The Stone Traveler

by Kathi Oram Peterson

Sixteen-year-old Tag can’t believe he’s in this much trouble. He’s not actually a member of the gang known as the Primes — all he did was spray paint some graffiti that caught their attention. In all honesty, ever since his dad and brother left, Tag just wants to be alone. And it’s certainly not his fault that the Primes nearly beat up his goofy cousin, Ethan. But his mom is furious about these gang-related activities and insists that Tag spend the whole summer at his grandpa’s lakeside cabin, which is not Tag’s idea of a good time. So he does what any self-respecting teenager would run away. But he doesn’t get far before he encounters three strange men carrying an even stranger object — a stone that glows with radiant light as bright as a thousand sparklers. Tag doesn’t steal the stone — not exactly. He feels like he is supposed to take it. But he doesn’t expect the stone to transport him through space and time to a place he’s never seen before — a place that looks an awful lot like the ancient lands described in the Book of Mormon. And he definitely doesn’t expect to join Sabirah, the entrancing daughter of Samuel the Lamanite, on a quest to rescue her father and brother from the evil King Jacob. And he absolutely doesn’t expect to be captured by Jacob’s minions and prepared as a sacrifice to the evil idol of the city. But just as Tag faces his death, a terrible storm begins to break, and the ground cracks into jagged pieces. And he’s not sure which event will impact his life his captor’s knife coming at his body, the violent tempest sweeping the land . . . or the men who later appear, glowing even more brightly than the traveler’s stone.

Genres: Lds Fiction, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Young Adult, Church, Lds

Paperback

First published August 28, 2010

About the author

Kathi Oram Peterson is the Whitney Award winning author of TREACHEROUS LEGACY (2021 )A STRANGER WATCHES (2019), and A FAMILIAR FEAR (2018).

Kathi's heart-pounding suspense novels make readers double check door locks and sleep with a flashlight. Her YA Time Travels bring readers to historical events as if they are there. Her novels have richly-drawn characters and plots that hook readers and make setting the book down nearly impossible.

Keep connected with Kathi--and stay informed about special deals, new released, and other reader perks--by signing up for her newsletter: http://eepurl.com/cE52Y1

Visit Kathi at:
Her website http://authorkathiorampeterson.com/
Bookbub: : https://www.bookbub.com/authors/kathi...
Facebook: https://tinyurl.com/y65rlqtj
Tweeter: https://twitter.com/KathiOPeterson
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Kathi-Oram-Pet...
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Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorkathip/


Romantic Suspense:

Shifting Sands (2023)
Danger Unknown (2022)
Treacherous Legacy (2021)
A Stranger Watches (2020) Whitney winner
Bloodline (2019)
A Familiar Fear (2018) Whitney Winner
Breach of Trust (2017)
Star Struck (2016)
Deceived (2014)
Wanted (2013)
Cold Justice (2012)
River Whispers (2011)

Novella: An Angel on Main Street (2009).

YA Time Travel Novels:

Reluctant Warrior (2017)-Previously published as The Forgotten Warrior (2009)
Stripling Warrior (2017)
Guardian of the Stone (2017) Previously published asThe Stone Traveler (2010)
Chasing the Star (2017)

Stories included in other books:

A Christmas to Remember (2011)
Life Lessons from Mothers of Faith (2013)
Remembering the Joy of Christmas (2015)

Concept and Biography Books for Children:

I Want to Be a Mathematician Like Archimedes
I Want to Be a Scientist Like Thomas Edison
I Want to Be a Scientist Like Antoni Van Leeuwenhoek
I Want to Be a Scientist Like Alexander Von Humboldt
Tyrannosaurus X 1
How Did the Chicken Cross the Road
Yangshi’s Perimeter
Lightning Bells
The Beginning of Numbers

Reviews

[Mindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 1/2 stars. Great, great story, a real page turner. Couldn't put it down. Tag is a great character. Loved the switch of storytelling with him and Sabirah. The bad guys were SO bad and scary.

[Aubrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you have read the Book of Mormon, like historical fiction then this is a good read. I liked the story line, and the main female but the main character was not very good. He was supposed to be a hot-shot, stubborn teen but really he was a pushover. He was really sensitive, and a horrible actor. I thought that if the author had made him a little harder nut to crack, then the meaning of the story would be more meaningful. But over all a great read and a page turning.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kathi not only uses one of the Jaredite stones, but the three Nephites too, to transport Tag to Book of Mormon times. It is close to the crucifixion of the Savior when Samuel the Lamanite disappears and his family search for him. The great wickedness is portrayed by the character King Jacob. We also read about the great earthquakes and fires that destroy great cities. The final climax was very moving for me.

