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Title: The Blessing Stone

Author: Barbara Wood

Narrator: Marion Castle

Format: Unabridged

Length: 20 hrs and 54 mins

Language: English

Release date: 06-05-17

Publisher: Cherry Hill Publishing, LLC

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 7 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Millions of years ago, a meteorite fell to earth and shattered, revealing a beautiful blue stone. One hundred thousand years ago, a girl named Tall One found the crystal on the African plain, and it formed her destiny - as well as the destiny of generations to come. From ancient Israel to Imperial Rome, medieval England to 15th-century Germany, the 18th-century Caribbean, and the 19th-century American West, the destiny of the stone and the history of the world unfold. Each story is full of the betrayals and obsessions of the human heart and the quests of the human spirit.

In The Blessing Stone, Barbara Wood has both told the intimate details of her characters' lives and created a sense of the epic sweep of human history.

Critic Reviews:

"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." (

Publishers Weekly)

"In her latest book, Wood, who is well known in Europe for her epic novels (

The Prophetess), chronicles human development by following the passage of a precious stone throughout history.... In each era, Wood creates genuine, engaging characters whose stories are fascinating although a bit uneven in the later episodes. This novel should earn Wood the larger audience in the United States that she deserves." (

Library Journal)

"Wood's subject is nothing less than the history of the entire world, from three million years ago to the present.... All in all, an absorbing adventure tale." (

Booklist)

Members Reviews:

Interesting premise for a story

I have not completed the book yet. It is interesting the way it advances the reader through history, and gives in depth mention to a few time periods on our planet, delving into a narrative that focuses on one persons' possession of the blessing stone and how its meaning is interpreted by the people who encounter it. The story is fragmented, and takes lots of liberties of course with very ancient history. It is interesting, but I just don't feel totally engaged, although I'm not sure this is just me or the author. It is pretty ambitious to cover 100,000 years of history in a few hundred pages and really keep people into the story. Looking forward to the book club discussion to see what others' impressions are.

Very absorbing journey though human history

I love historical fiction and this really quenched my thirst for it! The book is comprised of eight short stories, each taking place in a different time and place in human history, from prehistoric through to the American Pioneers journeying west in the mid 19th century. The stories were rich with details and fascinating glimpses into history. Very well written and seemingly well-researched although I have not checked many facts. Most of it seemed very realistic, in any case. I also appreciate that this book is not a romantic love story (although a couple of the stories contain very tangential love stories), as all too many historical novels turn out to be. What I particularly loved is that it gave me a little piece of many different times in history, rather than just one setting. Like eight mini-historical novels in one!

The Blessing Stone

I have to admit I expected more from this book. The idea of a precious stone connecting stories throuhg the history of mankind was most remarkable but the result did not deliver.