The Sleeping Stones
The Sleepers are hungry and the sea is waiting…
Gruff loves his life on the farm which has been in his family for generations, but times are hard and the family is struggling to stay on the small Welsh island. When the ‘New Neighbours’ move in to what used to be the blacksmith’s cottage, Gruff tries not to resent them and be friendly towards Mat- or Matylda- who has moved there with her family. Mat finds herself inexplicably drawn to the Sleepers, six dark stones leading out from the beach into the sea, ‘like the stepping sones of giants’. But as more and more islanders find themselves being drawn by the lure of the stones, Mat and Gruff must work together to solve the mystery of the Sleeping Stones and save the island community.
Full of rich descriptions of life on the Welsh island, ‘The Sleeping Stones’ is full of the magic and mysticism of Welsh folklore and tradition, old songs and mythological creatures. The sense of place is further enhanced by the use of dialogue and phrases in Welsh (translated into English for non-Welsh speakers).
The story cleverly mingles the love of home and the farming tradition, the sense of belonging to a place and the devastation losing this would bring, with the mystery of the legend of the stones. Gruff is so in love with his life, his farm, his community that the reader becomes really invested in the threat of loss he is facing as they watch him struggle with the situation, doing whatever he can which he thinks will help. His anger at being kept in the dark by his father and Nain (his grandmother) make him a very relatable character as does the jealousy and resentment he feels towards Mat who is starting a new life on the island just as his might be ending.
The sense of belonging Gruff feels on the island is in stark contrast to the lack of belonging felt by Mat who was born in Poland, but who has lived in seven different places in four years. For reasons which I won’t reveal so as not to spoil the story for anyone who has not yet read it, Mat feels the pull of the sea intensely, causing Gruff to remind her that home is ‘where you choose it to be…where you choose to make it’.
Sure to inspire readers to learn more about Welsh mythology and folklore, ‘The Sleeping Stones’ is a great read!
The Sleeping Stones Beatrice Wallbank
Firefly Press ISBN: 978-1915444059