Author: Marsena Konkle
ISBN: 1-55725-427-3

The following review was contributed by: Mary Simmons:  Click Here To Read Mary's Reviews

To read Mary's Interview With Author Marsena Konkle CLICK HERE

 
Exploring loss and grief and their effects on a person's hope and faith,
Marsena Konkle's debut novel, 'A Dark Oval Stone' is a haunting read that
will captivate you from the first sentence to the last.

Its protagonist, Miriam Kovatch, has experienced more loss than one person
can be expected to endure. At the point in her life when we first meet her
she has already had to deal with the deaths of both her parents and two of
her brothers. Shortly afterwards, she also becomes a widow after her husband
suffers a fatal heart attack while shovelling snow in their driveway.
But into this loss comes new life when Miriam finds out, mere weeks after
losing her husband, that she is pregnant with the couple's first child.

Devastated by the prospects of raising this child on her own, Miriam
struggles with what it will mean to become a single mother.
Having been raised in the Catholic Church under the thumb of her overbearing
mother, Miriam's faith has always been based in fear and out of a sense of
duty. She begins to find a more spiritual connection after meeting Svetlana,
a former legal client of her husband's, who shows her a different side of
the man she thought she knew so well.

During her journey to self-discovery, Miriam also realizes some harsh truths
about herself and is forced to make some changes in her life. As Konkle puts
it, "She had always believed that others perceived her as she wanted to see
herself: as a self-sacrificing and giving person, always on hand to relieve
the burdens of others. The self-delusion now popped like a balloon in her
chest, radiating real pain."

'A Dark Oval Stone' is an emotional journey in itself. While reading this
book, I found myself crying, laughing and hoping with the main character.
Miriam came alive and her pain oozed out of the pages like hot syrup
bubbling in a pan. She is one of those characters who won't let you go
immediately after you finish reading and put the book back on the shelf. She
will pull at you, causing you to think about her and wondering how she is
doing.

Konkle ends the book on a hopeful note, but there are many unanswered
questions. We are only given a glimpse of Miriam's life and I was left
wanting to know much more. This is in no way a criticism of Konkle's
ability, rather it is a testament to the author's style. I am looking
forward to seeing what she comes up with next and getting acquainted with
more of her characters. If they are anything like Miriam, they will be added
to my list of literary friends.