The Blessing Stone

by Barbara Wood

Millions of years ago, a meteorite fell to earth and a beautiful blue stone shattered from it. One hundred thousand years ago, a girl named Tall One found the crystal on the African plain---and it formed her destiny, as well as the destiny of generations to come. From ancient Israel to imperial Rome, medieval England, fifteenth-century Germany, the eighteenth-century Caribbean, and the nineteenth-century American West, the destiny of the stone and the history of the world unfold. Each story is full of the betrayals and obsessions of the human heart, and the quests of the human spirit. In The Blessing Stone , Barbara Wood has both told the intimate details of her characters' lives and created a sense of the epic sweep of human history.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Fantasy, Historical, Adventure, Mystery, Romance

464 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

About the author

Barbara Wood was born on 30 January 1947 in Warrington, Lancashire, England, UK. Together with her parents and older brother, she immigrated to the United States. She grew up in Southern California and attended Los Angeles Schools. After High School, Barbara attended the University of California at Santa Barbara but left to train as a surgical technician. During this time, Barbara held numerous jobs, before she sold her first novel in 1976. A few years prior, Barbara met her husband George. To date, Barbara has written 22 books, including two under the pen name Kathryn Harvey, these books are quite different from the Barbara Wood's novels and she, her agent and editor agreed that a pen name would serve to indicate the difference. She is an international best selling author with books translated into over 30 languages. The reader is transported to exotic countries that Barbara has meticulously researched to provide her fans with a true sense of the culture and history relevant to each story. At the heart of every book, is a strong, independent woman. Currently, Barbara is busy working on her next story that will, no doubt, showcase an extraordinary heroine in an exciting and intriguing adventure.
When not writing, Barbara often takes time to enjoy the work of other authors, and that of a certain well-known martial artist, whose name is listed among the "Ten things you might not know about Barbara.

Reviews

[Federico DN · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ooh Shiny!

Three million years ago an immeasurable ancient meteorite crashed on Earth. It would be around one hundred thousand years ago when the beautiful blue gem inside it was finally found by Tall One, its first owner, and one of the very first proto-humans. The precious stone changing many hands since, from Middle East 35.000 BC, Jordan 10.000 BC, Rome 64 AC, England 1022, Germany 1520, Caribbean 1720, Wild West 1848, to the present. The story of a gemstone that changed many lives, and sometimes even the course of history itself.

This was a mostly ok 2.5+ read. Good enough to pass the time, but not specially remarkable. The novel is divided into eight ‘books’, one for each storyline and characters. Massive scope. My favorites were Tall One from Book 1 and the albino Prince from Book #. Some storylines were good, others not so much. The only reason I bought this back in the day was because I found it very cheap in a used book store, and it had many many pages. Excellent cost per page ratio, you know? My priorities for choosing books are very different today. I don’t regret reading it, but I can't really recommend it.

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PERSONAL NOTE :
[2002] [464p] [Historical] [2.5] [Not Recommendable]
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¡Uy cómo brilla!

Hace tres millones de años un inconmensurablemente antiguo meteorito se estrelló en la Tierra. Serían alrededor de cien mil años atrás hasta que la hermosa gema azul dentro de ella fuera finalmente encontrada por Espigada, su primera dueña, y una de las primeras proto-humanas. La piedra preciosa cambió de manos muchas veces desde entonces, desde Oriente Próximo 35.000 AC, Jordán 10.000 AC, Roma 64 DC, Inglaterra 1022, Alemania 1520, Caribe 1720, Lejano Oeste 1848, hasta el presente. La historia de una gema que cambió muchas vidas, y a veces hasta el curso mismo de la historia.

Esto fue una lectura 2.5+ mayormente ok. Lo suficientemente buena para pasar el rato, pero no especialmente destacable. La novela se divide en ocho ‘libros’, uno para cada línea de tiempo y sus personajes. Masivo alcance. Mis favoritos fueron Espigada del Libro 1 y el Príncipe albino del Libro #. Algunas tramas estuvieron bien, otras no tanto. La única razón que lo compré en su día fue porque lo encontré muy barato en una librería de usados, y tenía muchísimas páginas. Excelente relación costo por página ¿saben? Mis prioridades para elegir libros son muy distintas el día de hoy. No me arrepiento de leerlo, pero no puedo recomendarlo.

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NOTA PERSONAL :
[2002] [464p] [Histórica] [2.5] [No Recomendable]
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[GoldenjoyBazyll · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ever stand outside of an old house and wonder if this building could talk I bet it would have amazing stories to tell? Well, this book is sort of like that. I loved traveling through time with this very special stone. If you love a good jorney mixed with adventure and have a preference for the magical..... U will enjoy this read. I did!

[Emiliya Bozhilova · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bulgarian review first, followed by the English translation below



По-хубаво от една интересно разказана история са осем интересно разказани истории, всички те с обща предистория отпреди 3 милиона години, когато земята още не е била населена от хора.

За вселената това е кратко време, и в един космически промеждутък метеор, паднал нейде в днешна Африка, прави химическа реакция с околните минерали, и така се ражда благославящият камък - тъмносин къс със сърцевина с мъглявина от диамантен прах, и основен герой.

Човечеството тепърва поема по своя път, и първата собственичка е ранен представител на новия вид Homo Sapiens. Следва каменната ера и среща с неандерталците. В плодородния полумесец на днешния Близък Изток в третата история се раждат първите опитомени култури и животни, както и първите постоянни човешки селища, а едно момче изминава своята праисторическа одисея. Следват хилядолетия, а Рим на Нерон и синият камък раждат една неочаквана светица. Възрастна игуменка в средновековна Англия се чуди как да опази умиращия си приорат. Млада германка от времето на реформацията потегля на много дълъг път, напомнящ някоя от леките версии на приказките на братя Грим. Разглезена французойка от Мартиника от 18 век се среща с пирати. Двама млади американци поемат с керван към дивия запад от 19 век, за да се озоват пред най-голямото изпитание в живота си. Всички те вярват в специалните способности на камъка, без да осъзнават, че той е катализаторът им да открият някои (понякога неприятни) истини за себе си.

Барбара Уд умее да изгражда атмосфера за съответната епоха и да увлече в историята, без да претендира за нещо повече от качествено разлечение. Епохите са проучени в достатъчен детайл (като например, че сиропът за бебета през 19-ти век съдържа равни части морфин и алкохол). Не всички истории са еднакво силни, а една е чиста приказка (и много ми допадна). Но пътешествието от зората на човечеството до малко магазинче за карти таро определено се е получило доста приятно. И могат да се напишат още доста истории.

3,5 звезди

What is better than one interestingly told story? Eight interestingly told stories, all sharing a common backstory from 3 million years ago, when the Earth was not yet inhabited by humans.

For the universe, this is a short time. In a cosmic flash, a meteor that fell somewhere in modern-day Africa undergoes a chemical reaction with the surrounding minerals, and thus the blessing stone is born — a dark blue piece with a core made of diamond dust nebula, acting as the main character.

Humanity is just beginning its journey, and the first owner is an early representative of the new species, Homo Sapiens. The Stone Age follows, along with an encounter with the Neanderthals. In the Fertile Crescent of today's Middle East, the third story sees the birth of the first domesticated crops and animals, as well as the first permanent human settlements, while a young boy embarks on his prehistoric odyssey. Millennia pass, and the Rome of Nero alongside the blue stone give rise to an unexpected saint. An elderly abbess in medieval England wonders how to protect her dying priory. A young German woman from the time of the Reformation sets out on a very long journey, reminiscent of one of the lighter versions of the Brothers Grimm fairy tales. A spoiled 18th-century Frenchwoman from Martinique encounters pirates. Two young Americans head west with a wagon train in the 19th century, only to face the greatest challenge of their lives. All of them believe in the special powers of the stone, without realizing that it merely serves as a catalyst for them to discover certain (sometimes unpleasant) truths about themselves.

Barbara Wood knows how to build an atmosphere for each respective era and draw you into the story, without claiming to be anything more than high-quality entertainment. The epochs are researched in sufficient detail (such as the fact that baby syrup in the 19th century contained equal parts morphine and alcohol). Not all stories are equally strong, and one is a pure fairy tale (which I liked very much). However, the journey from the dawn of humanity to a small tarot card shop turned out to be quite pleasant. And many more stories could still be written.

3.5 stars

[Anastasia Kallah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having, against all good advise, judged this book by its cover, I was entirely unprepared for what I found inside The Blessing Stone. Mistakenly, I believed the book to be just another pretty face; a book that would look attractive on the shelf until I'd had my wicked way with it and disposed of its tawdry remains.

