“A PLACE OF STONES” BY DEIRDRE PURCELL
I am not a big fan of romance novels by and large and I’d rather keep away from the genre. But once in a while one finds its way into my hands and manages to catch my interest enough to start reading. And once there I usually finish the book because after just a few pages I am more often than not already involved with the story itself and its characters.
The exact same thing happened with “A Place of Stones”. Judging from the cover, I thought it was a period novel (and I am a sucker for those) however, it takes place in the span of twenty-some years, starting in 1953 when a plane crashes over the sea off the coast of Ireland. Tragically, there are no survivors other than a one-year-old baby girl securely tied to the raft. The baby grows up in a small fishing village on one of many coastal Irish islands as Molly Ní Bhriain who later becomes the famous and dazzlingly beautiful actress, Margo Bryan.
As she builds her career and fortunes in Dublin, London and America, Molly harbors a well-hidden secret, one she does not even admit to herself and which involves her brother, Connor. As she navigates her relationships with men, Molly finally meets an attractive and easy-going American who succeeds in breaking down her defenses. However, Molly finds herself torn between this good-looking man and another strikingly handsome Irishman, whom it is a sin to desire. But there is a dark truth, which when revealed, will either tear Molly’s life to pieces or set her free…
“A Place of Stones” is a beautifully written novel with a high quality language (and I’m absolutely bias in this aspect) that, unfortunately, one does not come across very often these days. Thus, it was refreshing to read words that aren’t so commonly used in popular novels and language that is not oversimplified for the sake of its readers. It forces you to think but at the same time does not take away from the story itself, which keeps you wanting more until the very last page.