Publication Date: March 17, 2015 Tuscany Press
Formats: Hardcover, Paperback, Kindle
Pages: 371
Genre: Historical Fiction
Source: Publisher via Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours for an honest review
Set in the first century on the edges of the Roman Empire and the Jesus movement, Blood of a Stone is a sweeping story of murder, betrayal, love, and the search for redemption. Faced with the brutality of slavery, Demetrios confronts his master and flees by the blood of a stone. Determined to escape his past, he struggles to create a new life and a new identity with his friend and fellow escaped slave, Elazar. However, freedom has its price. Secrets cannot remain secret forever. A chance for love is lost. Elazar betrays Demetrios to a so-called prophet named Jesus of Nazareth. Fearing the Roman authorities and Jesus, Demetrios risks everything to silence those who would enslave him again. His quest leads him to startling discoveries and dire choices. Demetrios must answer the question we all ask: Can we ever be free of our past?
Praise for Blood of a Stone
"Blood of a Stone takes the reader on an adventure in a fascinating period of history where the Roman Empire and the birth of Christianity converge. An extremely well written historical novel." -Amazon Best Selling Author of The Olivia Series, Yael Politis"Jeanne Gassman has composed a spiritual journey of one man's heart-rending path to redemption on the fringe of the Jesus movement. Wrapped in polished prose and vivid depictions of life in 1st Century Palestine, Gassman's story transcends genres to offer a rich biblical tale of love, loss, forgiveness, and the restorative power of faith." -Barbara Devlin, Bestselling Author of the Brethren of the Coast series
"BLOOD OF A STONE by Jeanne Gassman is an enthralling, introspective historical tale that studies the human spirit in all its various forms: the good, the bad, the ugly and the beautiful. The novel is touching, wonderfully written and has a stunning story line that will stay with me for a long time. Highly recommend!" -Eliza Knight, USA Today Bestselling Author, My Lady Viper
"Details of 1st-Century Palestine come alive as Jeanne Lyet Gassman weaves a compelling story of unspeakable challenge and the search for redemption. Trapped in a life of desperation, Demetrios will do whatever it takes to escape, even kill those who enslave him. But when his life comes in contact with the man, Jesus, everything that seemed so important begins to shift. The story moves from pulse-pounding action to heart-wrenching honesty, as Demetrios pursues the Peace every heart craves." -Amazon Best-seller Author, Christy M. Bellar, The Lady and the Mountain Man
"Grace, one of the most challenging journeys of life and literature, is explored in this fine debut novel by Jeanne Lyet Gassman. Set in first century Palestine during the time of Jesus, BLOOD OF A STONE is a moving, well-researched, beautifully turned novel that had me engaged and in tears. Highly recommended!" -Best-selling author Allegra Jordan, The End of Innocence
"Jeanne Gassman is a remarkable writer who brings a Biblical era stunningly to life in this powerful and fast-moving tale of sin and redemption." -American Fiction Prize Winner, Clint McCown, author of Haints
"In art man finds a conduit to the divine. Blood of a Stone, Jeanne L. Gassman?s artful debut, is a tale of murder, love, betrayal, and redemption in 1st century Judea. Crafted with imagination and superlative style, her story tracks slaves Demetrios? and Elazar?s arduous climb from sin to forgiveness." -Winner of the Independent Publisher Book Award, David Beckett, The Cana Mystery
"Jeanne Lyet Gassman's stunning evocation of 1st-century Palestine in all its teeming, multifaceted complexity compelled me, page after page, to follow the fateful pilgrimage to Jerusalem while also walking the rocky path from undeserved suffering and terrible guilt to the possibility--open to all of us--of forgiving and being forgiven." -Diane Lefer, co-author of The Blessing Next to the Wound
"Blood of a Stone is a gripping story of friendship and betrayal, love against all odds, a brutal Roman Empire, and the threat of a revolt that becomes instead the beginnings of freedom. Jeanne Lyet Gassman tells us what it was like to live in the time of emperors and slavery, a world into which Christ was born." -National Book Award Winner, Gloria Whelan, Homeless Bird
"A meditative journey on the ways that life cripple us all -- and the choices we make that lead to bitterness and blame or joy and forgiveness -- Gassman's BLOOD OF A STONE is a biblical journey of self-discovery that will strike a chord in every reader." -Michelle Zink, Author of Prophecy of the Sisters Trilogy
"Jeanne Lyet Gassman is an astonishingly good writer. The ancient world of Blood of a Stone feels alive on every page. And if you think there's nothing fresh to say about the fragility of freedom and the difficult road towards redemption, this novel-chock-full of compelling characters and propelled by a polished, downright luminous prose-will provide new and heartfelt insights." -Nance Van Winckel, author of Boneland: Linked Stories
"In Blood of a Stone, author Jeanne Lyet Gassman leads the reader on a journey of surprise and suspense. Her well-researched work is the story of Demetrios, a slave who sinks to murder to defend his own life. He is a Gentile, in partnership with Elazar, a Jew. They travel Palestine in the midst of the Jesus movement and each in his own way finds his life changed." -Wall Street Journal Top Ten book selection author, Donna Foley Mabrey, Maude
My Take:
Blood of a Stone is an interesting book. I wasn't sure what to expect when I first started reading it. The main character is Demetrios, a young Gentile who was sold into slavery by his father. After a short life filled with abuse and suffering a severe injury at the hands of his own father that has left him with a crippled leg, he is then further betrayed by being sold as a slave. This is a defining point in young Demetrios's life and he is filled with resentment and fear. Elazar, another slave, befriends him and stands by him even after Demetrios commits a terrible crime.
The lives of Elazar and Demetrios are intertwined from this point on. They manage to begin new lives and things seem to be going well until Elazar does the unthinkable and insists on following Jesus. Demetrios is again betrayed and this event sets off a wild and strange and possibly miraculous chain of events. The novel is mostly about Demetrios and how his past has defined his character and how he is basically emotionally crippled by his anger and fear.
I found myself very intrigued with where the story was going and despite some initial hesitancy, found myself anxiously turning virtual pages as quickly as possible to find out how the book ended. I appreciated that the author didn't focus too much on Jesus or his followers beyond how they interacted with the main characters of Demetrios, Elazar and later, Tabitha.
I also enjoyed the descriptions of the legal, political and social aspects of life and the practical day to day things that I hadn't given much thought to before. I also liked that the author didn't try to explain too much about some of the more mysterious events, but let them stand on their own. There is much to praise in this book and I enjoyed it very much.
Available at
Amazon Amazon (Kindle)About the Author
Jeanne Lyet Gassman lives in Arizona where the desert landscape inspires much of her fiction. She holds an MFA in Writing from Vermont College of Fine Arts and has received fellowships from Ragdale and the Arizona Commission on the Arts.
In addition to writing, Jeanne teaches creative writing workshops in the Phoenix, Arizona metropolitan area. Her work has appeared in Hermeneutic Chaos Literary Journal, Red Savina Review, The Museum of Americana, Assisi: An Online Journal of Arts & Letters, Switchback, Literary Mama, and Barrelhouse, among many others. Blood of a Stone is her debut novel.
Author Links
Jeanne Lyet GassmanJeanne's Writing Desk
Facebook Author Page
Goodreads
Blood of a Stone Blog Tour Schedule
Monday, May 4Spotlight at Curling Up With A Good Book
Tuesday, May 5
Excerpt at What Is That Book About
Wednesday, May 6
Spotlight at Cheryl's Book Nook
Thursday, May 7
Excerpt & Guest Post at Curling Up With A Good Book
Friday, May 8
Review at Book Nerd
Tuesday, May 12
Review at Book Lovers Paradise
Wednesday, May 13
Review at With Her Nose Stuck in a Book
Guest Post at Book Lovers Paradise
Thursday, May 14
Review at A Book Geek
Monday, May 18
Spotlight at A Literary Vacation
Tuesday, May 19
Guest Post & Giveaway at Latte Da
Excerpt & Giveaway at Queen of All She Reads
Wednesday, May 20
Review at Genre Queen
Thursday, May 21
Spotlight at CelticLady's Reviews
Guest Post & Giveaway at Raven Haired Girl
Friday, May 22
Blog Tour Wrap-Up at Passages to the Past
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