Responses to Paper Stones

The other day, something happened that sent me spiraling in familiar, dangerous directions. Pulling myself out of it took my husband pointing out that I refuse to accept that trauma is not something in my past. I'm still traumatized. So, I keep having these reactions to certain situations & why don't I make an appointment with my therapist?

While waiting for that appointment, I read Paper Stones.

One of the first things I noticed was the dialogue & dialect: it's both precise & natural. In the acknowledgments, Hill mentions that the "vernacular spoken by Rose and her friends is common in rural Ontario. It's carefully and faithfully represented in this book."

Living in rural Ontario (but not born in rural Ontario), I definitely noticed this speech. The use of "yous" & "I seen" & all those colloquial goodies. True to her word, Hill uses them accurately & seamlessly in her writing, which adds depth & complexity to her already complex characters. (Hill is a playwright so this masterful wielding of the spoken word makes sense.)

This book will be triggering for many. Paper Stones follows Rose as she tries to heal from childhood sexual abuse at the hands of her father as well as sexual abuse and violence throughout her life.

It's heavy BUT it doesn't feel oppressive. At no point did I feel like it was too much ─ and part of this is because of Rose's narration. She's the barrier between the reader & the horrific abuse. At first, she's a barrier because she doesn't know how to interpret what has happened to her: the violence is coated in her shame & guilt. But as she heals & gains insight, her overwhelming love for the people she loves serves as a counterpoint for the violence.

And how to heal when you're broken (and when you don't know you're broken) is a driving question in this book. One of the many.

Hollay

I heartily agree that the voices in this book are crucial to balancing the heavy content. You feel as if you're gaining new friends in the process of reading.

Barb

Story of survival and the journey of healing ─ Well written, page turner. While this is a dark subject of child sexual abuse, there is a lot to be learned from this book. A story about new friends and the dark past, told through the eyes of Rose. Each of the characters and their stories are well developed.

At the end of the book the author makes a note about the vernacular, I struggled with this for the first few pages, then I couldn't put the book down.

Highly recommend.

Amazon customer

Important messages concealed in this page-turner ─ I loved this novel! It's a heavy topic but it's not a dreary story. On the contrary, I could hardly put the book down: the plot totally pulled me in. It's also one I see myself rereading later. The novel has many layers: it's whimsical and fantastical but also shows the concrete steps any of us can take to work through childhood trauma. I've been raving about it to all my friends especially those who might have had trauma (even less severe) so they could read how someone can make a recovery. Thanks to Laurie Ray Hill for this book!

Allison

Riveting and wryly humorous, Paper Stones follows the heartbreaks and ultimate triumph of Rose Underhill, a survivor of childhood sexual abuse. Laurie Ray Hill's exquisite prose navigates this difficult topic with tenacious hope and unflinching attention to the profound effects of childhood experience.

Pili Palm-Leis, B.Ed., author of Globe & Mail featured Keep Up, Katmai

Paper Stones by Laurie Ray Hill is a fabulous book. A group of women who attend a small therapy group form a tight bond and it is the interplay among them that drives the narrative. Rose is desperate to end the cycle of abuse in her family. Tammy is in an abusive marriage. Josie is on a course of self-destruction. Marg is afraid to leave her home. Sally is a hoarder. These women, with all of their blemishes and strengths, are described in moving detail. The characters are so well developed that it's hard to believe they're fictional. The friendships and love that cement them are major factors both in their eventual recovery as well as in the ability of each to make healthy, life-changing decisions. Josie is the dreamer in the group, and imagines that they will one day build their own hotel where they can provide support for other vulnerable people. As the women move towards their own healing, they cling to the dream that Josie has described. This novel has much to say about women moving from a position of powerlessness to one of control but does so without minimizing the situations these characters have found themselves in. It treads lightly on its description of abuse, and injects, whenever possible, tiny moments of sweetness and grace. Hill's narrative is written with sensitivity and compassion. Highly recommended.

Lucy

This is a wonderful book. Everyone should read it.

Janet

Read Paper Stones … and oh my, what a treat! It was so good that I immediately read it a second time. Even better!

Linda

I've already given copies of this book to friends!

I love the blend of a great storyline and well drawn characters with really excellent writing. There's humour as well as difficult material, all handled very skillfully. I knew I was in good hands right from the beginning.

Marybeth

An engaging, thought provoking story!

Despite dealing with the difficult topic of domestic abuse, this was a real page-turner and good read ─ with an uplifting and hopeful ending to boot!

Cindy

A hopeful story about a dark topic ─ This book deals with the challenging subject of domestic abuse, yet is an engaging, uplifting and hopeful read. Pulls the reader in to the difficult lives faced by the different characters and has you rooting for them.

Amazon customer

A dark subject; a brilliant read. ─ I just finished reading Paper Stones. I highly recommend it.

During my reading, I cried and laughed. I was crushed by the novel's situational failures, and cheered at its storyline victories. Most importantly the book drew me into a search for the pearls of wisdom that the book clearly offered. There is not much more that I ask of a book or that I use to judge its worth.

The book is a thrilling read with lots of twists and turns. (Be aware that the subject matter is dark ─ focused on recovering from family abuse, including childhood sexual abuse.) During my reading, I gained a better perspective on the signs of these crimes, the horrible toll it takes on the individuals and families, and the steps victims can follow to try to heal. The experience left me feeling more knowledgeable, yet with a desire to learn more.

Amazon customer

Warm, accessible, human, Paper Stones is a goldmine... I could see building a whole course around this book.

Professor Andrew Buntin, Child and Youth Care Programme, George Brown College, Toronto

I just had a Zoom with my book club. We read Paper Stones.

Wow, what great discussion. We got cut off after our 3 Zoom periods and people were still trying to get more comments in. Here's some stuff they said.

  • "beautifully crafted" (everyone agreed)
  • "I agree we could build a course around it....teachers should read it, would help see a child as a whole." (Celie, social worker)
  • Lots of comments, as we were all once teachers, about insights into kids we've known and worried about. How kids don't know what to say, how to get help. Or even know what shouldn't be happening.
  • "a story to guide, report, give truth"
  • Margie, who's Jewish, thought the circle metaphor was profound, was interested in the spirituality and the many layers, and also raised the issue of intergenerational trauma.
  • Janice, kindergarten teacher, picked up on the fairy tale elements.
  • "So Lee Anne, on behalf of all of us, thanks so much for introducing us to Laurie Ray Hill and her compelling book Paper Stones. A complex, multilayered and insightful book …"
  • Someone used the word "genius" and everyone agreed.
  • They thought it should get more exposure, like on Shelagh Rogers's CBC programme.

And a whole lot more. Never seen the group of them get so excited about one of our reads.

Lee Anne

Everyone should read Paper Stones.

Marilyn

Can't think of many other books that are so empowering for women, a real force for good.

Barbara

Well written ─ Received this book as a Christmas gift from a great friend. Very well written and thoroughly enjoyed this book. Kept me turning the pages, anxious to follow Rose through her challenges and victories through some tough subject matter. Tasteful and thought-provoking. A pleasure to read.

Kimber

Deep subject, endearing characters. ─ Honestly I wasn't sure what to expect when I first picked up this book, but at chapter 3 I was all in and finished it in 4 days. I found myself aching, hurting for the characters and also cheering for them. I also found myself holding my breath while I was reading. Definitely a deep subject, but so well told and researched. Thank you to the author for bringing this serious subject out with such remarkable story lines.

Amazon customer

I have just finished your brave and heartfelt work of art, and will get more copies to send to my daughters … Thank you for building such formidable literary skills and powering through this horrifying part of the human world.

Gerald

I loved Paper Stones … absolutely loved it. Feel that I grew and expanded during the reading of it and through meeting its characters and witnessing their struggles and growth. It's a gem of a book and I hope it reaches a good number of people.

Veronica

Great book!! ─ I read this book cover to cover in just under a week. I truly enjoyed every page. This book came recommended and I'm not normally a reader. Enjoyed all the characters and how the author brought each of them to life. You can relate to the characters and the situations they find themselves in. Really makes you think about all those that are suffering at the hands of abusers.

This would be a great gift for anyone that needs support.

Carole

Laurie Ray Hill - Novelist & Playwright
All rights reserved 2020
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