Water, Stone, Heart: A Novel

By Will North

Book Overview

Newly divorced, Andrew Stratton lives in his head and not with his heart. He teaches architectural theory but has never built a building. He writes about "The Anatomy of Livable Places" communities where form and material are in harmonybut has no sense of where he belongs. He is capable of deep, tender emotions but is unable to express them. When his wife leaves him for another man and excoriates his cautious nature in the process, Andrew is like a house shaken off a faulty foundation. Sifting through the rubble, he must figure out what should be salvaged and what should be scrapped. Escaping from the predictable routine of his university life in Philadelphia, Andrew travels to England and channels his pain into a weeklong course on building stone walls. In the village of Boscastle, he discovers a magical landscape of dizzying cliffs, jagged coastline, lush valleys, and hills lined with stone hedges that have stood the test of time. At the Stone Academy, Andrew immerses himself in the grueling task of piecing together rock into intricate walls. Under the tutelage of his weathered instructor, he learns there is more to laying stone than hard labor. And he soon falls under the spell of Boscastle's rhythms and quirks, which include a weekly sing-along, a museum devoted to witchcraft, and a colorful group of residents ranging from a precocious nine-year-old girl who communes with nature to an offbeat reverend who has been known to give referrals to the town witch. Moved by the warmth and connectedness of the village, Andrew begins to shed his sheltered self. But his willingness to open his heart is tested when he falls for Nicola Rhys-Jones, an American expatriate seeking to escape a history of abuse. Thorny, sarcastic, and sexy, Nicola is an artist who paints tranquility panels for hospitals. But her life before Boscastle has been anything but peaceful. As their verbal sparring veers into darker territory, Andrew grapples with his status in Boscastle. Is he just a tourist on holiday or does he now have a stake in the village that has welcomed him? Readers new to Will North's work as well as fans of The Long Walk Home will be swept away by this bittersweet novel about love, loss, and the power of nature to alter our lives. From the Hardcover edition.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0307451933
• ISBN13: 9780307451934
• Release Date: April 2010
• Publisher: Broadway Books
• Length: 288 Pages
• Weight: 0.52 lbs.
• Dimensions: 7.9" x 0.6" x 5.1"

Customer Reviews

Addictive!

Prepare to be transported to the Cornwall village of Boscastle where time passes slowly and friendships are eternal. This delightful tale will mesmerize and entrance. Will North's books are addicting with each new book being better than the rest! Once you finish the book, take some time to do some research on the Internet about the Boscastle flood of 2004. The devastation was terrible. Much of the area has since been restored so that each reader can compare his/her own mental image of the area known as Cornwall with the reality. A gentle and endearing story featuring many types of love.

magical

I bought Will North's first book "The Long Walk Home" and loved it. I read to be entertained and feel good when I am done with the novel. Heart Water Stone was even better. I loved the characters and their ethics of right and wrong. It was also a nice change to have characters that were not young adults but middle age and open to love and to find it. I can't wait for another of his books to come out. I know that I will reread both of these books and I have raved about them to my girl friends. This book would also make a good read for those of you that belong to a book club. Thanks Will for giving me hours of reading pleasure.

Loved the setting

I loved the setting for Water, Stone, Heart. Will North does a good job with the details and I have always been a fan of books set in English countrysides. It made me want to go there to visit. I liked his first novel as well. I always enjoy getting to know the different characters and the relationships they share. I would recommend this book. Kris

Couldn't put it down!

I loved this book - read it in a day and felt I was in Cornwall with all my friends. I adore Will's style of writing - his ability to make you transcend into another time and space - and will recommend this book to everyone I know. A 10 for sure!!!!! First choice for our next book group! Anxiously waiting his next book and loved 'A Long Walk Home ' as well. Thank you, Will North. This book will be on my shelf of "keepers" also.

Super summer Read

I became a big fan of Will North with his first novel, "The Long Walk Home." I loved this his second novel too. His characters are so endearing and the story an intricate mix of information about Cornwall, England, sexual abuse and the art of stone/hedge building. I could not put this book down. Finished it at Midnight despite having work the next day! A super Summer/Beach read!