Many Stones

by Carolyn Coman

Berry Morgan's older sister left home to become a school volunteer in Capetown, South Africa, and in a nightmare ripped from the headlines was brutally murdered. A year and a half later, Berry's father arranges a trip to South Africa for a memorial service--a trip that will transform them both.

Genres: Young Adult, Realistic Fiction, Fiction, Teen, Grief, Death, Africa

158 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published October 27, 2000

About the author

Carolyn Coman (born 1951 in Evanston near Chicago) is a writer of children's books living in South Hampton, New Hampshire. Her books What Jamie Saw (1995) and Many Stones (2000) were nominated for several awards.

She worked as a bookbinder from 1975-84 and later as an editor with Heinemann before she became a full-time writer. Her books include the portrait documentary of the debut, and a picture book before 4 novels for young adults from 1993 to 2000. Her two latest books (2004 and 2007), for middle grade readers, combine humor, investigation and a sense of nostalgia.

Her four young adult novels are described as “she explores the darker sides of growing up: dealing with parent's abandonment through death in Tell Me Everything, abuse by a stepparent in What Jamie Saw, sibling incest in Bee and Jacky and a political-inspired tragedy in Many Stones.” Many Stones was inspired by the murder of Amy Biehl.

Her book What Jamie Saw (1995) was short-listed for the Newbery Medal and National Book Award, it was also nominated for Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award. Many Stones (2000) was a National Book Award finalist, won the Michael L. Printz Award and were listed among School Library Journal's Best Books of The Year.

Reviews

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this realistic fiction novel that centered around the strained relationship between a teenage girl and her father.

The main character, Berry, is the younger sibling by quite a few years. When she was in middle school, Laura, her older sister, was in college. Their father had always been obvious about favoring Laura over Berry, even after he divorced their mother he kept in closer touch with Laura because they shared a common interest in world politics. Berry always looked up to Laura, but became resentful towards their dad's selfish behavior after the divorce.

As Berry got older and entered high school, Laura graduated from Berkley and began working at a school in Cape Town, South Africa. Then, one night when she was walking home, she was robbed and murdered. This tragedy rocked Berry's world, and brought her dad back into her life.

Now Berry and her father are traveling to South Africa, taking a trip together in order to attend a memorial service in honor of Laura. But how do you spend time with a man that is an integral part of your family and that you simultaneously deeply resent? Berry struggles to understand why they are there together and how they might be able to help each other heal emotional wounds.

Carolyn Coman does a fabulous job of capturing Berry's voice, and of portraying her inner turmoil. I recommend this story to readers who enjoy character-driven plot-lines. There is not a lot of action, but the dialogue and internal thought are very well executed.

[Jody Casella · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't think of a more perfectly put together book. Short and powerful--simple and complex at the same time. The main character Berry is still reeling from her older sister Laura's death in South Africa. Laura was volunteering at a school and was murdered, right around the time that the Apartheid system was falling apart.

Berry's father, a take charge/no nonsense kind of guy, decides that the proper way to deal with their grief over Laura is to go to South Africa and donate money to the school where she worked. Berry has no desire to go on this trip. She doesn't get along with her father and still holds a lot of anger toward him for divorcing her mom. The book is the two taking their trip and painfully and awkwardly trying to relate to each other. The politics and history of Apartheid hover behind the story, a back drop to Berry and her father's broken relationship.

The book asks: How do we go on living after tragedy? How do we forgive the people who have hurt us? There's no real answer, of course, but like every great novel, the reader finds a bit of hope at the end.

[Hailey Wheaton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Personal Response:
I thought that this book was pretty good. I would not say that it was my favorite book because it got boring at times, but it was alright. I also really did not enjoy the ending because I feel like it just did not wrap up the end of it.

Plot Summary:
The main character Berry is grown up into a split family. Her sister, Laura travels off to Africa to travel and discover new things around the world, while her parents are divorced. Berry is a very quiet girl, who is really to herself and did not enjoy much. Her father thinks that it would be a great idea to visit South Africa to just spend time away and bonding. Little did Berry know that her father actually had to go on this trip for a business meeting. The other main reason they actually went to South Africa was to attend a memorial for her older sister Laura who had been murdered in South Africa many years ago. Berry feels very lost throughout her trip because her father is busy working and she is just thinking about how much she misses her older sister. As the trip goes on, she gains confidence and realizes that she needs to be heard at her sisters memorial. Berry goes to the memorial with her father and gives a speech to contribute to her sister and recognize how much she believes because of her and how much stronger she is.

