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There are currently 20 reader reviews for House of Stone
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Peggy H. (North East, PA)
Slow start...good finish
I admit...it took me a while to get into this book. I was not as aware of the politics and history covered in Zimbabwe/Rhodesia but it begs me to learn more. The characters unfold slowly and thoughtfully as we learn the genesis of their current beings...all scarred and joined together in ways they either don't want to know or want to remember. It is haunting to read this in a world that continues to be so cruel and savage.
Portia A. (Monroe Township, NJ)
Wow!
This is a book that will stay with me for a long time...the author’s use of language is as intriguing as the the tale she tells. There are parts of the story that will cause bad dreams, but history is messy. Read it if you are able, just don’t blame me for sad nights.
Lynn W. (Calabash, NC)
House of Stone
The story line is a mystery wrapped in the history and culture of Zimbabwe. Throughout the book I found myself researching many of the words, people and history of this country. This was a good read and it was also a learning experience. The characters are well drawn and it is often darkly funny and sad.
Diana P. (Schulenburg, TX)
House of Stone
I rarely find a book that I can not get into within the first 50 pages. I wanted so much to like this book but even after 100 pages I just wasn't getting anywhere. I am anxious to read other reviews to see what I am missing.
Barbara O. (Red Bank, NJ)
A Mystery set against History
Reading House of Stone was a challenge. The author uses the mystery of the missing son, Bukhosi, against the backdrop of the fall of Rhodesia and the bloody birth of Zimbabwe. Zamani, a foster son of Agnes and Abednego will do whatever it takes to learn the family history as he insinuates himself into the Mlambo family's story. It's a dark story filled with rape and massacre, dreams and secrets almost an allegory-of the birth of Zimbabwe after the civil war and riots of a people taking back their story and country once ruled by colonialists.
I enjoyed the storytelling but did find it difficult to follow the story
…more line and the characters. I would have preferred a more direct history telling using the same characters. I hope this author continues to write. (less)I have mixed feelings about this book. The history of Zimbabwe is marked with bloodshed and violence and this novel explains the many factions involved in the fight for independence. Told by the people who lived this nightmare, it was very intriguing. The main characters were trying to forget the past but Zamani, the narrator, used scheming and manipulation to find the past hoping to have a hi story of his own. A good premise but I found it difficult and confusing with flashbacks, too many individual stories and a multitude of minor characters. It was a wordy mixture of modern cliches, classical, mythological,
…more religious references and rambling sentences. Not my cup of tea. (less)This book is about a young Zimbabwean man who lives vicariously through a man who has a missing son. He calls this man a surrogate father. The book includes racism, discrimination and revolutionaries. The young man attempts to infiltrate his surrogates life by digging into the man's personal history.
Margaret H. (Springfield, VA)
House of Stone
This was not an easy book to read although parts of it were captivating. Occurring during the time Zimbabwe was struggling for real independence and dealing with poverty and violence, the tale is narrated by a man looking for his family and trying to become part of a new family. (Perhaps an analogy of the start of a new country). Real events and people like Black Jesus are incorporated into the story which is filled with sexual and violent overtones. Parts of it were moving but at times I had to put it aside for a less violent book. Not only was there violence and sexual contact during the story but also evident
…more in the history of the country. This connection of fiction and nonfiction was the main element in the novel. I felt that some editing would have made it more readable. It will be interesting, however, to follow the writings of this author. (less)
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