The characters in this story are English. Five strangers, four members of a group plus their leader, come together with the stated purpose of dealing with loss and grief. As they speak about their lives, they struggle with guilt, sadness, anger, love, etc., and new truths and connections come to light.

This book truly keeps the reader guessing. From the beginning, the author hints that there is more to her story than meets the eye.

There is some magical realism here, the kind that gave this reader something to fantasize about: what if all of this were real? (As a therapist who has led many bereavement groups, I'd like to ask the group leader some questions myself!)

Each chapter is narrated by one of the group members as he/she participates in the group. Thus we come to know and care about them as individuals.

I recommend this book for its creativity, humor, and warmth. I enjoyed it, and believe it would provide book groups with much material for a lively discussion!

Usually it takes a few chapters for a story to draw me in. Ruthvika Rao hooked me within a few pages of this new historical novel.

The story takes place mostly in Telangana, India, where the author grew up. It covers the years and political upheavals of the 50's, 60's, and 70's. History, adventure, family, romance, and politics fill these pages, but this book is really about the people.

Rao's beautiful writing invites the reader in. Her characters interact with each other and their environment seamlessly. We get to know them organically, through their words, thoughts, and actions. Thus they felt very real to me.

There is plenty of drama in this book, and some violence. These were violent times. These kinds of events really happened and were a part of these people's lives.

I highly recommend this book, both for book groups that enjoy learning about history and can handle some violence, and for serious readers. I will definitely be watching for more books by this author!

I found The Stone Home a hard book to get into, with its undefined Korean words, disconnected events, several names and titles for a number of characters, and magical realism that, to me, often felt clumsy and forced.

All that said, this is an important book. The Stone Home is based on a historical phenomenon that I had never before encountered: South Korean state-sanctioned communities, utilized in the 1970's and 1980's, and billed as rehabilitation centers. In truth, they more closely resembled concentration camps.

What happens in the book is appalling, some of it stomach-turning. But these places did exist. And as I googled for more information, I read about the Brothers' Home, which featured slave labor, torture, and rape.

In conclusion, I thank Crystal Hana Kim for opening my eyes to a part of history I had never known. I only wish her book had been less of a struggle to read.

This novel holds many stories. Stories of nature, love and loss, of old and new lands. Stories of slavery and war, poverty and wealth, loyalty and betrayal. The book is timely. Immigrants sail to America, fleeing religious war on the Portuguese island of Madeira. It has a magical quality, at times verging on the supernatural, as some events happen almost- but not quite- out of the realm of the possible.

The book is lyrical. The senses play a major role without detracting from the story. It is rich and many-layered, but not difficult to follow the characters or storyline. The characters feel real. At times I wanted to warn or admonish them for their decisions, just as I would in real life.

The book is set in the 1800's. The writing is gorgeous, the times and places vividly portrayed. The story could be described as a saga of lives coming together and apart, striving to reconcile their heart's desire with sober, sometimes cruel, reality.

If I have one criticism it would be that at times the author waxes lyrical when I would have preferred prose to poetry. But I truly enjoyed this novel, and I think book clubs with serious readers would find a lot to like and discuss.

This book is about real people living in a very dangerous and frightening time and place. It includes a mystery but the book does not dwell on a solution; rather a solution naturally evolves. The writing feels immediate and personal.