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The Angel in the Stone
Having returned to his childhood home in the West Highlands, Calum leads a quiet life. More than two decades after his brother Finn fell to his death, he still relives the event and struggles to find peace of mind. It isn’t so easy, however: his mother, Mary, has Alzheimer’s Disease and his estranged daughter Catriona has arrived out of the blue. Unexpectedly, Calum has his mother and daughter living with him and the house becomes a crucible of old resentments, disappointments, unspoken revelations and fragile but enduring love. Together and separately, Calum, Mary and Catriona retrace the events that have brought them to this point and made them who they are.
320 pages, Paperback
Published August 17, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
August 17, 2017
The Angel in the Stone is such an emotive and powerful read that made me think about family and how we support one another. This is such a beautiful book that deals with the issues of depression, Alzheimer's disease and grief. This is a book to be savoured, to be read slowly.
The story centres around three central characters. Calum is a man who lives a solitary life and who has never been truly the same after his younger brother fell to his death while rock climbing twenty years previously. When his mother, Mary, takes a turn for the worse, due to the progressive nature of her Alzheimer's disease, she moves into Calum's home. During this same period in time, Calum's estranged daughter, Catriona, has troubles of her own and decides to spend some time with her father. So three generations are suddenly all under one roof, and this makes for a very interesting and emotional story.
This is not a light read, but a thought provoking one, that for me stirred up many emotions. It is a story about the importance of family and the ties that bind. It beautifully highlights the fragility of family and the vulnerabilities that are within the family unit. What I found most illuminating and incredibly touching was the relationship between Mary and Calum, the role now having been reversed. As a reader I could see both points of view and the reasons why both resented their new role. Relationships and the rebuilding of relationships is central to thes novel. It is Calum who has to leran to deal with his past, with the death of hs brother, so that he can love once more.
The entire story of how Calum learns to rebuild his relationship with both his daughter and mother is brought to life against the vivid depictions of Scottish life. The dialogue, scenery and imagery that are evoked are pure Scotland and I loved this. His relationship with his mother is a complicated one, and one that I don't want to go into it. But reading of how the two re-connect is both brutal and beautiful.
The Angel in the Stone is a thought-provoking, powerful and genuinely beautiful book. It made me question the relationships in my life, the past and ultimately, how our past shapes and defines our future. It is a remarkable book.
The story centres around three central characters. Calum is a man who lives a solitary life and who has never been truly the same after his younger brother fell to his death while rock climbing twenty years previously. When his mother, Mary, takes a turn for the worse, due to the progressive nature of her Alzheimer's disease, she moves into Calum's home. During this same period in time, Calum's estranged daughter, Catriona, has troubles of her own and decides to spend some time with her father. So three generations are suddenly all under one roof, and this makes for a very interesting and emotional story.
This is not a light read, but a thought provoking one, that for me stirred up many emotions. It is a story about the importance of family and the ties that bind. It beautifully highlights the fragility of family and the vulnerabilities that are within the family unit. What I found most illuminating and incredibly touching was the relationship between Mary and Calum, the role now having been reversed. As a reader I could see both points of view and the reasons why both resented their new role. Relationships and the rebuilding of relationships is central to thes novel. It is Calum who has to leran to deal with his past, with the death of hs brother, so that he can love once more.
The entire story of how Calum learns to rebuild his relationship with both his daughter and mother is brought to life against the vivid depictions of Scottish life. The dialogue, scenery and imagery that are evoked are pure Scotland and I loved this. His relationship with his mother is a complicated one, and one that I don't want to go into it. But reading of how the two re-connect is both brutal and beautiful.
The Angel in the Stone is a thought-provoking, powerful and genuinely beautiful book. It made me question the relationships in my life, the past and ultimately, how our past shapes and defines our future. It is a remarkable book.
February 23, 2019
You know this was a hard book to write, because it's such a pleasure to read. The characters are distinct and I loved getting to know them all in their own separate POV chapters. Mary's confused mental state due to her Alzheimer's is incredibly well done, and the descriptions of dark creatures of mental health ring true every time. Fantastic novel about family and it's joys and heartbreaks.
November 18, 2023
As Scotland stumbles towards the referendum on independence, a damaged family falters towards their own redemption. A hard journey but beautifully written and the wonderful setting of the West Coast of Scotland.
October 2, 2017
I loved this book. The story was great and the characters were all very different. I especially liked Mary as her character gave you all kinds emotions because of her condition. I would definitely recommend reading this book. Can't wait to read more from the author.
August 21, 2017
The Angel in the Stone is the second novel by RL McKinney following the excellent Blast Radius. The Angel in the Stone is just as beautifully written.
Three generations of a family tell the story in turns. Calum lives in a quiet part of the West Highlands and still finds it hard to come to terms with the death of his brother Finn in a climbing accident over 20 years before. His difficulty coping with this has led to estrangement from his daughter Catriona, from a previous relationship. Closer to home, his mother Mary is becoming more and more forgetful and suspicious of everything Calum does. When a clearly distressed Catriona arrives unexpectedly at the same time as Mary has had to move in, not only is Calum's peaceful life disturbed, it seems it may finally be time for the whole family to face up to the past. Always in the background of the book is the shadowy figure of Finn and how his life and death continues to impact on his mother and brother.