[Gail · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty interesting book - a teen accidentally ends up close to Jacobugath in the Book of Mormon and is helping the daughter of Samuel the Lamanite. Very interesting and entertaining book. Enjoyed the read.

[Julia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't usually take the time to review a book but this one was wonderful. Tag goes back to Book of Mormon times and the author take him on a wonderful adventure that is so faith promoting. This would be a great book for all ages.

[Valerie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this time travel novel about Tag who is a struggling teen in modern day making poor choices in life and with a little help from strangers, ends up in Book of Mormon times just before the coming of the Savior there.

[Autumn · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was kind of slow going at first. Reminded me a lot of the books Tennis Shoes among the Nephites. Then there was a cool twist at the end. I enjoyed this one.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was fun to bring some of the BOM names and places to life. My kids enjoyed it too.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lived this interesting time travel story of redemption... And forgiving oneself.

[Lindsey Hemara · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was ok. I nearly stopped reading it a few times. It was hard for me to keep track of all the characters in the Book of Mormon time. It ended really good though

[Mary Lou · Rating 4 out of 5]

Time travelling story to Book of Mormon times. Good lessons taught.

[Rebecca H · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the story and the characters. Also, how they were all able to develop in some way I thought. Tag's journey especially was awesome how he grew and developed.

[Sheri]

/

[Laurie · Rating 4 out of 5]

THE STONE TRAVELER
By Kathi Oram Peterson

Kathi Oram Peterson understands the challenges and triumphs of youth. In The Stone Traveler, she has not only created a troubled youth from our day, she has created a cast of enchanting characters from 34 AD Meso-America who are beset by the concerns of their own complex time. When the dubious actions of our main character, 16-year-old Tag Quincy, catapult him back two thousand years into young leader, Sabirah’s ancient land, both come to discover that dangers abound in both worlds, and that ultimately, peace for each is based on the same two important elements.

When Tag’s father and brother leave the family unexpectedly and without explanation, the changes that occur in his once-perfect world cause Tag to systematically rebel against everything he once believed in. The impact is most apparent on the outside as Tag assumes a Goth-like persona with an angry, rebellious attitude to match.

Ironically, it is on a day when he is actually trying to save his own spineless cousin from being attacked by the problematic gang recruiting Tag that his good intentions are misinterpreted, landing the full weight of his mother’s disappointment and anger on him. The result is a summer of banishment to his grandfather’s lakeside cabin for an attitude adjustment, and Tag will have none of it.

While making his escape one stormy night, Tag happens upon the cabin where three strange men take him in. In their possession is an intriguing glowing stone that entices Tag until he decides to “borrow” it. But the stone exacts its own consequence, hurtling Tag back into 19-year-old Sabirah’s violent world where he is viewed as the promised Wayfarer who will help her locate her own missing father and brother. As the two teens form an alliance, Tag’s dependence on Sabirah’s cunning and wisdom eventually diminishes as he emerges as a young man capable of far more than he ever believed.

Kathi Oram Peterson’s The Stone Traveler is a wonderful coming-of-age story that delivers a solid fantasy with beautifully-paced spiritual elements woven throughout. It’s written in first-person, through Tag’s and Sabirah’s distinctive voices. It took me a few chapters to catch the rhythm of the story, but from the middle to the end I was turning pages furiously, intrigued by unexpected plot twists and surprises at every turn. Her characterizations are distinct and endearing, and her ability to maintain their individual voices while allowing them to grow and develop, was executed masterfully.

The book raises important topics such as family unity, loyalty, integrity, faith, testimony, trust, true friendship, marriage prep, etc. Moreover, the subtle comparison between Tag and the rebels of Sabirah’s day is compelling.

Published by Covenant, The Stone Traveler will satisfy adults and youth alike, making it a wonderful family book to be shared and discussed together.

[Linda Clarke · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Stone Traveler begins in ancient America 33 AD. Sabirah is a 19-year-old Lamanite warrior who has her own army. She is respected by her men and is a great leader. She is watching and waiting for a man who is a traitor to her people. He must be stopped and she has a plan how to capture him. At this time, there is much turmoil between the believers and nonbelievers. Her followers, the men who joined her army, are believers of God and will fight for their rights.

Sabirah is described as an Amazon Warrior Woman: “flawless dark complexion; long, shiny, ebony hair hanging freely about her shoulders as if it were black water pouring over her skin; and mesmerizing doe-like eyes. A leather tunic clung to her shapely form. Hanging around her neck from a leather strap was a small jade carving of a wing-spread eagle…a white dagger beneath her waistband…a spear in one hand and a sword in the other.”

