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Stone Harbor Bound
In this lyrical new novel, Madeleine Mysko, author of Bringing Vincent Home, sets a compelling story about grief and healing on the Jersey Shore. Following the death of her partner, Bridget, Camille Pickett heads for Stone Harbor. All she has to do now is make a decision about the small bungalow she inherited. Instead she is drawn into the troubles of two young people she meets, leading her to question the meaning of family, and how love can endure conflict, illness, and addiction. The mystery is that for so long she has been bound for--and bound to--Bridget's beloved Stone Harbor.
244 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 16, 2015
2 people are currently reading
20 people want to read
About the author
Madeleine Mysko
6 booksMadeleine Mysko is the author of two novels, Bringing Vincent Home (Plain View Press, 2007) and Stone Harbor Bound (Bridle Path Press, 2015).
Her poetry, reviews, essays, and short fiction have been published widely in literary journals that include Shenandoah, Commonweal, River Styx, and The Hudson Review. As a peace and justice activist, she has also contributed op-ed pieces to venues including The Baltimore Sun and The Veteran.
Born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland, Madeleine Mysko attended parochial schools and graduated from Mercy Hospital School of Nursing in 1967. During the Vietnam War, she served in the Army Nurse Corps on the famous burn ward of Brooke Army Medical Center, an experience out of which she later wrote her first novel, Bringing Vincent Home. When she later returned to college, she majored in literature and writing. She received a bachelor’s degree in English from Rosemont College, and master’s degrees from both The Writing Seminars of The Johns Hopkins University and The George Washington University.
In 2015, she published her second novel,Stone Harbor Bound, a lyrical novel set in Stone Harbor. New Jersey.
For years she has taught creative writing, both poetry and fiction, in the Baltimore-Washington area. As a nurse, she has worked in Assisted Living at a Baltimore retirement community. She has also worked as a waitress—a short career she wrote about in The Baltimore Sun when her “Real Life” pieces would appear regularly in the Modern Life section. Presently she serves as coordinating editor of the Reflections column for The American Journal of Nursing.
Among her awards are two Individual Artist grants from the Maryland State Arts Council, a Howard Nemerov Sonnet Award, and an Artscape Prize for Fiction from the City of Baltimore.
Her poetry, reviews, essays, and short fiction have been published widely in literary journals that include Shenandoah, Commonweal, River Styx, and The Hudson Review. As a peace and justice activist, she has also contributed op-ed pieces to venues including The Baltimore Sun and The Veteran.
Born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland, Madeleine Mysko attended parochial schools and graduated from Mercy Hospital School of Nursing in 1967. During the Vietnam War, she served in the Army Nurse Corps on the famous burn ward of Brooke Army Medical Center, an experience out of which she later wrote her first novel, Bringing Vincent Home. When she later returned to college, she majored in literature and writing. She received a bachelor’s degree in English from Rosemont College, and master’s degrees from both The Writing Seminars of The Johns Hopkins University and The George Washington University.
In 2015, she published her second novel,Stone Harbor Bound, a lyrical novel set in Stone Harbor. New Jersey.
For years she has taught creative writing, both poetry and fiction, in the Baltimore-Washington area. As a nurse, she has worked in Assisted Living at a Baltimore retirement community. She has also worked as a waitress—a short career she wrote about in The Baltimore Sun when her “Real Life” pieces would appear regularly in the Modern Life section. Presently she serves as coordinating editor of the Reflections column for The American Journal of Nursing.
Among her awards are two Individual Artist grants from the Maryland State Arts Council, a Howard Nemerov Sonnet Award, and an Artscape Prize for Fiction from the City of Baltimore.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
September 25, 2015
Madeleine is such a beautiful writer. This is a simple story of intertwined lives. Just a snapshot, but touching on so many tough issues like alcoholism, family histories, old vs new, homosexuality, and depression. I can picture each character, even hear their voices. I would've read more and am still wondering how everything turns out. A treat to read.
