Blog Tour: A Stone's Throw by Alida Winternheimer

 

"Sooner or late the magic will extract its dues." -Alida Winterheimer, A Stone's Throw

Simona Casale is a Minneapolis painter with a successful career. Having never

known her mother, the last thing she wants is a baby, and being at a pivotal moment 

on her artistic path, it's a bad time to find out she's pregnant. Gemma Ledbetter, a 

London homemaker, is desperate for the baby she can't have.

Simona and Gemma live an ocean apart and never meet, yet they have much in

common: art, longing, and a magic that changes both of their lives. And then there

is Peter, the man they love. Magic—like any great act of creation—comes at a 

price...and one of them will have to pay.

Art. Love. Magic

The author, Alida Winternheimer is an award-winning author of A Stone's Throw and the 

forthcoming The Skoghall Mystery Series. In 2013, two of Alida’s stories were 

nominated for the Pushcart Prize. Water~Stone Review nominated “The Herd,” 

and Storm Cellar Quarterly nominated “Wild Animal,” which you can read here. 

Alida’s stories have also appeared in Midwestern Gothic, Melusine (read that story 

here), Confluence, and other journals. She lives in Minneapolis, MN with her family. 

When she's not writing, editing, or teaching, she trains a service dog.

Alida Winternheimer Website, Facebook, Twitter

Review:

A Stone's Throw is.....there are just no words for it. It was a marvellous read!

First of all, as always, we have the characters. It seems as if the two women who are the focus of this book are complete opposites. One is following her dreams, experiencing life and enjoying it while the other seems to be stuck, losing all of the things that she used to hold dear. And they share Peter, the man they both love although not like polygamy. More of a cheating husband. It was interesting to see all the different ways these two women were different. Throughout the story you empathize with them, wish things were better and in general just commiserate with them. But as the book continued I began to find myself looking forward to the chapters in which Gemma featured. Throughout the book, she's rediscovering herself, working towards becoming the person that she might have been earlier. Whatever happens, she's working towards that place in her life where she can be happy and enjoy the life she has been given. This experience made me feel closer to Gemma and look forward to finding out more about her throughout the book and watching her grow.

Alida Winternheimer also makes you feel a full spectrum of emotion. You go from smiling to tears, and it's easy to get involved in the book. You quickly feel as if you're watching from above the events that are happening and finding yourself emotionally involved. It's hard not to with the way that the characters are described. It's nice to be so drawn into a book and feel more than just laughter and happiness.

Then there's the fact that a price must be paid. In real life this tends to be true for a lot of things but sometimes in novels you don't always get the feeling that the characters are paying a price for their actions or what is happening around them. It was nice to see that Alida Winternheimer included this price and the payment. It was an interesting concept and one I enjoyed seeing develop throughout the book.

You should definitely give this book a look and a chance. It's a great read and one that I will most likely read again....although only after I've emotionally recovered. If you've read the book, did you find that it drew you in and made you feel the emotions?