The Sorrow Stone

by J.A. McLachlan

Would you sacrifice your marriage to escape an overwhelming grief?

Lady Celeste’s magnificent ruby ring binds her husband to his marriage vows, but it is also her key to escaping a terrible loss. Which will she choose?
During the middle ages, a peasant's superstition held that a mother mourning the death of her child could "sell her sorrow" by selling a nail from her child's coffin to a peddler.

Would you pay someone to bear your sorrow?

Lady Celeste is overwhelmed with grief when her infant son dies. Desperate to find relief, she begs a passing peddler to buy her sorrow. Jean, the cynical peddler she meets, is nobody’s fool; he does not believe in superstitions and insists Celeste include the valuable ruby ring on her finger along with the nail in return for his coin.
Jean and Celeste both find themselves changed by their transaction in ways neither of them anticipated. Jean finds that bearing another’s sorrow opens him to strange fits of compassion, a trait he can ill afford. Meanwhile Celeste learns that without her wedding ring her husband may set her aside, leaving her ruined. She determines to retrieve it before he finds out—without reclaiming her sorrow. But how will she find the peddler and convince him to give up the precious ruby ring?

If you like realistic medieval fiction with evocative prose, compelling characters and a unique story, you’ll love this incredible, introspective journey into the south of France in the 12th Century, based on an actual medieval belief.

Winner of the Royal Palm Literary Award for Historical Fiction.

"J. A. McLachlan is a terrific writer -- wry and witty, with a keen eye for detail.”
~ author Robert J. Sawyer
"Strong, character-driven fiction -- McLachlan makes you both care and think. You can't ask for more.” ~ author Tanya Huff

Genres: Historical Fiction, Medieval, Fiction

362 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 1, 2017

About the author

J. A. McLachlan (also known as Jane Ann McLachlan) is a multi-genre Canadian author. She has ten published books: Three Historical Fiction novels, The Lode Stone; The Sorrow Stone; and The Girl Who Would Be Queen; IMPACT: A Memoir of PTSD; a short story collection, CONNECTIONS (Pandora Press); two College texts on Professional Ethics (Pearson-Prentice Hall); a science fiction novel, Walls of Wind (self-published); and two young adult fiction novels, The Occasional Diamond Thief and The Salarian Desert Game (EDGE SF&F Publishing).
Visit her website to learn more and read excerpts from her books: http://www.janeannmclachlan.com

Praise for Walls of Wind:
"Look out, C. J. Cherryh! Step aside, Hal Clement! There's a new master of truly alien SF, and her name is J. A. McLachlan. THE WALLS OF WIND is doubtless THE debut novel of the year."
~ Robert J. Sawyer, Hugo Award-winning science fiction author

Tamora Pierce read Occasional Diamond Thief and The Salarian Desert Game and said:
"Tense, thrilling, edge-of-the-seat reading--I tore through this! Kia and Agatha are a fascinating pair, Kia so practical, down-to-earth, and wilful; Agatha so mystical and driven. More, please!"
~ Tamora Pierce

Reviews

[J.A. McLachlan]

The Story Behind the Story.
This book has been years in the making. I first heard the medieval myth/superstition that it's based on at a talk by a midwife. She had researched historical birth practices and came across this: a woman grieving the death of her infant could relieve her sorrow by selling a nail from the child's coffin to a traveling peddler. This bit of folklore fascinated me. I wondered, what would happen if it worked? Even if the effect was purely psychological, because they believed it, how would it change a person to do such a thing? What effect would bearing a double load of sorrow have on the peddler? How would it change a woman to not be able to feel any sorrow? I really wanted to explore this in a story.
But first I had to do research. Years of it. To get the time period and setting right I even went to the south of France, where my story takes place, and traveled the route Jean the peddler takes from Cluny, to Lyon, down to the Mediterranean and across to Marseilles. I talked to guides and historical interpreters all along the route to learn what vegetation was native to the area, what the weather was like, which towns and cities, cathedrals, castles and monasteries had existed there in the 12th Century, which trades were practiced in the region then. I wanted to be able to describe these places, to take my readers with me on Jean's and Lady Celeste's journeys in an authentic way.

I don't intend to review my own book, or recommend it - although of course I think it's excellent and you would love it! But I did spend a LOT of reading time re-reading and editing this novel, which has got me behind in my GR pledge for this year, so I thought I'd add it in to show I haven't been MIA on the book front. And I thought those who read my reviews might be interested in hearing how The Sorrow Stone came to be. Cheers, everyone!

[Clare O'Beara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This excellently written tale occurs in twelfth century France. Medieval superstition here, held that a person could sell their sorrow over a dead baby by selling a nail from the coffin to a pedlar. A well-off lady who is grieving in a convent bed with her maid, stumbles out for some daylight and on noticing a pedlar is desperate enough to trade a nail and her ruby ring for a chance to escape her sorrow.

The pedlar Jean traipses around from the port of Marseilles with his spices and blessed tokens, so he thinks at first that he can easily sell the ring. But he starts to worry that he will be taken for a thief, as religion is very powerful here and he has no witness.

With hints of some ominous background and fully immersive atmosphere, this adventure is well worth following. Note the differences between the maidservant and the lady, both of them trapped in their roles and neither in charge of their own lives. The book comes across as thoroughly researched and will fascinate anyone who enjoys suspenseful romance in medieval times.

I received an e-ARC from the author. This is an unbiased review.

[Christine Cazeneuve · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting

A different tale which was enjoyable to read. Can you sell your sorrow to someone else and if so what are the consequences. The story did keep me guessing right until the end. Relationships are powerful and so is grief. Looking forward to the next book in the series.

[Yvonne Hertzberger · Rating 5 out of 5]

It took me a bit to become aware of McLachlan’s greatest strength. She is a master at creating and developing tortured characters. Character development is always an important element for me as a reader, and this story has it in spades. This is historical fiction and the author has taken great pains to portray twelfth century France as it really was, full of superstition, poverty and control via corrupt church dogma. That said, it is also populated by characters that offer solace and comfort, some of them from within the church. There is hope and humanity and the author doles it out in careful threads that all eventually connect together. No spoilers, but once you begin you will want to read to the end. It will be worth it.

[Candy Briggs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Celeste lost a baby and grieved so much that she was not eating. Her husband took her to an abbey till she got well. She sold a nail from the baby's coffin to a peddler, she sold her sorrow. The peddler gave her a coin for the nail but also wanted her ruby and gold ring, that she had on her finger.
There are a lot of things going on in this story. The characters are life like and complicated, but aren't we all. The descriptions are very good and add to the tale. It did get a little slow towards the middle but picked right up. I enjoyed the book and the love she and Lord Bernard have for each other. I didn't care for the executions but were probably needed to show how the peddler and Celeste had changed after he bought her sorrow. It is like they changed personalities. You would not recognize them. I highly recommend this even paced, smooth and well written book. I did finish this is one sitting. Even though it got a little slow, it was mesmerizing.
I received this ARC for free and voluntarily reviewed it.

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fascinating story about superstition in medieval times and how this affected people's lives. The author did a good job of letting us know her characters by their actions rather than just 'telling' us what they were like.

This book featured lean, tight writing with the perfect amount of character and setting descriptions. The writer paints a clear picture of the people and places without being verbose. The characters were expertly layered.

[gerry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Drama that moves back and forth

The fate of two troubled characters is intertwined in this medieval tale of loss and love. Life in France centuries ago was difficult for both peasants and royalty and learning about history in a dramatic story like this is much more entertaining than via any textbook. Religious pilgrimages, a stoning, a heretic burning, antisemitism, human slavery and much suspicion provide a backdrop for a few good Christians who try to make a difference. An excellent read.

[Dani Patrick · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am shocked that this tale could be prolonged to over 300 pages. An interesting and unique plot but it was stretched by too much inflection of the main characters and very little action to propel it forward. I thought that, based on the description, there would have been more folklore. By the time I discovered it was repetitive it was too late and I finished the novel despite feeling I was reading the same 10 pages over and over.

Celeste is destroyed by the death of her son. Begging a spice trader to buy her sorrow she convinces him to buy a coffin nail and to sweeten the deal, her ruby wedding ring. As soon as the nail is sold, Celeste nor only looses her sorrow but her memories and her personality.

Celeste is convinced by her maid that her husband will deny their marriage without the ring. This is the catalyst for her to adventure to find the trader with her ring However this changes frequently and after discovering she is pregnant, she seeks a pilgrimage to leave the baby behind and escape her husband. What? Despite her memory loss, the thing Celeste loves about herself the most is that she is nobility but everything she does contradicts that fact and she changes her mind and goals several times.

Without her memory Celeste decides she hates her husband. There is absolutely no reason for these feelings. And as we see things from his perspective, she seems crazy running around for no reason. The things she does just don't make much sense, memory loss or no.

When Celeste finally regains her memory we find out the real cause of her child's death. Her husband's cousin, a rather unknown character did it, why? because Celeste had turned down his advances. That made hardly any sense to me. It it had been to insure some inheritance, then I could follow that plot, but murdering her baby just because she turned him down?