Characterization:
Berry's father was always a busy man working throughout the whole book and never really sidetracked away from work. Berry was always so quiet and to herself, she never wanted to put herself out there or do anything new. Berry realized how lost she was and spoke her words to the people at Laura's memorial. Soon enough she felt like she was heard and that she should believe, all because of her sister.

Recommendations:
I would recommend this book to the age level 14-18 because it's not a hard book to read and it does not contain anything that is severely inappropriate. I would also recommend this book to anyone that is still grieving many years after a death.

[Megan McGlin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Personal; response: I thought that the book Many Stones was very interesting. It dealt with pain of loss of a family member. Berry was going through a rough time in her life, she loses her sister. This book can relate to anyone that may be going through the same thing.








Plot: Berry Morgan has dealt with the loss of her sister Laura. Laura was stoned to death by criminals and Berry and her family have no clue who killed her and why they killed her. Laura went to South Africa and helped their cities and did a lot to help the community there. But suddenly she got murdered and the Morgan family got the news.They were very shocked, Berry's dad was basically traumatized. After Laura's funeral Berry and her dad went on a trip to South Africa to give their honor to Laura. Berry isn't too excited about the trip, she doesn't want to be there in the place where her only sister, who she loved got murdered. Berry feels like her father never even loved her but loved Laura so much and missed her. On the last day of their African trip Berry breaks down and confesses to her dad that it is hard for her to be here.In the end Berry and her father became closer and they had an awesome trip.






Recommendations: I recommend this book to anybody who likes to read books that are realistic and mean something to them. This book would relate to young adults who are going through the difficult time of a lost loved one.

[Maddie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I did not really like this book because really boring in the start of the book, so I got bored.

[Emily · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5/5

[April · Rating 3 out of 5]

A short but not easy read! An intriguing look at how a family tragedy effects family members so differently, and how it effects the relationships between those who are left behind. Grief is an individual process - there is no wrong or right way to do it.

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although I enjoyed the storyline of a girl coming to terms with her sister’s death and her relationship with her parents (particularly her father), the book wasn’t one of my taste. For starters, the language was too easy. It made me feel like a 6th, 7th grader again. I don’t think I’m that picky—I mean, a more average voice with a bit of sophisticated words will do for me, really.

Something that stood out to me was the topic. I’m thinking that’s the reason why the book got the 2000 National Book Award Finalist title. It certainly helped that prior to reading this, I was studying about the Apartheid and had an ounce of knowledge as to who Nelson Mandela was. Otherwise, the mentioning of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission hearings and struggle for independence would’ve just seemed so foreign. So it’s about Africa and the aftermath of the apartheid. About how a girl and her father takes a trip to South Africa after Berry’s sister gets murdered there.

One of the things I don’t agree with is the title. And the symbolism idea of stones. In the beginning, Berry mentions how she keeps a pile of stones in her room and stacks them on top of herself. In a way, I understand that it’s supposed to represent a kind of burden or that she’s feeling heavy because she can’t say what’s on her chest, but there’s just something that doesn’t click with me. When I put it that way, it makes sense. But when I read it along the lines of the book, I feel lost, like I’m not sure what the author is trying to tell me. But, back to the title: definitely not catchy. If this hadn’t been a recommendation, it’s hard to say that I would’ve picked this up on my own. Most likely, I wouldn’t.

Another thing I liked was the occasional deep passage. Like in a witty kind of way that makes you really think. And to show what I mean:

“I look around and don’t see anything. Just a huge pile of steaming crap in the middle of the road. I turn to my father. ‘You woke me up to see that?’ I ask. ‘Yes,’ he tells me. ‘Dung. Or, as it’s commonly called, shit.’ He raises his eyebrows up. ‘Shit, Berry. I thought you might be interested to see a pile of what you seem to think the whole world is full of.’” (Coman 92).

Did I mention that Berry’s father is one of the coolest parental figures I’ve read about in a long time? He’s smart and opinionated, and he tries so hard to do the right thing for his daughter when she doesn’t appreciate it at all. He has his own voice in this story and rather than concentrating on Berry’s I found myself looking forward to the father’s scenes. And you know it’s not a good sign when you’re bored by the main character and want to hear from the sidekick.

On a final note, I don't get what's with the high ratings, or even the award. I can think of many books who deserve awards for being well-written, but hey, I'm not the judge.

[Sophia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Have you ever a read a book with so little substance to it that you forget the plot the moment you turned the last page? That was what happened to me with "Many Stones" because while I can maybe give you a few key points about the book (The main character's name is Berry, she has a bad relationship with her father, her sister died and a tourist view of Africa was involved.) I couldn't tell you what the book was actually about.

This may be because I don't think Carolyn Coman knows what her book was about. Is it about a father and daughter reconciling after a terrible tragedy...or is it about Berry finding her inner voice? Or perhaps it was to give a tourist eyes view of the beauties and tragedies of Africa while addressing the issue of the rebellions that caused the deaths of hundreds of people? I don't know, and she doesn't either. Instead of developing one or two, she mentions all of them at once and they sort of blend together in a hodgepodge of paragraphs and subplots. In one paragraph she mentions Berry's fear of swimming and how it's connected to the brutal murder of her sister...and then in the next one we're watching her go on a tour of Africa's wild lands and arguing with her father. After recovering from the shock of such a quick and unexpected leap of subjects, the issue of Laura's strained relationship with her drug addict boyfriend is addressed once and then never mentioned again until the end of the book.

What were you trying to write about Carolyn Coman? Is it a story about a girl who loves swimming, but her love of it has been polluted with fear because of the loss of her sister...or is it a girl who doesn't have her own voice and takes out her resentment on her absent father who only visits her when it's convenient for him? Or, is it a story of a girl who travels to Africa in attempt to reconcile with her sister who she lost?

Any one of these stories would have made a fantastic book, but when you shove all of it together it only serves to make a very confusing...and rather pointless book. In the end, nothing changes. Berry still hates her father, lacks any true voice, and only has started on the road of recovery in regards to his sister. It's like we traveled in a complete circle and the two hours I spent reading this book were pointless. 2 stars for decent writing and a concept that could have worked if executed properly.

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Many Stones was a book that I never thought I would immediately pick up in a bookstore and read, but that I honestly enjoyed. This story was set around the life of a girl nicknamed Berry whose sister Laura has recently passed away. Laura happened to die in South Africa, so Berry and her father take a trip their to visit the poor town of Soweto, experience African life first hand and go to Laura's memorial service their. Berry and her father do not have a very strong or close relationship since her father divorced from her mother when she was young, so she still has a somewhat bitter and sarcasm filled attitude towards him. Through this trip, she spends more time with e time with her father than she had ever done before, and from this experience she relives her sisters death in a way and strengthens her relationship with her father. I actually chose this books in an indirect way, but it was a very good find. I was in my mom's room one day and happened to glance over at a stack of books on her shelf when I wanted to find a quick read. I saw this book and asked my mom about it and she said that it was very interesting and that I might like it, so I decided to give it a try. I am now happy that I read this book because it was very enjoyable. The details of South African life described in the book were filled with imagery and I could also make a text to self connection because it reminded me about learning about the African apartheid last year in World History. Also, this book has one of the most thought provoking pictures on the front of it, which drew me into the story. The picture is of Berry's body fully emerged under a pool of water (she was on a swim team). This shows her love of swimming, but also it shows the burden of her sisters death on her, her sister dying could have felt to her like diving into a pool of water and never catching her breath.

[Rachael · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had never heard of this book, although it's won several awards, and actually found it on the "NEW" books shelf, although it was written 8 years ago. It's a brisk and compelling read, and deals with some complicated issues (such as grief, divorce, apartheid, forgiveness) in a thoughtful way. I really thought, though, that the ending, while it leaves Berry having a breakthrough, didn't feel complete to me.

Having just been to South Africa for the first time this year, some of Berry's experiences there felt extremely familiar, although we didn't travel to the same locations.

Note: this book does have a few instances of harsh language, references to drug and alcohol use by both teens and adults, and teenagers "fooling around" when their parents aren't home, so I definitely wouldn't recommend it for younger readers.

[Catherine · Rating 1 out of 5]

I believe this book was written for teens, yet the language and the attitude it carries about sex may trouble parents. I wanted to like this book, yet I found the main character unlikeable, but she is not unlikeable enough to make her interesting. Most of the characters are underdeveloped and unlikeable.

