The Pearls of the Stone Man

Rating:
Summary: I recommend "Pearls"
Review: "The Pearls of the Stone Man" is a touching and beautiful book. Mr. Mooney has an engaging style that caught me up and kept me reading. The letters from Joseph's wife are an especially interesting touch. I can't wait to read another of his books.

Rating:
Summary: One of the Best Books I Have Read
Review: Edward Mooney has written one of the best books I have read. Not only is he a great author, but I happen to know him personally, my old high school teacher. When reading the book, I didn't want to put it down. If your looking at reading this book or are interested in a great book, then go ahead and read it. This is one that you will not put down, it feels like you are actually in the book and you actually know the people. Mr. Mooney, thank you for being a great teacher and continue with your great work.

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful book, don't miss it! And bring your handkerchief!
Review: I laughed and cried my way through 'The Pearls of the Stone Man'. What a wonderful book, a profound story of love, life, and death, of human needs and nature and the essence of being in this contamporary world! Many thanks to the author for enriching my and many other people's lives like that... I can't wait to get my hands on more of Mr. Mooney's writings!

Rating:
Summary: Every generation is the foundation of the next
Review: In the prologue to "The Pearls of the Stone Man" a young couple, Shannon and Tim, are driving up to Pine Mountain on a Saturday in spring with their two kids in a mini-van. Once again, Shannon wants to stop and see the old house, still trying to solve the mystery of an old man's final words: "Remember the stone." The old man they called grandpa was not related to either of them by blood, but that is the point of this novel by Edward Mooney, Jr.

At the heart of this delicate little novel is the marriage of Joseph and Anne Marino. After 53 years of marriage these two still love each other and live in a small house at the base of Pine Mountain. But even before they find out that there are only months left to their love affair instead of years, Joseph has been aware that they are running out of time and has become preoccupied with thoughts of things undone. For thirty years he has been talking about climbing the mountain that he talks to every day, but that is just one of a long list of things he has not done. In fact, there is a list on his closet door that he made of things that he wanted to do. But Anne challenges him to name two projects that he has actually finished and Joseph is consumed with the idea he has so many unfinished pieces of business and all the regrets that he is carrying.

Then, everything changes because time is running out and the most important thing in Joseph's world becomes trying to reconcile with his estranged son and finishing the stone wall that Anne asked for years ago. Seeing Joseph pulling his wagon full of stones for Anne's wall earns him the nickname of the "Stone Man." The pearls in the title belong to Anne, although obviously there is a metaphorical meaning to world as well, as a much younger Shannon and Tim learn.

That is because while the love between Joey and Annie has not changed over a half-century lots of other things have, such as the way children are raised. Shannon and Tim are but two of the troubled teenagers living on Pine Mountain, where the sight of an old man pulling a wagon full of stones is something that inspires words of ridicule and acts of cruelty. But whereas Joseph responds to these insults and injuries with anger over the impotence of an old man, it is Annie who suggests a better way of dealing with the escalating problem.

"The Pearls of the Stone Man" is about a love that transcends death and that is there today and always. It is also a tale about responsibility that makes the case for how in a relationship each person has 100% responsibility for that relationship, in contrast to the erroneous assumption you only have 50% of the responsibility (it is 100% responsibility because it is a total responsibility for the relationship). Mooney creates a beautiful portrait of such a relationship and when we finally learn the meaning of the old man's words it is a simple and profound message. You should have come to all of these conclusions through reading the novel, but just in case anyone misses the point Mooney provides an eloquent benediction.

It turns out that "The Pearls of the Stone Man" is the first of a trilogy, the second volume of which, "The Journey of the Stone Man," will be published next month (September 2004). This will be an interesting trilogy in that the story will be apparently working its way backwards through time. The second book takes place a quarter-century earlier as Joseph and his teenage son, Paul, take a cross-country trip in a "Woody" station wagon. Given what we know about the troubled relationship between father and son from this first novel, it will be interesting to see what Mooney weaves with his next narrative.


Rating:
Summary: Life as it exists in todays fast paced world
Review: Mr. Mooney has written a book that can, and will, relate to anyone who reads it. It is full of life, death, happiness and sadness. "Pearls of the Stone Man" is truly one story that should be required reading for every parent of a teenager. It teaches us how to love and what our responsibilities are to todays misunderstood generation. I have the privledge of knowing Mr. Mooney and I know that this book was written from the heart. Thank you Ed for a very touching and informational book.

Rating:
Summary: Dwells on what it means to be mortal and human
Review: The Pearls Of The Stone Man by Edward Mooney, Jr. is a riveting and complex novel of bridging the gaps between generations, and attempting to reconcile in the wake of impending mortality. Joseph and Anne Marion are very much in love even after 53 years of marriage, and find themselves confronting the inevitable reality of eventual one will lose the other in death and be left behind alone for months that could well stretch into years. Love, heartbreak, and adapting to the inevitable progress of time are central and familial themes to this poignant and highly recommended novel that dwells on what it means to be mortal and human.

Rating:
Summary: Coming of age from the cradle to the grave
Review: The story of love and kindness touches all hearts, from the teen to the senior. The message reminds us all that the world turns on love and kindness, and that kindness lives on long after we are gone.

Rating:
Summary: A "Must Read" for Adults and Teens
Review: This book is a tale of interaction between a retired man and a trio of troubled teens. It is a realistic portrayal of the trials of life for both generations, and offers valuable insights into the lessons that each generation can teach to and learn from the other -- all rolled into a gripping narrative that makes this book hard to put down. A real tear-jerker.

Rating:
Summary: Fantastic
Review: This is a beautiful story of a man and relationships with his true love, a mountain, and some teenagers in desparate need of love. It's a powerful description of what Joseph goes through after losing the person who mattered so much in his life. It shows that you never stop loving, no matter what. Also, that everyone deserves love. I cried buckets and smiled lots. A well written novel, it's just so great! I want a sequel!!

Rating:
Summary: Very Moving!
Review: This is an excellence book to read. I found it was a great story on how different generations can work together. It touched my heart all thru the book. A must read for everyone!