The concept of the novel had a ton of promise. However the follow through just wasn't there. The story was repetitive with tons of inner monologues and secrets weren't revealed until the end which made the conclusion feel sharp and anticlimactic. The concept and excellent writing were unfortunately lost in this flat, confusing story.

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this historical novel with its unique premise of someone buying another's sorrow. Although I’m not familiar with the medieval time period, the book felt authentic and featured a lot of intricate descriptions and historical speech.

The book switches in between two characters’ perspectives, Lady Celeste and peddler Jean. I love how we get a full picture of their flaws and details about their different stations in life.

There were, though, a few changes in perspective that threw me off—Lord Bernard and the peddler’s wife—but most of the time, the transitions worked well. I do wish McLachlan had fleshed out some of the side characters, like Marie or even Lord Bernard (he seemed almost too devoted).

There is an ongoing mystery that ties together this novel, but I wouldn’t call it a book that moves at a breakneck speed. Instead, it’s an intricate story that immerses the reader in ancient France. My favorite parts of the novel surround the philosophical ideas regarding guilt and sorrow. I recommend this book if you want something that makes you think, and that reminds you about the different layers residing behind our emotions.

[Sally Stackhouse · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW! This is the best book I've read this year. Superbly written.
Set in South of France during 12 Century it is the story of Lady Celeste and a peddler called Jean. The book gripped me from the beginning to the end.
Fantastic writing.
I'm almost stuck for words – good, superb, brilliant and many more adjectives in the same vein, to try and do this book justice.
The story encompasses the time brilliantly, from barbaric acts to acts of kindness, from superstition to religion to heretics, the poor and the rich. It evokes everyday living from the smells and sounds of the straw on the floor to the dangers of travelling the road alone. How grief can consume somebody’s mind, how superstitions can play havoc with the mind.
If you like historical fiction set in medieval times then this is a book you will enjoy reading.
I was gripped by the story, by the writing, by the emotions evoked by this book. I do hope there are more books to come

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The premise of this book is based on an old superstition that a grieving mother could sell a nail from her deceased child's coffin to a peddler and that person would take their sorrow from them. There are two main characters, Jean and Lady Celeste. The two meet by chance outside the abbey where Celeste has been staying, grieving the death of her son Etienne. Celeste is in the street when Jean passes her on his way to sell his wares. She begs him to take the nail in her and and buy her sorrow. He is not interested but she keeps begging him to take it. Jean is not interested in the nail until he notices a large ruby ring on her ring finger. He tells her that he will buy the nail AND the ring from her along with her sorrow. He sees a nun running from the abbey towards them and he grabs for the nail and the ring in exchange of a coin and leaves before the nun reaches him.

Celeste is taken back to the abbey, very confused on what happened. It is not until her maid Marie notices that Celeste's marriage ring is not on her hand that she starts remember what must of happened. Marie tears up the room looking for the ring but is not able to find it. Celeste and Marie are worried that if Celeste does not have her ring when she sees her husband, that he will sit her aside and Celeste would have nowhere to go. Celeste finds out that the man that bought her sorrow is a peddler that regularly comes to the area to sells his wares. She finds out that he is headed to the abbey in Cluny.

The rest of the book consists of near misses when Celeste and Marie tried to find Jean and get her ring back. Celeste is having problems remembering she was prior to Etienne's death and what her husband and marriage was like. Meanwhile her husband, Lord Bernard, is trying to locate his wife when he finds out that she has recovered from her illness.

It was very interesting how the author kept the storyline advancing and giving us more and more details of what happened in their past and how it affected their current lives. It is also interesting to read how they were treated and expectations from them based on their rank in society.
If you are interested in medieval history, you will not be sorry reading this book. The author has obviously done extensive research to make her books as accurate as possible in regards to the ways and customs of medieval 12th century France.

I was also happy to read that there will be additional books based on the different characters in the book. Can't wait.

I was given a free ebook from the author to read and give an honest review of the book.

[Madeline · Rating 2 out of 5]

THIS BOOK MADE ME THINK THAT I GOT STUCK WITH THE SORROW STONE

I liked the other three historical novels that J.A.McLachlan wrote, but not this one. First off, it is a very repetitious story. The same thing over and over. “Why am I acting this way?” on almost every page. Constant flashbacks that reveal the same monotonous nightmare. Characters that seemed written for young adults. Most of the characters act like either simpletons and seem very phony. The priests were all perfect people.

There were graphic descriptions of stoning,and burning, seemingly thrown in in a macabre fashion, basically just to liven things up, Hateful people filled the pages, all poor, all cruel. There were actually four kind people who were not priests. Marie, the husband, the brother and one rich lady. None of these people were very logical, showing little reason for their actions.

Then, there was the problem of way too much Catholic dogma filling up the pages. The constant praying, the guilt, the worrying about individual sins. For the main character and for me, this novel was a religious nightmare. I still don’t understand what the villain, Raimond did. He was supposed to be evil but his actions weren’t clear in the explanation at the end.

The final ending seems to be designed for a bible story. It shows that the man upstairs will take care of all things. If you’re lucky.

Maybe, if this had been a short story, the psychological message could have been developed into an interesting story with a few well-fleshed out characters. The idea is interesting and if it had been written well, it might have been something to think about.

I gave an extra star in my rating because I know the author worked hard and actually travelled to all the places mentioned in the story. I appreciate the effort. If only the result had been worth it.

[Tisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked it. The Sorrow Stone has as its premise, a little known superstition surrounding the sorrow of losing a child. The story is narrated from the point of view of the main character who is suffering from traumatic amnesia. The main character has undergone a significant personality change following the death of her first-born, a son, and is not a particularly likable character. The book bounces back and forth between madness and superstition as the cause of this personality change and it feels abrupt and disjointed. The peddler to whom the main character is tied by the superstition is similarly a not very likable character and fights any impulse toward compassion or humanity, while also fighting off flashes of what we would, in this century, call PTSD related to his own traumatic life events. The level of misery in the book, including stonings and burnings, is gratuitous and does not further the plot or provide clues to the resolution to the book. Despite that, some of the secondary characters were strong, the writing was good enough to hold out for a decent ending and the tale wrapped up nicely, with a good balance between not enough detail and too much detail.

[Elda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once I started reading this book I became so immersed in it I was unable to stop thinking about it during the times I had to put it down. I felt the protagonist's sorrow very deeply. At first she remembered very little about what had happened to cause her sorrow. It was only after she sold her bent nail, supposedly from her child's coffin, and inadvertently her wedding ring also to a passing peddler, she was able to slowly remember bits and pieces at a time about what had happened to cause her sorrow. When she realized her wedding ring was gone and that her husband might put her aside if she didn't recover it, she went on a pilgrimage as an excuse to find the peddler. It is the talent of this author that keeps the reader engaged in the story as the peddler and the woman kept coming so close to finding each other but was unable to make the connection until the end. This story was excellently written and I would highly recommend reading this book. However, be forewarned as it does contain events that may cause you to feel the great sorrow and pain of the characters.

[Cindy Woods · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rich and beautiful story

This medieval story has an excellent plot, rich in emotion and told from both the seller's and buyer's aspects....the item being sold is sorrow.

It's even more interesting as the young woman who has sold her ring in the exchange and is amnesiac spending the entire book desperately trying to remember her past and what was the cause of her sorrow. Additionally, the peddler she's sold her ring to has his own problems. As the story builds it gets more and more interesting.

This is a very creative plot and the characters are well described and developed. The writing is great! I hope the author does more historical fiction because this was Class A!

Absolutely I recommend to readers of the genre. Very solid writing and makes you wants to continue reading without stopping.

[kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have not read any books by this author before. I was pleasantly surprised! This book is rich with detail from the time period which I really like. The author traveled in the area where this book takes place in France and did research to make sure this historical novel is authentically presented.

The writing flows easily with various plot lines that intertwine. I like the viewpoints from the different characters which added depth to this novel. I felt like I was right there experiencing everything that was happening. There is complexity to the characters that really makes this book! I was intrigued with the ending how everything came together. These characters didn't just go on a journey but they experienced life changing events with mysteries that were hidden and truths unfolded.

[Paul Roman · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story-line of the novel is a suitable background for a misty picture of medieval cruelty, superstition and unforgiving hardness of life with a dose of heartless intrigue and only a faint glimmer of compassionate action, sympathy, and charity. The story-line is at times unbelievably improbable, but it doesn't detract – perhaps even adds - to the clarity of the gloomy picture that's viewed mostly through the lens of ordinary people. The view through the lens of high society is largely missing, but maybe I'll see it in the inevitable sequels. The opening scene of the book was painted so slowly that I nearly gave up on the book; I'm glad that I didn't and continued to glean the whole picture all the way to the surprising twist of the story-line near the end.

[Janet Denise Ross · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 STARS, ACTION, SLEEP DEMONS, CHASING A PAST

First time reader of Jean Ann Mclachlan and wonder why I have just discovered this magnificent writer since we both are fans of the medieval era. I will read more of her writings definitely the 2nd book in this Series.

Active intensity of people's souls & the sheer will of the mind of Celeste & of the spice trader moved the actions of the two & others in their surrounding orbits. This book has just a bit of romance only because Celeste is married & her husband must make a decision about her.

This is like being on a soul search or simular, definitely not anything else the reader has read. Recommend

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fascinating book , full of meticulous and interesting facts about medieval France. The picture painted was so vivid I felt as though I was there. The storyline followed Lady Celeste and Jean the peddler, the way in which their paths crossed and the consequences. I did feel it was a little slow at first but it gathered in pace as the story progressed. I was pleased to read that there will be further books about the characters. I received pre-release copy and have voluntarily reviewed it. This is my honest review.

[Patricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Is it possible to sell your sorrow to another? When her young son dies Lady Celeste is weighed down with sorrow and guilt, tinged with a touch of madness and so she sells her wedding ring hoping to free herself from fear and bad dreams. Instead of the release she seeks her life is filled with lies and half truths as she plunges into one bad decision after another..

I found the story a bit confusing in the beginning. It would have been helpful if the author had noted the time and place beginning of the story.

[LibraryNinja Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bravo! 

I really enjoyed the attention to detail in this story. Historical novels can sometimes rely too heavily on the reader's previous knowledge of the time period, but this book was full of minute details which I feel we're crucial to painting the scene. I appreciated how our modern understanding of mental health was shadowed in the background, allowing the reader to decide if Celeste's sorrow was really magically sold, or if what was happening was simply a side effect if grief. My only criticism is the story was slow in some places, but otherwise I give it a resounding, Bravo!

[Norma brewer · Rating 5 out of 5]

The lady celeste

I really enjoyed this book I read it all in one day.I enjoyed how the characters came alive on the pages.I would get angry at Celeste while I read this story.the author did a great job bringing the feelings of Celeste out of the pages.I would love to read more of her books

[Faith E Dower · Rating 5 out of 5]

Skilfully Woven Tale

Haughty Lady Celeste's secrets have driven her mad and she has taken refuge in an abbey. She convinces a traveling spice trader to buy her sorrow, manifested in a coffin nail, by bribing him with her ruby marriage ring.

This medieval mystery tells the story of the Lady's and the peddler's lives and how they became linked by a chance encounter.

[Candace Hickman · Rating 5 out of 5]

CAPTIVATING

A page turner! A journey into medieval times accompanied by rich characters, mystery, superstition and rich insights of human emotions. I was anxious to find out what lay upon each page and entwined with the story's unfolding. Thank you Jane McLachlan for sharing such a wonderful story. You deserve all the awards it may reap!

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5

I happened to have read the second book first, and then returned to read this one. I enjoyed the writing, as it truly communicated the frantic terror wrapped in the journey. I must also admit I found this ending much more to my taste. A well written series worthy of consideration when in need of a change in pace from your regular genre.

[Jane Rayburn · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Sorrow Stone is outstanding!

Wow! What a great book. I could not put this book down. The author, Jane Ann Mc Lachlan is a master of character and setting. The historical time was so interesting, I want to read more. I know one thing for sure, I have a new author on my list of books I will read. I highly recommend this book.

[Becca · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Sorrow Stone

I loved this book! McLachlan brings the Middle Ages to life in this richly woven tapestry. The mystery surrounding Celeste, the superstitions and religious ideas of the time, the powerful role of the church in daily life, the contrast between the nobility and the peasants... all converge to tell a story with a very satisfying ending.

[Denise · Rating 3 out of 5]

Medieval Fiction

Interesting book set in medieval France. The story us told by 2 characters, Celeste and Jean. Celeste is a Lady and Jean is a spice peddler. Celeste sells her sorrow to the unwitting Jean who also takes her ruby ring. Celeste can't remember what caused her sorrow and Jean faces misfortune.

[Nicholas Finch · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was remarkably good. I wasn’t sure at first, as there was little to find attractive in any of the main players, but it grew on me as the story developed, which is a sign of excellent character progression through the journey of the tale.

Nicely done, and with some very interesting lines that I highlighted along the way.

Very thoughtful, dramatic, and well-considered.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a well researched book that kept my interest in the story, it deals with superstition in a time that a lot could happen in southern part of France in the medieval period , also what grief caused this lady to do . I received a copy of this book and am voluntarily choosing to review it.