In George Saunders’s A Swim in a Pond in the Rain, he wrote about the inner workings of the Russian short story. He said, “The part of the mind that reads a story is also the part that reads the world.”
Emma C. Fox’s young adult sequel, Heart of Stone, challenges readers to do more than simply read a story. Exploring themes of disability, adoption, friendship, sacrifice, and love, Heart of Stone takes the characters and Siberian setting of its predecessor, The Carver and the Queen, and fast-forwards twenty years to tackle fresh challenges through the eyes of new characters.
Petr and Lena, the protagonists from The Carver and the Queen, have married and produced a family of fine sons who are learning the stonecarving trade. Middle son, Dmitri, shows the most promise until an accident leaves his hands unable to hold the carving tools. Their neighbor, Sofya, has been widowed, and now, her daughter, Lilia, must care for the farm and hunt for food to provide for her mother and little brother, Fyedka, who is deaf.
The curse Petr and Lena thought they buried beneath the Ural mountains is threatening to rise again, just when they thought they would leave the slavery of serfdom behind forever.
Published by Owl’s Nest Publishers, Heart of Stone follows Lilia and Dmitri into the crucible of deciding whether to follow their hearts or lay their hearts down to save others. It is an exciting story of heroic bravery, adolescent uncertainty, and the staying power of steadfast love.
Drawing from Russian folklore and tradition, Fox weaves a distinct retelling that introduces readers to new words, concepts, traditions, and names. My daughters and I enjoyed learning what a samovar is and how to make kasha….
Read the rest of this review at StoryWarren.com.
Sarah Dixon Young 