From the turning of the first page until the last, this book OWNED me. I was spellbound, throughout.

Barbara Wood's ability to seamlessly chronicle the evolution of human thought and conscious awareness combined with the unfolding of doctrine of early religion is cultivated in a style that is both palatable and captivating. The mystique of feminine power is a constant theme in this book, which reads almost as a collection of short stories connected by a beautiful blue stone borne from within a meteorite when it shattered upon the earth millions of years ago. The stone is regarded across the ages to be a sacred object of great power and highly desired for the the purpose of maintaining dominance and acts as a catalyst for impossible accomplishments throughout the span of history, and finally, ending in modern times.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

A novel of massive scope, following the journey of a piece of smooth, blue meteorite and those who temporarily possess it from the proto-human Tall One to a traveler on the Oregon Trail. In each story, the stone has a lesson to teach as humanity progresses. Much historical data is imparted while still reading like compelling fiction. Each protagonist is fully drawn and a genuine representative of his or her era. While I most enjoyed the story of Katharina and her journey, beginning in 1520, from Germany to Asia, there are no portions of the book that I would say I did not enjoy. It was also stunning to me how recently humanity had no concept of fatherhood, or the connection between the sex act and pregnancy. I found it so hard to believe that I actually had to look it up! I'm always impressed by fiction that both entertains and enlightens, and this book delivered both in spades!

[Emileigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

My new favorite book.

[Enikő · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a reread after almost ten years, and I must say I liked the book even better the second time around, although my favourite stories have changed. Go figure. I've grown.

This time around, I think I liked Avram's story best, although the whole book made a better impression than when I first read it. Perhaps because I read it in the afternoons instead of binge-reading through late nights, where many details may have escaped my fatigued brain.

I am keeping the three star rating, but it is a stronger three stars.
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My previous review, from 2013:

I really did like this book very much, but it wasn't "the book for me" in the sense that I didn't like the shifts in time that took place between the various stories (Book One, Book Two, etc.) because I felt cut off from the characters I was just getting to know. Essentially, this book is like a lot of mini-novels combined. There were a few characters I would have stayed with for a little while longer.

Barbara Wood does write her stories well. I especially like Book One, about Tall One and her tribe, as well as the story with the albino prince. The Blessing Stone is present in each of the tales, though not always called by that name, and means different things to the characters at each point in time, giving humanity a solid accessory through which to make intellectual and ideological leaps ahead.

An interesting read.

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book arrived to my attention at the perfect moment. I was already in the depths of a Roman history self study, Netflixing as many documentaries on ancient Rome that I could find. How surprised I was to read a section on Roman life in Barbara Wood's "Blessing Stone." Now I'm finished gobbling up the Roman times, I am moving on to early civilization, thanks to this book perking my interest.

Most amazing to me is Ms. Wood's historical accuracy. She nails it. I really am a closeted history buff and this book gave me an excellent fix. From Neanderthals to emigrants moving westward in the California gold rush, I learned a lot more than I knew before this book. So interesting. I vaguely knew that international slave trading goes on frequently in the present world I live, but I was surprised that it's nothing new. In elementary school, a white person guilt emerged after I learned about the African slaves who were kidnapped from their homeland. I really thought Americans invented this. Not so. It's been a prevalent part of human experience since the beginning. And "The Blessing Stone" presents it in a way that allowed me to safely become part of the action.

Barbara's storytelling ability drew me in every time. There are eight snapshots in history all with differently defined tones, themes, and plots with the blessing stone as the common thread. Characters who came upon the stone saw different visions in its center, visions that fundamentally changed them and the choices they made. The reader soon realizes the blessing stone is not so much prophetic as it is reflective of the inner growth of the person holding it. This type plot may lend itself to formulaic patterns and predictable outcomes, but not with "The Blessing Stone." I never, ever knew what was to come. Partially because I didn't know the historical context and partially because Barbara Wood is a masterful storyteller, truly.

Although each story changes in ways mentioned, I did find a main theme throughout that may be more reflective of who I am right now than it is purposeful. The women in this book possess a great inner power and strength, all containing attributes of the goddess realized. It is my deepest core belief that women contain the values, knowledge, and guidance with which to orchestrate earthly civilized living. Women, when in their goddess state, have well tuned diplomacy skills, communication brilliance, and a gentle nurturance allowing those around them to ground and stabilize. It's hard to maintain this goddess state when the imbalance of aggressive male energy dominates the waves, but when we goddesses shine, we are brilliant and everyone takes notice. Ms. Wood's characters and vision validate my core belief. So refreshing!