What impressed me with this novel was the way the author has captured so beautifully and convincingly the three different voices of her characters. It can't be easy to find the voices of a troubled teenager, a middle-aged man and an elderly lady, especially when she has dementia. And yet RL McKinney has managed to give each one a distinctive voice and has done so with aplomb. Calum is truly one of the sandwich generation and it is a welcome change to see a man in this role in fiction. From someone who was pretty much just drifting along, circumstances force him to focus on his family and, like most people in his situation, he more than copes. Because really, what is the alternative?
Young Catriona is running from a difficult situation at home and struggling to articulate how she is feeling to anyone. She and Calum haven't had the easiest of relationships and it was really quite a risk heading off to see him. My heart went out to this character as she was trying so hard to cope with what happened. I was hoping that Calum would discover some fatherly instinct in himself to form a relationship with his daughter. They were both quite similar really in not wanting to talk to people and trying to keep everything inside.
Mary's story was the one I found most poignant though. Most people these days will have some experience of a family member with dementia and will recognise her behaviours. I felt that the author had captured perfectly the confusion, forgetfulness and suspicion of those with dementia as well as showing the moments of clarity. The worry caused for the rest of the family was also clear to see.
The Angel in the Stone is a powerful story showing how the past comes with us into our the present day. It shows the importance of family, acceptance, communication and forgiveness. It is a very moving read and another unforgettable book from this author.
Three generations of a family tell the story in turns. Calum lives in a quiet part of the West Highlands and still finds it hard to come to terms with the death of his brother Finn in a climbing accident over 20 years before. His difficulty coping with this has led to estrangement from his daughter Catriona, from a previous relationship. Closer to home, his mother Mary is becoming more and more forgetful and suspicious of everything Calum does. When a clearly distressed Catriona arrives unexpectedly at the same time as Mary has had to move in, not only is Calum's peaceful life disturbed, it seems it may finally be time for the whole family to face up to the past. Always in the background of the book is the shadowy figure of Finn and how his life and death continues to impact on his mother and brother.
What impressed me with this novel was the way the author has captured so beautifully and convincingly the three different voices of her characters. It can't be easy to find the voices of a troubled teenager, a middle-aged man and an elderly lady, especially when she has dementia. And yet RL McKinney has managed to give each one a distinctive voice and has done so with aplomb. Calum is truly one of the sandwich generation and it is a welcome change to see a man in this role in fiction. From someone who was pretty much just drifting along, circumstances force him to focus on his family and, like most people in his situation, he more than copes. Because really, what is the alternative?
Young Catriona is running from a difficult situation at home and struggling to articulate how she is feeling to anyone. She and Calum haven't had the easiest of relationships and it was really quite a risk heading off to see him. My heart went out to this character as she was trying so hard to cope with what happened. I was hoping that Calum would discover some fatherly instinct in himself to form a relationship with his daughter. They were both quite similar really in not wanting to talk to people and trying to keep everything inside.
Mary's story was the one I found most poignant though. Most people these days will have some experience of a family member with dementia and will recognise her behaviours. I felt that the author had captured perfectly the confusion, forgetfulness and suspicion of those with dementia as well as showing the moments of clarity. The worry caused for the rest of the family was also clear to see.
The Angel in the Stone is a powerful story showing how the past comes with us into our the present day. It shows the importance of family, acceptance, communication and forgiveness. It is a very moving read and another unforgettable book from this author.
August 14, 2017
RL McKinney uses the 2014 referendum on Scottish independence as a backdrop on which to explore issues of community, family and interdependence, as well as the decisions we must take to determine our own lives. It’s also about the fluidity of the boundary between religion, spirituality and mental illness: the angel in the title referring to Finn’s belief in his guardian angel that made him reckless, yet his Catholic mother endorsed.
Full review
Two novel takes on family secrets and vulnerability http://annegoodwin.weebly.com/1/post/...
Full review
Two novel takes on family secrets and vulnerability http://annegoodwin.weebly.com/1/post/...
February 24, 2018
I didn't enjoy this book very much but it was well written so have given it 3 stars. There is not much plot and therefore I felt 300 pages was too long. I really didn't want to read about the Referendum and relive the bad feeling that it created between people and this may be the main reason I disliked the book (although to be fair, the author did recognise that the SNP financial argument was flawed, despite the main characters being in favour of independence).
August 30, 2021
A moving story that unfolds slowly, elegantly. It doesn't demean the family tragedy at its heart with mystery and suspense, but waits until the characters are emotionally ready to share their burden. This story really stuck with me after I finished it, and I can still picture all of the core cast as clear as day.
April 28, 2018
Really well written book. The tangled threads of the main characters stories are skillfully unravelled and woven back up again. It’s a deep reaching novel and I felt very moved by the humanity in it. Worthy of its place on the Highland Book Prize shortlist.
December 19, 2025
An enjoyable read. Interesting to be taken back to the time of Scotland’s Independence Referendum and all the divisions it caused. The characters were easy to relate to and the descriptions of their feelings realistic.
August 9, 2017
I absolutely loved this book. McKinney writes beautifully and with empathy on truly tough topics. There are a lot of books out there that either romanticize mental health issues, or demonize the people struggling with them. The Angel in the Stone avoids both pitfalls, balancing stunning prose with gritty and unpleasant truths.
May 24, 2018
super wee book. loved the references to all the Scottish places.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews