Fiona Robertson made me feel things against my will. So, if you are looking at picking up Stone Lands because you think you are just going to learn about some old rocks, then you are warned. Have the tissues handy. Robertson is not messing around.
There are two things going on in Stone Lands. First, Robertson loves prehistoric standing stones. For those of us who didn’t know (like me), Stonehenge is not a one-and-done thing. There are a ton of standing stones all over England. Robertson is an enthusiast and is going to tell you some super cool facts. So far, so good. Nothing to be worried about here.
Well, this book starts right around the time Robertson’s husband, Stephen, is diagnosed with an incurable cancer. They have two kids. The impetus for this book is that Stephen is not about to lock himself in a room while everyone is sad. Instead, he wants to keep up with the rock hunting, mostly while he checks out some birds. This kind of nerdy family is so close to my own dorky heart.
The book slowly weaves the two stories together. A little bit on seeing a new stone site, juxtaposed with Stephen being a little less mobile and energetic each time. Yeah, metaphors abound. The seemingly infinite lives of standing stones against the ticking clock of a human life. Are you scared by how emotional this book will be? Because I for d@mn sure should have been!
Anyway, this is excellent, and you should read it. Now I have to get out of this dusty room.
(This book was provided as a review copy by Pegasus Books.)
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