A Heart of Stone

This terrifying, bone-chilling novel does not depend on mere events, no matter how horrific, for its stunning effects. Dorrestein is much too clever a writer for that. Instead, she recreates with great psychological astuteness the inner workings of main character Ellen Van Bemmel's mind, revealing her memories from the age of twelve to adulthood in a seemingly random sequence, as Ellen allows herself first to remember, and later accept, the unimaginable trauma she has experienced as a child. This trauma is made even more dramatic for the reader because it contrasts so starkly with lovely vignettes of the large, happy family we admire and feel part of in the beginning of the book. Ellen's siblings--sister Billie, brother Kester, and Michael, nicknamed Carlos-- are in every way delightful, normal children, experiencing the same joys and humorous adventures that most readers will have experienced, with parents who are so in love they can hardly keep their hands off each other. It is easy to admire, and even envy, such a family. And then the idyll abruptly ends, and we don't know exactly how or why. Slowly, inexorably, details are revealed which put Ellen's current life into perspective. A 37-year-old single woman, recently divorced and pregnant as a result of a brief encounter, Ellen has purchased the house where disaster long ago struck her family, and there she awaits the birth of her baby and thinks about the past. Dorrestein is the consummate literary juggler here as she throws Ellen's innumerable memories, partial memories, and suspicions into the air of her story and manages to keep them all suspended until the heart-stopping, breath-taking conclusion. I'm sure many readers will feel compelled to keep reading this book well into the night--the agony of finding out the details so slowly is more than some of us are willing to bear. A most delicious horror story, especially memorable because Ellen seems so like ourselves. Mary Whipple

I have to admit that I was surprised by how much I _enjoyed_ this book. Ellen is certainly one of the richly textured main characters I can remember in recent fiction-- she never gives in to tragedy or melodrama, even as her mother descends into insanity following the birth of their family's youngest child. Each of the Van Bemmel children is given ample description and personality to make their loss all the more heart-wrenching.This is one of those suspenseful books that starts in the aftermath and then takes the reader back through the events, leaving them to figure out why things happened the way they did. Dealing with insanity is a tough, tough job, but Dorrestein gives a chilling description of the mother's hallucinatory ravings about demonic possession, as well as an intimate picture of her husband's confusion at what is happening in his warm, close-knit family. Ellen, now in her thirties as she narrates, has trouble dealing with intimacy, as well as conflicting feelings about her own pregnancy, and as she slowly reveals her past like peeling the layers off an onion, one can hardly be surprised at her conflicted emotions.Reading this book was something akin to driving past a car accident: I was horrified, but compelled to look. This book will haunt you long after you're finished.

How often do we find a tale of suspense which warms our hearts and brings a smile to our face all at once?A Heart of Stone has proved to be a fabulous read. We see the tragic tale of a loving family of seven from the viewpoint of Ellen, the third child and also the 'cement', of the family.We are thrown back and forth in the story; we see bits and pieces of Ellen's life as we go along and very slowly, the puzzle starts to take form.We realize that Ellen is not all laughter and joy as her story unfolds. She has a morbid skeleton in the closet which she took more than 2 decades to find out, and she is here to share her discovery with us.I couldn't help but stay up late to read this book. The tale simply draws you in; the humour amidst the chaos keeps you wanting more. The story brought a smile to my face, even though Ellen didn't deserve all that she went through.Love it. Read it.

I bought this book on a whim, and was absolutely gripped by it. Could NOT put it down. Had to miss a whole day at work. And it was absolutely worth it. The gripping tragedy Ellen struggles with is never forced upon the reader, it is never obvious, and best of all, there is not a trace of sappyness in this book. Even though the story is certainly not ordinary, I was suprised by how closely I could se elements of myself and my family in this book. The author made me care for all the characters, and I was able to identify with Ellen, the narrator.Just a beautiful book. So well written. I cannot remember the last time I have read such a seamless book. Renate Dorrestein slips so effortlessly between the past and the present, in such an intimate way, that I felt she was sitting right next to me, relating her extraordinary tale. And I did not want her to stop, even not when it was time to go to work.Do yourself a favor. Shell out the money and buy the book. You will not regret it.