spend money to purchase this book. I only picked it up because I had a long plan trip to take and I needed something to read. Furthermore, I only finished reading it because of a rule that I must finish anything I begin.

I can't really say there was much about this book I enjoyed. There was never a moment when it was a page turned, rather the times I turned back to count the contradictions. In many ways this book may me think of a Self-published book I may buy from the dollar store. There are many error, many parts that seem to me lacking or missing and many things in general that are just wrong.

My first fault is the Authors descriptions of time. One days she says it rained, then she says it rained for weeks, then days. First example, she tells the Reverend that she uncovered a grave the day before, when it had been days before. Then page 58, she drives into her sisters yard and says the Children are running around in a dark yard. If it was dark, how did she see them. And if she was driving, weren't her head lights on? She talks to the kid who do not seem tired at all from running around. The author had said the kid were screaming too, yet no one heard anything.

Page 71 The boat she buys has no cabin. But page 317, the boat of her boyfriend is chosen because its cabin is heated.

Page 108. Peter's nose is broken. Nothing is mentioned of this further. No marks, no bandages. Page 237, oh this is a big mark. Simon hits the main Character Maria on the cheek. Next page she says she has not had not had a black eye since.. and a few pager later the cheek is mentioned again. Page 306

It is said that everyone gets in Peters station Wagon. Someone tell me where Peter's son is. You know, the baby, Andy!

I tried to read things just to enjoy the moment, to escape. I don't like to pick at things. In this book, I fell over objects from chapter to chapter. So much potential and then it falters. What was going on with the police case against Sophie? Why did no one really care when it was learned that Spohie beat her kids? Why Did Marie just leave the kids with Duncan? Marie, gone as long as the book said she had, did she have a tan, coming from South America. Where did all the furniture in her place come from. These can be markers for time, something that was not used in this book. I could go on but I won't. This book is not worth. Please, don't read this book!

It's a shame this book is out of print; it is definately worth a look. Despite it's overwrought title and cheesily packaged cover, this is a genuine work of literature; a failed novel as opposed to a bad one. I picked STONE HEART up at my library, expecting an easy escapist soap opera-ish read to compliment a bubble bath and a small package of Laura Secord chocolates. Instead, I got hit with a complex, subtle and sad story of the many ways people abuse the ones they are supposed to care for. The characters are magnificantly portrayed; all are sympathetic, but all are also responsible for despicable behavior towards others. The reader gets frustrated by the character's behavior; the motivations of these people are hidden, but they gradually reveal themselves as the story unfolds. By the end of the book, however, the reader is still left with alot of questions, and with no one person to "blame" for the troubles of the characters. That's what makes this story so real; families love and hurt each other, and their are no heros and no villians. Everyone just tries their best, which, due to their own experiences, often falls short of what their loved ones need. That is the essence of tragedy. By the way, it took me several days to finish this novel, not the one night I had originally anticipated. The bubble bath and chocolates were also forgotten. STONE HEART is a bit slow, a bit unfinished, not quite the novel it could have been. However, it is still very rewarding to read. If I were the author, I would be royally ticked off at the dweebs who designed the cover and wrote the blurb on the back. Perhaps this book would have experienced a different fate and given the recognition it deserves if it had been packaged appropriatly

I first began reading Luanne Rice in 1988 when I came across her book Crazy in Love at the library. From that time to a few weeks ago I enjoyed all of this author's books. Then I read Summer Light, a Rice book published in 2001 and found myself thinking this might be the first Luanne Rice book I didn't enjoy that much. But that was nothing compared to how I felt about Stone Heart, one of Rice's earliest books. Somehow I couldn't believe the same author who wrote favorites of mine like Blue Moon, Home Fires and Safe Harbor wrote this book. And before anybody says it was the subject matter of marital and child abuse which I didn't enjoy, I would counter by saying that while enjoy might not be the right word, I did appreciate books like White Oleander by Janet Fitch, Black and Blue by Anna Quindlen and Bastard Out of Carolina by Dorothy Alison.

Over the years I have found similar themes in most of Rice's books which include the love of parents for children, the love of siblings for each a other, a past or present tragedy which affect's a family or main character's life and the uniting of a couple who had their own share of disappointments. And while these elements are also present in Stone Heart, unfortunately the characters and their situation as awful as it is just wasn't as moving as those found in Firefly Beach or Home Fires. Somehow the characters never grew on me and I couldn't wait to reach the final page and be done with this book. In addition I thought this was truly a most depressing book, which left me thinking that life probably continues to be very difficult and problematic for these people. I read to think, learn, feel and be entertained. This book just didn't do anything for me and now I'm sorry I read this title. Bottom line is skip this book and read anyone of Rice's other books and see why I have enjoyed her as much as I have in the past.

I am a big fan of Luanne Rices, but this book was extremely disappointing. This is one of her earlier works and I have to say that her later books are so much better. The reader immediately falls into the characters, the story, and one is really swept away with her later writings. Not so with this book. The book dragged, the conversations between characters were laborious and unexciting. I found it very hard to follow the characters, much less even get into them. I had to force myself to finish the book.

The family secrets and surprises kept me going, I suppose. I wanted to find out what was really going on; otherwise I would not have bothered to finish the book.

Ms. Rice has most definitely improved with time and Cloud Nine, Dream Country, Summer Light and Follow The Stars Home are her later books in which you want to stay up all night to finish! For those who are disappointed in this book, please dont let this discourage you  read her later books!!

Although STONE HEART may not be everyone's cup of tea, I found it thoroughly engrossing and hard to put down. Knowing nothing about the Pequot Indians, I can't comment on the review stating that Ms. Rice didn't do her research except to say I find that very hard to believe. One of the things I've enjoyed the most about Ms. Rice's books is their authenticity and her knowledge of the Connecticut shore and ability to translate that knowledge vividly. The book tackled a difficult subject and gave it a fresh slant. The characters were engaging and fully realized and the family relationships were complicated and realistic. And, as always, the writing shone. I'm glad this book was reissued as I would hate to have missed it. RECOMMENDED.