This dark-eyed beauty is a believer. Her father once told her to remain strong as an ocean wind in her beliefs. He also said the Lord would send a young wayfarer to aid her in her quest. He would be foreign to her people and she must watch for him. Who was this wayfarer?

Each chapter takes the reader back in time to ancient America and then forward to the present time. While Sabirah is defending her people, we go forward in time to AD 2015 in Idaho Falls, Idaho. Sixteen-year-old Tag is having his own troubles. Because his mother is worried about his choices in life, she sends him to his grandpa’s lakeside cabin for the summer. When he decides to run away, he meets three men carrying a stone that glows with radiant light. When Tag holds the stone in his hand, it transports him into another time and dimension…to ancient America. Before long, he meets Sabirah, the enchanting daughter of the great prophet Samuel the Lamanite. Together they try to rescue her father from the evil King Jacob, a nonbeliever who is persecuting all believers.

This story begins to build with intensity when Tag helps Sabirah, is caught, and about to be sacrificed to an idol by the nonbelievers. But that’s not all, without warning the ground rumbles and quakes…a tempest arises… gigantic whirlwinds appear…and everyone runs for safety.

The Stone Traveler grabbed me from the first page. Kathi Oram Peterson knows how to write a story with intensity and feeling. The ending is uplifting and inspirational and makes you a “Believer.”

Written by Linda Weaver Clarke, author of the new mystery series “The Adventures of John and Julia Evans.”

[Tristi · Rating 4 out of 5]

A teenage boy from our time, troubled by his childhood and seeking to shut it out through outrageous behavior. A desperate but determined girl from the past, trying to rescue her brother from a terrible fate and live up to the expectations of her father. Brought together in a miraculous way, Tag and Sabirah may hold the answers the other seeks, but first, they have to overcome their fears and become the heroes of their own story.

Tag's father and brother left, leaving Tag and his mother alone. He has very little memory of that time. All he knows is that one day, he had a father and brother. The next, he didn't, and his mother was crying all the time. As years passed, she moved on and was able to support Tag, and even began dating again. But he still carries the scars of deep emotional pain, and he shows those scars on the outside in the way he dresses and treats people.

Sabirah is the daughter of Samuel the Lamanite. She knows the words her father spoke were true, and she's fought for his cause her entire life. But as enemy factions seek to lead the believers astray and even destroy them, her mission becomes more difficult.

Step back in time with "The Stone Traveler" and visit the land of Jacobugath right before the coming of Christ to the Americas. Peterson has done a beautiful job of painting pictures in the mind's eye of the tropical forests, the unique creatures that inhabit the land, the foods created from the plants and meats available, and the clothing worn by the Book of Mormon peoples. I found myself easily visualizing the entire scene as I read.

There were a few spots where Sabirah's voice and Tag's seemed similar enough that I momentarily forgot whose head I was in, but I considered that a minor thing.

Having enjoyed Peterson's other novels, I can say that I saw growth in this author from her first book to now. Her descriptions are richer and deeper, and I believe she has done what all authors should do - continually sought to hone her craft. If every author were to expand and develop their talents from one book to the next as Peterson has done, it would be a beautiful thing for the world of literature. I did find several sentences that ended with prepositions, and, being an editor, I'm apt to notice things like that, but I'm more than willing to put that aside in my overall enjoyment of the book. Well, well done, Kathi.

[Ali Cross · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is a favorite literary device used in LDS literature--time travel to Book of Mormon times. Thing is, it's a favorite for a reason. Those lands are so rich in our scriptures that it's natural for writers to want to set stories set there.

What makes The Stone Traveler, however, is not the time traveling, but the characters.

Peterson does a great job building all the characters, particularly those from the ancient days--including Jesus, the Three Nephites. I didn't, however, love the voice of her main character, Tag. I liked TAG, but almost in spite of the writing.

BUT, there is something that Peterson does so brilliantly it skyrockets my rating of this novel from a modest "okay" to "pretty dang excellent"--and that's Tag's internal journey.

Tag is a boy who's carrying such a heavy burden, his mind has hidden it from him, to protect himself. His feelings of guilt and shame are so profound that he uses them to prove to himself and the people around him that he's not worthy of their love, forgiveness or kindness. He does a lot of damage to himself because of this misplaced shame. I won't tell you what happens, but it's a thing of beauty and I heartily congratulate Peterson for what she has done.

The Stone Traveler is a fantastic adventure story and keeps you on the edge of your seat rooting for the good guys. I'd recommend this book to LDS readers of all ages.

[Holly (2 Kids and Tired) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tag is a frustrated teenage boy rebelling in his own, quiet ways. He has unanswered questions about his past and his missing father and brother. After a misunderstanding about his behavior, he's sent to spend the summer with his grandfather and annoying cousin. A seemingly chance encounter with three men sends him off on an adventure that will change his life.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story. I couldn't wait to get back to it each time I had to set it aside. Tag is a great, likeable kid. His experiences with Sabirah and her people stretch and change him and I appreciated how he came to know who he was and his worth as a person.