August 27, 2025
A character study, set in motion by a coincidence of paths crossing, that while it stretches credulity, is ultimately satisfying. It is satisfying in that the characters feel real, but even more so the setting. All too often authors do not portray their setting accurately and authentically. I have read many of books that are sunk by their inauthentic portrayal of place. Having spent many a summer day in Stone Harbor on and off over the past 30 years, I can tell Mysko is intimately familiar with it enough to make it a character of its own. I also appreciated that while the story wrapped up satisfactorily, it did not tie up all the little loose ends, letting the reader free to imagine what comes next in the characters' lives.
June 17, 2018
Novel by a local author. Good beach reading.
April 23, 2015
I finished Madeleine Mysko's new book, Stone Harbor Bound. I really enjoyed it.
I identified with Bridget, the forgiving Catholic. Bridget certainly bears her crosses in the story, yet she remains optimistic, positive about the future because she has faith that God forgives her every moment.
In fact, I thought the title could have been "Forgiveness".
That seemed to be the theme, certainly MM hammers it out in those words: "the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins" multiple times in the novel.
The Communion of Saints, as MM explains through a character, is the belief in the mystical presence of the angels and saints at every celebration of the eucharist or mass. Those who have died and entered heaven are, by definition, saints. So when I attend mass, my dad, uncles, aunts and everyone else that I pray went to heaven are at mass in a spiritual sense, just as Bridget knew her deceased relatives were with her.
This communion brings us back to the theme of her book. Stone Harbor, for Bridget, and later for Camille was heaven. Early in the book on of them mentions that the word "harbor" derives from "haven" which shares roots with "heaven". The word "stone" has reverberations for Christians. Peter is the 'rock'; Christ is the 'cornerstone'. There is the large stone that covers the tomb that must be "rolled away" as in the hymn "roll away the stone."
Owen's encounter with Erin and Camille recalls the parable of the "Good Samaritan" and Jesus's answer as to "who is my neighbor." Erin's story also joins families together. Owen and Judy also seem to reflect the parable of the prodigal son.
All the frightening events of adult life come together in Stone Harbor. Death, addiction, illness, being the "stranger in a strange land" as Camille and Judy initially are in their joining their respective lovers' families, all are found in the microcosm that is stone harbor. Eventually, all come to reconcile, commune, forgive and find acceptance in Stone Harbor.
I identified with Bridget, the forgiving Catholic. Bridget certainly bears her crosses in the story, yet she remains optimistic, positive about the future because she has faith that God forgives her every moment.
In fact, I thought the title could have been "Forgiveness".
That seemed to be the theme, certainly MM hammers it out in those words: "the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins" multiple times in the novel.
The Communion of Saints, as MM explains through a character, is the belief in the mystical presence of the angels and saints at every celebration of the eucharist or mass. Those who have died and entered heaven are, by definition, saints. So when I attend mass, my dad, uncles, aunts and everyone else that I pray went to heaven are at mass in a spiritual sense, just as Bridget knew her deceased relatives were with her.
This communion brings us back to the theme of her book. Stone Harbor, for Bridget, and later for Camille was heaven. Early in the book on of them mentions that the word "harbor" derives from "haven" which shares roots with "heaven". The word "stone" has reverberations for Christians. Peter is the 'rock'; Christ is the 'cornerstone'. There is the large stone that covers the tomb that must be "rolled away" as in the hymn "roll away the stone."
Owen's encounter with Erin and Camille recalls the parable of the "Good Samaritan" and Jesus's answer as to "who is my neighbor." Erin's story also joins families together. Owen and Judy also seem to reflect the parable of the prodigal son.
All the frightening events of adult life come together in Stone Harbor. Death, addiction, illness, being the "stranger in a strange land" as Camille and Judy initially are in their joining their respective lovers' families, all are found in the microcosm that is stone harbor. Eventually, all come to reconcile, commune, forgive and find acceptance in Stone Harbor.
July 28, 2015
A delightful beach read--the setting was perfectly described to where I felt I was on vacation, too. Interesting characters, totally satisfying examination of love and loss and hope.
December 25, 2017
Didn't feel like the book was well laid out. If I didn't spend my summers in Avalon and enjoyed all the references to places I know so well, I never would have finished it.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews