The Gift of Stones (Magill Book Reviews)

At a glance:

THE GIFT OF STONES is centered on a village of stoneworkers who are unrivaled in their craftsmanship. They are unconcerned with the world that exists beyond their village near the sea. A man, who had an arm amputated at the elbow when a child, becomes the village’s storyteller. He ventures from the village and returns with stories that entertain and shock. His stories tell of ships and the seashore. As one of the two narrators of THE GIFT OF STONES, he presents more than one version of any story. These are tall tales that he spins, but there is an intuitive wisdom that runs through all of them. The villagers only hear what amuses them. They remain oblivious to the rumblings from the outside world that will eventually alter their way of life.

On one of the man’s sojourns, he comes across a young woman, Doe, and her small child. Her husband and two sons went in search of food and never returned. She is doing the best she can to survive, even giving herself to passing marauders who give her food or a pot in exchange. The man from the village is intrigued by this strange and stubborn woman; eventually, he takes her and her daughter, who is the other narrator, back to the protection of his village. Her presence disturbs the calm of the village and her death by a marauder’s arrow with a bronze tip finally shatters life as they have known it forever.

Crace has written a beautifully poetic novel. It is rich in spite of its spareness. Every sentence is finely etched. He tells more than just a simple narrative. He reflects on change, the role of the storyteller in his society, and the many sides of love. Crace is a highly original spinner of tall tales. There is nothing cautious in his fiction.

Sources for Further Study

Library Journal. CXIV, April 1, 1989, p.110.

Los Angeles Times Book Review. April 9, 1989, p.3.

The New Leader. LXXII, March 20, 1989, p.20.

The New York Times Book Review. July 16, 1989, p.12.

Newsweek. April 24, 1989, p.76.

Publishers Weekly. CCXXXV, February 10, 1989, p.54

The Times Literary Supplement. September 2, 1988, p.952.

The Washington Post Book World. XIX, May 21, 1989, p.3.