I received a review copy of Stone in the Crick by email recently. It is authored by Emmy-nominated writer Granville Wyche Burgess of Greenwich, Connecticut.
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| Photos: www.granvilleburgess.com |
Stone in the Crick, is a tale of mystery, romance, intrigue, and danger set against the backdrop of a traditional Amish community. According to the email, Burgess was inspired by his own marriage to an Amish-Mennonite wife.
I have not read the novel but I loved the cover. It’s refreshing to look at. This is what the blurb says.
“Rebecca Zook feels as stuck as a stone in her family farm’s crick. On the surface, the twenty-two-year-old Amish woman seems happy enough. A talented quilt-maker, Rebecca is engaged to Jacob, an honest, God-fearing man with a successful farm of his own. Jacob would make most young women proud to be his fiancée, but Rebecca remains restless and unsure. Whether she’s performing her chores or working at Mrs. Ansbacher’s quilt shop, Rebecca finds herself resisting the Amish way of life despite her love for her family and her culture. Even her quilting seems at odds with her heritage. Rebecca yearns to be an artist and knows self-expression is vital for true art, but the Amish feel any act that draws attention to the individual can lead to the sin of pride, so artistic expression is viewed with suspicion.
“Then good-looking Englisher Gregory Pinckney comes to the county, searching for the birth mother he never knew. Despite their differences, Rebecca and Gregory find a common bond in their love of horses, especially Gregory’s horse, Bojangles. As their friendship grows, Rebecca’s heart is torn in yet another direction.
“Rebecca has competition though, when Wanda, the beautiful daughter of dissolute horse-farm owner Ivan Heminger, sets her sights on Gregory. Then Rebecca’s old boyfriend reappears, and her heart is torn in many directions. When an insurance scam almost kills Bojangles, events are set in motion that will test Rebecca’s faith and her family’s future. Is Gregory’s life in danger? Must the farm be sold? And does Rebecca dare follow her heart, or is she destined to remain a Stone in the Crick?”
Of the novel, Elizabeth Oberbeck, author of The Dressmaker, has said: “Burgess weaves a page-turner tale of intrigue and romance. A skillful, colorful, witty novel, full of humor and intelligence, with memorable, well-rounded characters who feel life-like enough to hug. Burgess has treated us to a rare glimpse inside the rich and complex community life of the Pennsylvania Dutch Amish.”
“Rebecca Zook feels as stuck as a stone in her family farm’s crick. On the surface, the twenty-two-year-old Amish woman seems happy enough. A talented quilt-maker, Rebecca is engaged to Jacob, an honest, God-fearing man with a successful farm of his own. Jacob would make most young women proud to be his fiancée, but Rebecca remains restless and unsure. Whether she’s performing her chores or working at Mrs. Ansbacher’s quilt shop, Rebecca finds herself resisting the Amish way of life despite her love for her family and her culture. Even her quilting seems at odds with her heritage. Rebecca yearns to be an artist and knows self-expression is vital for true art, but the Amish feel any act that draws attention to the individual can lead to the sin of pride, so artistic expression is viewed with suspicion.
“Then good-looking Englisher Gregory Pinckney comes to the county, searching for the birth mother he never knew. Despite their differences, Rebecca and Gregory find a common bond in their love of horses, especially Gregory’s horse, Bojangles. As their friendship grows, Rebecca’s heart is torn in yet another direction.
“Rebecca has competition though, when Wanda, the beautiful daughter of dissolute horse-farm owner Ivan Heminger, sets her sights on Gregory. Then Rebecca’s old boyfriend reappears, and her heart is torn in many directions. When an insurance scam almost kills Bojangles, events are set in motion that will test Rebecca’s faith and her family’s future. Is Gregory’s life in danger? Must the farm be sold? And does Rebecca dare follow her heart, or is she destined to remain a Stone in the Crick?”
Of the novel, Elizabeth Oberbeck, author of The Dressmaker, has said: “Burgess weaves a page-turner tale of intrigue and romance. A skillful, colorful, witty novel, full of humor and intelligence, with memorable, well-rounded characters who feel life-like enough to hug. Burgess has treated us to a rare glimpse inside the rich and complex community life of the Pennsylvania Dutch Amish.”
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| The author |
Granville Wyche Burgess is a playwright, lyricist, novelist, director, actor, producer, and teacher, and also co-founder and chief executive officer of Quill Entertainment Company, a nonprofit dedicated to creating and producing original history musicals. He is the author of two screenplays, a novel about Shoeless Joe Jackson, and a children’s book. He has produced, directed, or acted in over fifty musicals and plays.
The 262-page novel is published by Honey Brook Publishers. You can learn more about the author at his website and buy the book at Amazon.
The 262-page novel is published by Honey Brook Publishers. You can learn more about the author at his website and buy the book at Amazon.
Thanks for makibng the introductions Prashant - sound well worth keeping an eye out for.
ReplyDeleteSergio, you're welcome. I hope to read the book in early 2015.
DeleteNew to me. And thank you for bringing it to our attention. And let me add that, as the year closes out, I've really enjoyed your well researched and written reviews. Its been a pleasure stopping by.
ReplyDeleteDavid, thank you very much for the kind words — much appreciated. It has been an genuine pleasure reading your blog.
DeleteIs an interesting cover. There's almost a small cottage industry in Amish related books and TV
ReplyDeleteCharles, it's the kind of cover I'd love to paint on a broad canvas. I don't know much about the Amish community.
DeleteSounds very interesting, Prashant. I find the Amish culture interesting. I hope you read it and review it soon.
ReplyDeleteTracy, I'm hoping to read (and review) the book in the early part of the new year. It'll give me a chance to learn more about the Amish culture.
DeleteI'd probably find this interesting and I do need to widen my reading horizons somewhat, Saying that, I do have a huge list of crime fiction I want to get through this holiday break!
ReplyDeleteRebecca, I widen my horizons with almost every book I read though I have fallen way behind on my reading of nonfiction, particularly political history that I like reading.
DeleteI'll wait and see what you think, but my initial thoughts are probably not for me. I hope you enjoy it and make me reconsider.
ReplyDeleteCol, I hope to read this novel sometime during the first quarter of 2015. I have heard but know little about the Amish community.
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