I enjoyed the part where they visit the prison that held Nelson Mandela for twenty five years. The tour guide was one of the most interesting characters in the book. There were passages in the book that brought tears to my eyes, yet I don't feel I can recommend this book to anyone.

[Timothy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A concise novel with teeth. Personally, I prefer fiction that uses simple and direct language to talk about complex ideas. When done well, as in Many Stones, it creates space for the reader to imagine tangents and relationships far beyond the words on the page. Perhaps that seems too 'gestalty' but so be it. I'd rather an author give the reader a great deal of credit than none at all.

[Kari · Rating 5 out of 5]

First person, father/daughter conflict, South Africa. The conflict between the two main characters is so authentic and with the struggles of South Africa as the backdrop the book is hugely impactful. The author is amazing at capturing the internal feelings, thoughts, and frustrations of being a teen. Amazing.

[Dorit · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really loved this short, intense book for its authentic and honest portrayal of the grieving process, father-daughter relations, and South African history. This story screams: tell what is! tell the truth!

[Bobby · Rating 1 out of 5]

Absolutely nothing happens in this book. It's the story of a girl trying to cope with the death of her sister. I see what the author was trying to do, but I felt like it just came off as emo and forced instead of profound and touching. I only kept on reading because I had nothing else to read.

[elissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quiet but informative book about South Africa. Almost like a novelized travel guide, except that the main character is also dealing with a tragedy.

[Asenath · Rating 2 out of 5]

Berry's sister is murdered, her parents are divorced, and she goes on a trip with her dad to Africa. Some good quotes and thoughts, but I hated the main character for most of the novel.

[Amy Snyder · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was looking forward to reading this book but never got around to reading it. When I finally picked it up again, I could not remember why I was so interested. The book itself was interesting enough, but was not exciting enough to keep enticing me to read it. The main character is named Berry, a teenager who lives with her mom since her parents divorced. Her family is coming upon the one year anniversary of her sister's murder in South Africa, and Berry's father plans to take her there for the ceremony. Berry does not have a very good relationship with her father, as she is angry that he left her mother for another woman and moved away. Berry also has a boyfriend who she says she loves but he does not seem to care nearly as much for her. Berry seems very anxious and lacks self respect. The way she deals with her stress and anxiety is to put her collection of stones on top of her chest, one at a time, until the weight seems to satisfy her. Berry is very reluctant to go to South Africa with her father, and throughout the trip, they struggle with their relationship. Berry sees him as someone who only cares about himself, which is illustrated when her father chooses to spend his time with a woman who ends up being racist. By the end of the trip, when Berry and her father go to the community where her sister was killed, by being smashed in the head with a rock. The pastor, who seems to be a very loving man, immediately takes to Berry and brings her into the ceremony. Berry and her father finally come to an understanding when they share their feelings about Laura's death and about how Berry feels about her father's decisions. My only issue with this book is that I was not really interested in any of the characters. None of them seemed to be developed enough - we get a little bit about her mother's love of being a reading teacher, Berry's love of her sister and swimming, her sister and her father's love of politics...but nothing that really flushes out any of the characters to a point where they were fully developed.

[Lynda Schmidt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Picked this book when I noticed both the author, someone who I had taken class from so many years ago during summer writing at UNH, swimming theme, and the student recommended it. I recall Corman typically pushing the edge of content and this was true of this in terms of the intensity of topic. I enjoyed it because it was honest about a child's struggle with communication with her father and her father just wanting to have SOME conversation. The swimming was a mechanism of dealing with intense grief - and that brought me back to my youth and the feeling of complete safety when swimming. Although written over 15 years ago, I think it can still can use from the school library as the feelings and the struggles are universal. For me, the book can be somewhat timeless. (obvious missing of things such as cell phones but, as they travel through Africa, that takes precedent over what might be experienced at home)

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great little story about how differently teenagers relate to the world.
Grief, divorce, loneliness, trying to find her place in the world Berry and her dad are like oil and water. He tries and she pushes him away. She tries and he just doesn’t get her.

I very much related to Berry’s attraction to stones. I pick one up wherever I go. I still have the one from the hospital my mom was in before she died. I understand that teenagers find comfort in things middle aged adults do not.
The part about the stones really hit a chord with me.

