The Blessing Stone Reviewed
 

Bookreporter: 

Early in our world's life, a meteor crashed into the Earth's surface leaving mass destruction in its wake. Buried among the mastodon and mammoth fossils was an enchanting stone that would be uncovered only after centuries of wind and rain. Possessed by dozens of women throughout time, the stone embodied a unique power for each of its guardians. Some believed it to give them extrasensory abilities, others imagined it contained the soul of their religious icon.

Considered responsible for the successes and failures of whoever held it, the stone was involved in many of the turning points in history. One of the most captivating aspects of THE BLESSING STONE is the accuracy of the depictions of these events. Barbara Wood has done an admirable job of telling this inconceivable tale in a believable way. From her stunning descriptions of an ancient city with unlimited wealth to her agonizing portrayal of a starving nomadic clan in Africa, Wood inundates the reader with tremendous imagery.

The story of the blessing stone is more than just a tale about a precious gem. It is also the story of the development of civilization, the changes in organized religion and the evolution of women's roles in society. Through each character's tragedies and triumphs, the story of the blessing stone unfolds and a new chapter in history is written.

As the stone is passed from hand to hand and travels from country to country, Wood masterfully weaves a legend destined to make THE BLESSING STONE a bestseller. Rarely does an author manage to combine so many vignettes into one book of such excellence.

--- Reviewed by Melissa Brown

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Library Journal: 

In her latest book, Wood, who is well known for her epic novels (The Prophetess), chronicles human development by following the passage of a precious stone throughout history. The stone, a striking blue meteorite that fell to Earth three millions years ago, is first found by early humans in Africa when they are just learning to plan for the future. They attribute their new understanding to the discovery of the stone.

Thus begins the legend of the stone as it passes through history from Ancient Israel, to Imperial Rome, to Medieval England, to the colonial Caribbean and finally the American West. In each episode, the individuals who come into contact with the stone are captivated by its beauty, influenced by the powers instilled in it, and often involved in significant human cultural developments. In each era, Wood creates genuine, engaging characters whose stories are fascinating although a bit uneven in the latter episodes. This novel should earn Wood the larger audience in the United States that she deserves. Recommended for all public libraries. Karen T. Bilton, Somerset Cty. Lib., Bridgewater, NJ
 

Publisher's Weekly:

Wood (Perfect Harmony) pulls off an unlikely feat with this sweeping epic about the history of humanity, from the first Homo sapiens to 20th-century Californians. At the novel's center is a blue crystal, a fragment from a meteorite that fell to earth some three million years ago. The crystal is first discovered by a girl on the African plain 100,000 years ago; when the "water stone" seems to save her mother from illness, the girl's stature in her community changes and so does the fate of her descendants.

As the crystal is passed down through the generations, Wood crafts vivid sketches of ordinary women who triumph over a prescribed destiny. A Roman noblewoman disobeys her husband and finds her own salvation; an 11th-century English prioress struggles against an abbot to save her monastery; a girl from a 16th-century German hamlet heads to the Near East to find her father and becomes part of the sultan's harem; a plantation wife in 18th-century Martinique saves her estate from marauding pirates. At last sighting, the blue stone is "in a place called Woodstock, wired into the handle of a marijuana roach clip owned by a hippy [sic] named Argyle." Some stories are predictable, but Wood packs them with historical details that should keep readers interested. ("When her brothers came to visit, they greeted her, as all Roman male relatives greeted their kinswoman, by kissing her on both cheeks. This was not a gesture of affection, but rather a covert way to detect wine on a woman's breath"). (Jan.)
 

Booklist:

Wood's subject is nothing less than the history of the entire world, from 3 million years ago to the present. She recounts the stories of seven individuals at different points in history, beginning with a protohuman 100,000 years ago in Africa and ending with a traveler on the Oregon Trail in 1848. The unifying factor is the stone of the book's title, a brilliant blue crystal onto which its owners project their own beliefs and hopes.

To Laliari and the Middle Eastern Gazelle Clan, the stone represents fertility; to the ancient Roman Lady Amelia, it represents her newfound Christian faith; to Brigitte, it represents passion and provides her the strength to save her eighteenth-century Martinique plantation from pirates. The seven stories are complete by themselves but linked by "Interim" sections describing how the stone changes hands over the years. Interest in the book hinges on how fascinated the reader is in imagining how ancient people survived harsh circumstances. All in all, an absorbing adventure tale.  Beth Leistensnider Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
 

THE BLESSING STONE
By Barbara Wood
St Martin's Press (464 pp)
$25.95/$35.95 Can.
January 15, 2003
ISBN: 0-312-27534-X