Great book and the first of Barbara Wood's I've read. I will be putting more of her literature on my "to-read" list!

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Millions of years ago, a meteorite fell to earth and shattered, revealing a beautiful blue stone. One hundred thousand years ago, a girl named Tall One found the crystal on the African plain, and it formed her destiny--as well as the destiny of generations to come. From ancient Israel to Imperial Rome, medieval England to 15th Century Germany and so on to the present, the destiny of the stone and the history of the world unfold. The Blessing Stone tells the details of the characters' lives and creates a sense of the epic sweep of human history. Barbara Wood captured my imagination and kept me inthralled. I want to read more of her books!

[Alexandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great book! This book contains so many stories within, not just one, and they are all very intriging(spell?)! I couldnt stop thinking about most of the characters and definatly didnt want to put it down....one of those ones!

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is has so much detail, I can’t imagine how much research the author must have done. There are many small details (especially in the first half) that are straight out of an archaeology report about how ancient people may have lived. Seriously incredible. And the story telling is so captivating, I was never sure what twists and turns would happen next. The characters went on epic adventures I couldn’t put it down until I found out what happened to them.

[María Belén Chico Quintana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Me hizo llorar, reír, un cúmulo de sentimientos que hace que te pongas en la piel del personaje, sea cual sea, y de la época que sea... me encantó!

[Boni · Rating 3 out of 5]

First off, I loved all the travel and loved all the history. This was an interesting walk through history of different parts of the world, starting with the meteor strike that killed the dinosaurs in the Uldavi Gorge… then quickly to

Book 1 - 100,000 years ago in Africa. the Tall One and her tribe of Neanderthals. Interesting theory on how the commune lived, learning about their own society and morals and rules (obviously all unwritten, right?😂). I liked how the author, Barbara Wood, speculated about the animal rawness of their tribe’s survival, sex, birth, search for food, fear from predators, male and female roles, leadership traits and selection, etc. Ant then the fast forward 65,000 years to Book 2. The gem held magical powers of healing.

I saw that I t was quickly shaping up into 8 short stories with only a faint tie to the Blessing Stone, and sometimes a moral weakly linked to the stone (but ya gotta dig and stretch to draw the connection.)

Book 2 - 35,000 years ago in the Middle East. This was very boring, focused on superstitions, I think… evolving out of that to agrarian goals of praying for rain. So I speed read this one. After the first 2 chapters, I realized these are independent stories and wanted to hit the interesting ones before I ruled this a DNF due to boredom… so I started up again with Book 8, then 4, 5, 6, 7, and finally 3, crossing fingers that I’d make it that far… sooo

Book 8 - 1848 in The American West. This tale covered the 4-month journey of about 326 people and 700 head of horses and cattle in 72 wagons, starting in Independence on the Oregon Trail, coincidentally including the independent young Miss Emmeline traveling on her own). This was a great story with lots of suspense and history and geography lessons imbued. The ending (i.e., the fate of the stone) was really good! Now I’ve gotten my fingers crossed in hopes that most of the other history stories match in intensity.

Book 4 - occurs in 64 AD in Rome. This is the story of a Roman wife with 5 kids surviving out of her 10 pregnancies, eventually being shunned by all for adultery. The author blatantly tries to manipulate the readers feelings, but doesn’t succeed, because sympathy also requires redeeming qualities. (She ended up with a few by the end.) Instead, the author relies on the woman being a victim of her times, of her culture, but that does not turn the trick for my sympathies. Judaism and the growth of Christianity… and forgiveness play a role in the plot of this story. Nice little subplot with Nero and an odd ending to the stone’s hiding till…

Book 5 - 1022 in England. This story was fairly simple, but a nice read of England and the marauding Vikings. A lot of actual history makes it way into the chapters ‘interim’ section as the author’s method to lead in to the next story… kind of like the stone being history’s Forest Gump of gemstones.

Book 6 - 1520 in Germany. This one was a long journey to the Holy Land that included German stein-making, a shipwreck, a rescue by Greek pirates, and a trip to Istanbul (Constantinople), and after so many kidnappings, loves, deaths, choices, and choices, the surprising ending in Zhandu (Xanadu?) was like a well-crafted fable. The author emphasized the value she sees in good storytelling. This Book was one of my favorites.

Book 7 - 1720 in Martinique… told a nice, shorter story of discontented marriage, fantasy love, pirates, and French life transported to the West Indies… So now near the end, finally I went back to read Storybook 3…

Book 3 - was 10,000 years ago in the Jordan River Valley. It was incredibly boring... and the speculation that this Avram discovered (for mankind) how babies were made was really far fetched and not worthy of so much of the plot. Nuff said. I went back and reread Book 2, and… again with the superstitions of ancient tribes misunderstanding nature in a Beverly Hills Clampets way… discovering wine, and hangovers, and funerals too… and beer! Lots of discoveries.

In summary, this book had some good chapters and some not so good… a nice epic romp through history with insights into cultures and lifestyles of each era of the given ‘Book’.

[Georgette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once upon a time, in the earliest of time as a matter of fact, a meteor fell to the earth. It contained a beautiful blue stone which was picked up on the African plains by a primitive human girl called Tall One (named for obvious reasons). [return][return]The stone granted her certain power over her tribe, and gave her the push she needed into following her instincts, thus setting into motion the evolution of the human race.[return][return]Tall One passed on, as did the stone. It played a significant role in the lives of various individuals, dividing this novel into eight stories linked by the one blue stone.[return][return]In the first three stories, women are still revered for their powers of being able to give birth. This changed rapidly as civilisation evolved. In the fourth story, a Roman officer presents it to his wife as his version of a scarlet letter. He forces her to wear it out and would tell everyone the story behind it - it was worn by an Egyptian queen who was put to death for adultery. [return][return]Amelia suffers this in silence. When her Jew friend Rachel invites her to join her home church, Amelia learns about Jesus the Jew who was crucified 30 years ago. She came to forgive her husband and make the best of her situation. But Cornelius is not a man to be denied the pleasure of tormenting his wife. [return][return]Amelia dies and is canonised as a saint. Her remains came into the possession of a church in England several centuries later, resting under the roof of the chapel of St. Amelia.[return][return]The focus moves on to Mother Winifred, the prioress of St. Amelia. The chapel is home to the scriptorium where illuminations are added to text. Winifred wants nothing more than to paint the altarpiece to honour St. Amelia but Father Abbot will not hear of it. He is on a quest to close the old chapel and move the sisters to the new one where they can teach younger nuns the art before they die.[return][return]The point of conflict is established, but Winifred is on the losing end. By accident, she discovers the stone and is presented with a new problem - sell the stone for pigments that the sisters so desperately need and the church refuses to fund, or hold on to it for the time being and rely on her resourcefulness for worldly matters. It is in this manner that the blue stone saved the lives of herself and her sisters.[return][return]The stone passed through many hands and many years, and the story continues in Germany where a young peasant woman named Katherina sets off to find her father, who was on a quest to find St. Amelia s Stone.[return][return]This is probably the longest and most elaborate story, charting her journey from Germany to Jerusalem and the many obstacles that cropped up in-between. Katherina found love and lost it, was captured and sold into slavery twice, gave birth and found a place for herself in the process. [return][return]Her father did find the stone but he died before he could return to Katherina. The stone ended up in the French colony of Martinque, years after it was named the Star of Cathay. The tale here is short but surprising, and is my favourite of the lot because it shows the depth of deviousness women are capable of.[return][return]Eight epics in two sittings is the right way to a headache, which was exactly what happened to me. The Blessing Stone is a good choice for those wanting to try the author without committing to a full length single story. [return][return]Barbara Wood is my other guilty pleasure author, with a gift for engaging characters and attention to detail. It wasn t easy finding her novels here though, so good luck.[return][return](2006)

[Jenny January · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Blessing Stone is a novel containing eight vignettes surrounding a blue stone that first made its way to earth 100,000 years ago in Africa as a fragment of a blue meteorite. It breaks off and becomes smoothed and polished by the earth and is found by a woman. It chronicles the existence of the blue stone as it makes its way through thousands of years and into the hands of many people and the significance it holds for each owner of the stone. I won’t describe each book because it would take forever, but just know that each story is so incredibly imaginative and elaborate and beautiful. The stone holds a different significance for each owner but they are all interconnected to one another, and they all find inner strength and courage by possessing the stone. Each book was so incredibly amazing and Barbara Wood is such a great storyteller and I just want to read every book she has ever written. I found it very interesting that in beginning 100,000 years ago it was a matriarchal society where women were revered and look to for guidance and made into goddesses for men and women to worship and then later women were pushed aside and held down while men took over and society became very patriarchal. The existence of religion slowly became prominent and it was interesting to see how many wars and bloodshed that was caused over religion when earlier when goddesses were worshipped and woman ruled there were no wars or bloodshed. Whenever I love something so much I find it so hard to describe it in any way that is the least bit coherent, so I will just paste a description of the book from a website.

Millions of years ago, a meteorite fell to earth and shattered, revealing a beautiful blue stone. One hundred thousand years ago, a girl named Tall One found the crystal on the African plain, and it formed her destiny—as well as the destiny of generations to come. From ancient Israel to Imperial Rome, medieval England to fifteenth-century Germany, the eighteenth-century Caribbean, and the nineteenth-century American West, the destiny of the stone and the history of the world unfold. Each story is full of the betrayals and obsessions of the human heart, and the quests of the human spirit. In The Blessing Stone, Barbara Wood has both told the intimate details of her characters’ lives and created a sense of the epic sweep of human history.

[Ceren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mitoloji kitapları aradığım sahaf hediye etti bu eseri "Yurt Yayınları'nın tüm kitaplarını isteyeceksin benden, geri geldiğinde," diyerek.

Çok sürükleyici ve akılda kalıcı bir kitap. Okurken yeterince zevk almadım açıkçası ama sonradan diğer mitoloji ve tarih kitaplarına göz attıkça, insanlık tarihini bir taşın üstünden nasıl kurguladığına hayran kaldım yazarın.

Her bölümün hem birbirlerinden çok farklı zamanlarda geçmesi hem de birbirlerine bağlı olması ayrı hoşuma gitti. Önceki bölümün bir kısmını yanlışlıkla hayal aleminde okursanız o güzel, ince bağlantıyı kaçırabilirsiniz, bu nedenle hep pür dikkat okumanızda fayda var.

Bence efsane bir kitap ve insanlık tarihini daha kurgusal bir dille okumak istiyorsanız mutlaka göz atın. Ama benim gibi tarihle ilgili hiçbir şey bilmediğiniz bir zamanda elinize alırsanız bu kitabı ziyan olur.

[Emily Decobert · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Blessing Stone is a series of stories connected by a single factor, an amazing stone created by a metorite millions of years ago. It begins with a Neandthral who finds the stone in the Rift Valley of Africa and the stone travels on and on, dropping out of history for many years only to emerge in the next short story. This book crosses time and country as easily as a stone can travel in a pocket, showing up in a variety of places, each time changing the people it touches who in some way affect the next generation.

Well written and compelling, it is hard to put down as you want to see where the stone will take you next.

[Sandra Grauschopf · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this book had an intriguing premise. A long time ago, a meteorite crashed to earth. In the heat of the atmosphere, an unusual crystal was formed -- deep blue with a diamond heart. This crystal shaped both individual lives and human history, and was viewed both as a blessing and a curse.

The book is made up of loosely-connected short stories. I'm not a huge fan of short stories, but these were pretty impressive. Each was interesting in its own way. Plus, the short story format made it a quick and easy read.

I'd definitely recommend it, especially for plane or beach reading.

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

This took a little while for me to get into and I wasn't sure I was going to like it. Each period of time has new characters and situations that you become familiar with, go on adventures with and then leave behind. But when looking back at the end of the book(or from the present time through the past) you can see how they all went through similar challenges and relationships and see how the blue stone affected each in a different way.

[Cathy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Several short stories, loosely connected by the wanderings of the Blessing Stone through the ages. I liked the earlier stories, but the further on we got in history, the more boring I found the stories. Towards the end I was skimming quite a bit. I did finish, but I was pretty under-whelmed.

[Abigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is almost like a collection of short stories except they are all connected by the Blessing Stone which becomes a character itself. The stories are all interesting in their own way and Wood writes about fascinating people and times.

[Amy · Rating 1 out of 5]

A book about an inanimate object should have an awfully "likeable" object. This book was simply a collection of short stories with a common object. The last paragraph of the last story tried to tie it all together with some moralization. Decent stories, but not very good overall.