I kept thinking about my own relationship with my dad and my relationship with my sons. It’s not a far-fetched story - it’s a story about letting yourself be a part of a family no matter how different we are. It’s about communication, being vulnerable and trusting.

Very quick read 158 pages, but the writing is very detailed about feelings and the lack there of.
No salty language - would be a PG movie.

[Dorothy Tonga · Rating 4 out of 5]

ENG 420 - Elective (Printz Honor Book)

Coman had her book as a Printz Honor Book. Her story takes place in Capetown, South Africa. It is about a murder that occurred to Berry Morgan's older sister who was murdered in South Africa. She had gone there to as a volunteer at a small local school. This led Berry and her father to visit a year later to cope with the loss and finally say goodbye. However, their trip turned out to be more than just a vacation and a simple visit. They were able to strengthen their relationship as father and daughter and see the truth about a country whose people are grieving and fighting for peace and reconciliation. It's a very somber feeling when you read but feels real. I really liked it.

[Carter Briggs · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like most of the other reviews, I would have to agree that this book didn't quite do it for me.
It has a interesting enough storyline- Berry doesn't hang out with her dad until they find out her sister was killed in Africa. They decide to go to Africa to pay tribute to her. However, there doesn't seem to be a whole lot of development. The characters (particularly Berry) seem very flat and static. Because the characters don't have a lot of credibility, the whole story is compromised. It almost felt like it was belittling the whole scenario. I might recommend this book to someone just as an interesting read if you've got nothing to do, but I wouldn't consider it a "must-read."

[Lyndsie Larsen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think that this book had a great idea, but I felt that the execution was a little bit off. After finishing the book, my initial reaction was, "Okay, but what else". It felt like it started in the middle of the story and ended in the middle of the story with not much character growth, but just a few days in the life of Berry. Maybe I just didn't feel like this book was very relatable, but I don't really understand why it won an award with the storyline. It felt empty and void of anything but anger and despair. Overall, it was a short read that was enlightening about how a murder victim's family might feel, but I think that overall, it seemed a bit bland.

[Acj · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars. I just finished a 700 page book and picked this one in part due to its small size. Surprisingly, I found the first half read slowly. It picked up once they were in South Africa for awhile and that was the part of the book I preferred, but overall I still feel like it was an incomplete novel. It feels like I’ve just read part of a book, and I’m not sure if the author was so set on keeping it short she opted not to expand to a more complete storyline, but it seems unfinished, starting and ending in the middle of this girl’s story.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Berry is a girl that has experienced so much pain and loss that she doesn't know how to keep going about doing everything she used to. Her sister was murdered and her father comes and goes as he pleases in and out of her life. She's got all these stones weighing her down.

I was interested enough in this book to keep reading, but I think it lacked a certain depth or significance. It was good to see her relationship with her father grow and heal, but I feel like there could have been more to it. I don't think I could say I was completely satisfied by the end.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Character-driven, and very well-written. We are in Berry's head for this whole book, and it is easy to feel the weight of her grief, of her depression, of her anger in her grief, but also for her dad's flaws, for the murder, for the unfairness of it all. I really appreciated the genuine relationship between Berry and her dad. This was not an easy book to read, though, and knowing what has been happening in South Africa in the 18 years since this book was written casts a different light on that aspect of the book.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

This should have been good and it wasn't. There is no way to work in the grief of a murdered sister, the bitterness of a child of divorce, and getting in touch with your own pain through learning about the pain of Apartheid in a trip to South Africa, plus wrestling with the significance of minor characters, all in 158 pages. The symbolism was overly obvious. There was nothing beautiful in the prose.

[Janine Darragh · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not quite sure why this won so many awards... The setting, largely in South Africa, was interesting, and perhaps that was why? The strained relationship between the father and the daughter irritated me, and I felt the book ended really abruptly. That said, I appreciated the historical information about Nelson Mandela and the theme of reconciliation that was developed throughout as Berry tried to come to terms with both her sister's death and her parents' divorce.

[A E Fox · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a beautiful story. I really felt like I could understand the MC and her fight against hope. I highly recommend this book. When first starting, I was doubtful of how developed the story would be since it was under 160 pages. I was stunned. It takes great skill to fit all that Carolyn Coman fit into this book. I am glad that I picked it up at the library.