I loved how Kathi brought the Book of Mormon experience to life, especially as it related to the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and his subsequent visit to the Americas as portrayed in 3rd Nephi in the Book of Mormon. Honestly, I was moved to tears at one point.

While not a sequel to Kathi's book The Forgotten Warrior, this book is part of the same series. However, all the loose ends are tied up and everything is resolved at the end of the book. The target audience is YA, but I think it appeals to adults and teens alike.

An enthralling story and one I can easily recommend.

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tag is getting in trouble left and right. Things have changed ever since his dad and brother left. He looks like a rebel, but in reality he's not doing much of anything wrong. However, when he saves his cousin from gang members, his cousin snitches on him, for things he didn't even do. Soon Tag ends up at his grandfather's home for the summer, and his cousin Ethan is there too. Tag takes off but runs into some mysterious men. When he 'borrows' a strange looking stone from them, he's suddenly back in Book of Mormon times.

At first I didn't realize this was a young adult novel, but it quickly became apparent. It took a long time for me to get into this book. It's pretty far out there, and I just felt like there was too much supernatural 'miracles' that didn't seem believable. There are some good things about trusting the inspiration you get. The whole thing with his father became apparent about halfway through, but it didn't sit well with me. I guess it's OK for teens, but I wasn't that thrilled.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read Kathi's previous Book of Mormon time-traveler story, so I knew I was going to enjoy this one, and I wasn't at all disappointed. Tag wears makeup and black clothes because he wants a little rebellion, but not enough to actually get into trouble (if you don't count his, um, efforts at giving beautiful artwork to the community, aka vandalism). He's a good kid making decisions that could easily take him somewhere he doesn't want to be. Then he re-appropriates the strange glowing stone and finds himself in another place and time.

Tag is adaptable, courageous, and a little confused, but very likable. The plot moves quickly, provides plenty of action and provides just enough historical context to keep the reader immersed in the story without feeling like the plot was contrived to show off how much research the writer did (a major irritation of mine when it comes to historical books). Instead it felt genuine and intrigued me.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was caught up in Tag’s character from the beginning. Despite the poor choices he was making, it was easy to sympathize with him, making his character very relatable. The descriptions and world-building were excellent and brought the various settings to life, whether we were in modern-day or Mesoamerica. The Stone Traveler is a compelling read with plenty of action, intrigue, and most importantly, an ending that will touch your heart.

For full review, go here:
http://ldsreaders.blogspot.com/2010/0...

[Tenille · Rating 3 out of 5]

Historic fiction/ sci fi book. I really like the historic fiction that give me glimpses of what it was really like back then... cultures, scenery, customs, how wicked the wicked really were.
This one is about a troubled teenage boy who steals a stone that takes him back in time to help samuel the lamanites daughter rescue her brother and father from the wicked king. I liked it more than I thought I would.

[Cheri · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book that teens will enjoy reading. Tag Quincy is a teenager that is headed in the wrong direction he wears a dog collar around his neck, black lipstick and black fingernail polish, his Mom can't handle him any more and sends him to his Grandpa's to live. What will happen to Tag when he finds himself back at the time in the Book of Mormon when Christ is getting ready to come?

[MaryKay · Rating 3 out of 5]

What a fun story. I wasn't sure what to expect when I started to read this book and I was pleasantly surprised. It's not completely realistic, but it's not meant to be. The spirit in it is very real and inspiring. This is the second book I've read by Ms. Peterson and both have included a youth coming to terms with a significant loss and their own faith.

[Vicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this book. It was exciting,interesting and faith affirming. I was reminded of my testimony of the Savior. It was also surprising and things happened that I did not expect. Thank you for a great read!

[Gloria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting as you put yourself in this teenagers shoes and how he goes back in time. Made me want to go and read/reread accounts of what happens in the Book of Mormon to see how it compared with the story.

[Gregory Lemon · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good example of Teen-focused LDS-Lit. The time travel to Book of Mormon times was handled well. I sometimes got lost when switching between the two first-person point of view characters. However it made the story richer as they had different experiences through their adventures.

I recommend it.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love reading these books that make the book of Mormon so much more personal. Kathi Oram Peterson Did a great job at making this book enjoyable While spiritual and introspective. I think my daughters will like this one as well.

[Lorraine · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nifty little combination of adventure, time travel, and the Book of Mormon. Very unusual for me. I loved the journey Tag makes - most significantly his inner battles and growth. I really liked this book!

[Martha · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars.