May Book of the Month: The Belvedere at Stone Gate
May has a plethora of health-related causes and events. Three special WEEKS in early May are Mental Health Week (May 1 – 7), National Hospice and Palliative Care Week (May 7 – 13), and National Nursing Week (May 8 – 14).
Writers, as we know, tend to slip personal interests into their stories and poetry. Many of my books contain health-related topics. The Belvedere at Stone Gate, for example, includes descriptions of early institutional care as well as nursing practice in World War I.
The Story:
Claire, an elderly recluse, resides at Stone Gate with her middle-aged daughter. An unexpected visit from her grandson encourages the elderly woman to gradually reveal events of earlier years.
She recalls the unexplained death of her poet aunt, Riona, which leaves her autistic cousin, Jonathan, motherless and forever changes the dynamics at Stone Gate. After the arrival of the new governess, Claire finds herself strangely attracted to a presence in THE BELVEDERE AT STONE GATE.
Genre: literary, mystery, family saga
REVIEWS:
Hilary West:
Haunting, sad and beautiful – a lovely read, full of poetry. Gloria excels herself in this charming novel. It is a delight on the senses and one to cherish!
Maggie:
I really enjoyed this book. I love the way it is written where you can feel the coldness of a winter morning, hear the singing of birds in the spring. There is mystery in the characters, storyline and setting. Just an excellent read.
Suzanne: ☆☆☆☆☆ 4 out of 5 stars.
Gloria Pearson-Vasey combines a work of fiction complete with mystery and intrigue with a poignant look into the life of an autistic child and his family. The novel cleverly links the generations at Stone Gate into a novel that keeps you wondering and reading.
MJ:
Beautifully written story. The inclusion of poetry added to the writing of the novel. A great book to help one think about and understand life. It brings meaning to the process of growing older.
triplem: ☆☆☆☆☆ 5 out of 5 stars.
A Great Read!
The Belvedere at Stone Gate is a fast paced read. Gloria’s writing style is eloquent and her descriptions help the reader to easily visualize the images she is trying to create. I enjoyed her use of poetic devices to assist the reader in understanding Riona’s inner turmoil in coping with her son, Jonathan’s autism. She struggles with her own identity as a person, while devoting her life to her son as many mothers do. On a day to day basis the family presents as having the ability to deal with an autistic child, however, we sense that it takes the whole village to raise that child. In spite of the fact that the Kilmeedy family have the financial resources to employ governesses and tutors required to assist Jonathan in reaching his potential, we sense that they struggle at times. We can only imagine the more serious issues a family would have who struggle with poverty and/or the ability to seek help. Gloria adds interesting sub plots to develop Claire’s character. Claire, a cousin of Jonathan devotes much of her life to his care, often neglecting her own relationships. I would strongly recommend The Belvedere at Stone Gate. Although it deals with autism and how it affects others, it is a great read. We now understand that these children have amazing talents which are often not recognized and/or accepted. Jonathan’s fascination with the stone is a brief example which Gloria presents so well. Gloria is a talented writer and I would suggest you try some of her other novels.