[Vivian · Rating 5 out of 5]

From how the stone was created in the beginning… thru wonderful Characters like Tall One, Laliari, avram, Lady Amelia, mother Winiferd courage, Katharina hop, Matthew master of his own destiny, the stone is many things to these characters.

[Joann · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. It was such an interesting read. It was great traveling through time.
I recommend it to everyone.

[Shelly Kotalik · Rating 5 out of 5]

A bunch of shorter stories in one all tied together by a mysterious stone. It spans the times from prehistoric man on. I really loved this book!!!

[Elizabeth]

This is one of my top ten best books I have every read. Travel with the stone through different times. It is wonderful.

[Gillis · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ik vond het een boeiend uitgangspunt: een mysterieuze kristallen steen wordt doorheen de eeuwen heen gevolgd, van in de oertijd tot de moderne tijd. Via verschillende korte verhalen over de opeenvolgende eigenaars van de steen neem je telkens een kijkje in een ander moment uit de geschiedenis.

Het begon veelbelovend: de eerste twee verhalen waren zo boeiend dat ik al begon te geloven dat deze schrijfster een blijvertje zou zijn en dat ik in de toekomst nog meer boeken van Wood zou lezen.
Helaas, vanaf het derde verhaal begon het boek mij minder en minder te interesseren en merkte ik dat ik eerder doorlas om aan een volgend verhaal te kunnen beginnen, tevergeefs hopend dat het volgende terug wat beter zou zijn.
Nochtans zijn al de verhalen inhoudelijk best wel interessant. Het lijkt echter dat de auteur tekort schiet vanaf het moment dat er i.t.t. de 'simpele' oermens uit de eerste verhalen, meer complexe en realistische personages moesten uitgewerkt worden: ik voelde totaal geen band met de personages omdat ze te weinig diepgang hadden of totaal niet realistisch overkwamen.

Spijtig, want hier had meer in kunnen zitten...

[Aisha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, I really loved this book. There was something incredibly heartwarming about it. I loved the interplay between history, journeys, and spiritual/humanistic lessons. I can see how some people might find it a tad maudlin, but I just loved it. Seeing how various historical facts were woven into the stories was a nice touch, as it helped to put a more personal view on history, fictional or not.

Wood has a skill for building and releasing tension that I will need to examine with a closer eye to improve my own writing, haha. Some of the stories were quite short, others were longer, but I found myself being drawn into everyone except maybe one. There are some real page-turning sections even though you have a feeling that all the stories will end somewhat happily. Mark of a good writer imo.

So glad I happened upon this book! It's somewhat of my own "blessing stone" in a way because I purchased it knowing nothing about Wood. It just sort of caught my attention on Amazon. I'm excited to check out more of her novels!

[Ann Listen’s · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

All over the world

I love how this book literally takes you on enduring of humanity. Way back when humans first walked the Earth a meteor king and a blue stone was found. This stone became a relic for those people and we get to hear the stories of people who possessed to the storm until current times.

What I love about this book is it's very historically driven where the author did a great job about telling what life was like in each era of time. Although the characters are made up and there are some fictional people in events created, I feel the historical accuracy of life and what people were living through and how they function was very relative.

It really makes you think about how things get passed down throughout time and how some people will value things while others will discard them.

If you are a lover of historical fiction and have a thirst for knowledge, I really think you will enjoy this book.

On a sidenote, I read this book over 20 years ago. Couldn't remember the name found it and wanted to reread it because it's stuck with me for that long.

[Boukhalfa Inal Ahmed · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dans ce livre, Barbara Wood mêle tous les genres : histoire d'amour, action, roman historique... Son livre en devient vite captivant !
Les personnages sont très humains et accessibles, rarement déroutants, toujours compréhensibles. On s'attache facilement à eux et on s'y identifie tout aussi rapidement. Les personnages sont assez universels, s'accordant avec tout le monde : c'est dommage qu'il n'y a pas un personnage plus original, avec une réelle prise de risque, il aurait alors rendu le livre totalement fascinant. Cependant, malgré l'environnement mystique et peu probable, on a réellement envie de croire à ces différents destins.
Les destins qui s'enchainent sont tous très liés les uns aux autres, mais restent très différents : La Pierre sacrée devient un livre tout en un avec une continuité pré-définie, ce qui est très agréable pour la compréhension et donne l'impression d'un livre pas comme les autres. Cet aspect en dérangera surement quelques uns : cela peut parait trop facile.