liralen's review against another edition
3.0
My mind seems to be on covers today. Here's one that is, for the book, absolutely perfect. You only need one look to know that that little girl lives a hard life: not necessarily one harder than anyone around her, but hard nonetheless. (I'm reminded strongly of American Dust Bowl pictures from the 1930s, actually.)
And Corlie does have a hard life. It's the late 1800s in South Africa, her beloved father's dead, and she and her family -- including a mother who has never shown any love to Corlie -- are driven from their home by the invading British. If the Transvaal was harsh, the internment camps are harsher, and Corlie has to face any number of things she's ill prepared for, from death to family background.
Kent makes a point to paint neither the British nor the Boers as right or wrong. Corlie is only a child, so of course as the book opens she believes, as she was taught, that the Boers are good and the British more or less evil. As the story unfolds, though, she gradually comes to understand that the two are not so different. Her family is isolated enough that her only friends are her brothers and Sipho, an African servant boy. (Which -- hmm. Okay. Not sure that the concept of 'gifting' a servant to a white child was explained well enough, one, and two, Corlie's affection for Sipho felt...well, partly as though it was there so that the reader understands that Corlie isn't as racist as the adults around her.) Kent paints that isolation, and Corlie's feeling of always being on the outside, beautifully, but I wish she had gone further to let us really understand what life was like for Corlie (and, while we're at it, Sipho), both before the war and while in the camp.
And Corlie does have a hard life. It's the late 1800s in South Africa, her beloved father's dead, and she and her family -- including a mother who has never shown any love to Corlie -- are driven from their home by the invading British. If the Transvaal was harsh, the internment camps are harsher, and Corlie has to face any number of things she's ill prepared for, from death to family background.
Kent makes a point to paint neither the British nor the Boers as right or wrong. Corlie is only a child, so of course as the book opens she believes, as she was taught, that the Boers are good and the British more or less evil. As the story unfolds, though, she gradually comes to understand that the two are not so different. Her family is isolated enough that her only friends are her brothers and Sipho, an African servant boy. (Which -- hmm. Okay. Not sure that the concept of 'gifting' a servant to a white child was explained well enough, one, and two, Corlie's affection for Sipho felt...well, partly as though it was there so that the reader understands that Corlie isn't as racist as the adults around her.) Kent paints that isolation, and Corlie's feeling of always being on the outside, beautifully, but I wish she had gone further to let us really understand what life was like for Corlie (and, while we're at it, Sipho), both before the war and while in the camp.
thebookaddictedgirl's review against another edition
4.0
4½ Out of 5
Twelve-year-old Corlie Roux lives in South Africa, a beautiful but dangerous place. Her father is dead and her mother is horrible to her, but she loves her brothers, best friend Sipho and the African bush.
But everything is changing, falling apart. The British are attacking, destroying Boer’s farms and homes. Some of the men have made it into the bush to fight, and some families have been able to escape. The unlucky ones have been taken to internment camps.
When everything she knew is changing, and the ones she loves are lost, can Corlie’s strength and love for her country be enough to get her through the raging war? Or will she rely more on a kind soldier from Canada…?
I love, love, love historical fiction, but I must admit I’ve never read anything about the Boer War. After Stones From My Father, I’m desperate to read more, and to read anything else by the author. I fell totally in love with Corlie, with Africa. I cried, laughed and loved – and I adored every single moment.
Corlie was amazing! She loved inventing stories for her brothers, had the most amazing imagination. And she was just so strong! If my mother was as mean to me as Corlie’s was to her I wouldn’t half as brave as Corlie. She was even brave enough to be optimistic, curious and always tried to help. I completely fell in love with Corlie, who was so loyal and loving to her family – mother included – and so in touch with Africa. She was just brilliant: I especially loved it when she was crafty!
The supporting characters were equally amazing. Gert Roux, Corlie’s eight-year-old brother, was brilliant; I loved him! He was smart, the “big man”, clever and sneaky. He really loved Corlie, and she adored him back. ‘Ma’, on the other hand, I did not love. She doted on her sons, and was constantly cruel to Corlie. But as much as I hated Ma from the word go for being so horrid to Corlie, I couldn’t help being impressed by her strength. The question that bothered me throughout? Why does she hate Corlie so much? The answer explained everything, but didn’t really redeem her in my eyes, though I did feel sorry for her. Finally, Corporal Malachi Byrne, who was a Canadian soldier, who was really nice to Corlie. He was also one of my favourite characters. He was so lovely, and it was interesting seeing him talk: he wasn’t sure why he was fighting, as he had never even been to England. He was wonderful: cheerful and patient.
As I mentioned before, I really don’t know much about the Boer War: somehow, it’s managed to escape me. Therefore I loved to see it through Corlie’s eyes. It was terrible, obviously as all wars are, but it was just amazing seeing it through a child’s point-of-view. To begin with it was one-sided (obviously, as it was written by the daughter of a Boer soldier!), but by the end Corlie started to see everything, and the individual Tommies soldiers were shown in almost as a light as the Boers. Of course, she wasn’t a fan of the British as a whole, but I liked seeing the balanced view.
The writing was amazing – emotional, beautiful, strong. Plus it was so Corlie! It made me laugh, cry and fear. The descriptions were just amazing: so vivid and real, as if I were there. I saw Africa as I read; saw Corlie and Gert, saw everything. And when I started, I didn’t really think this would be a twisty book, but boy was I wrong! There were some I suspected, and some that completely shocked me. As you’ve probably guessed from my rambling, I adored every moment of my time in Africa, even if I was crying a lot of the time!
As for the characters, well, they were wonderfully done – they all felt so real to me! They were three dimensional –just jumped right off of the page and into my head. Some I loved with all my heart, some I didn’t, some I pitied, some I grieved. I loved (most of) them so much!
A strong girl, a country crippled by war and a family caught in the middle, Stone For My Father was a powerful, emotional, moving, beautiful story I won’t forget in any kind of a hurry. Corlie, Byrne, Gert and the soldiers on both sides will stay with me for a long time. I’ve already informed my mother, aunt and cousin that they have to read this. Therefore: most certainly recommended (I only shove good books on the relatives)!
Twelve-year-old Corlie Roux lives in South Africa, a beautiful but dangerous place. Her father is dead and her mother is horrible to her, but she loves her brothers, best friend Sipho and the African bush.
But everything is changing, falling apart. The British are attacking, destroying Boer’s farms and homes. Some of the men have made it into the bush to fight, and some families have been able to escape. The unlucky ones have been taken to internment camps.
When everything she knew is changing, and the ones she loves are lost, can Corlie’s strength and love for her country be enough to get her through the raging war? Or will she rely more on a kind soldier from Canada…?
I love, love, love historical fiction, but I must admit I’ve never read anything about the Boer War. After Stones From My Father, I’m desperate to read more, and to read anything else by the author. I fell totally in love with Corlie, with Africa. I cried, laughed and loved – and I adored every single moment.
Corlie was amazing! She loved inventing stories for her brothers, had the most amazing imagination. And she was just so strong! If my mother was as mean to me as Corlie’s was to her I wouldn’t half as brave as Corlie. She was even brave enough to be optimistic, curious and always tried to help. I completely fell in love with Corlie, who was so loyal and loving to her family – mother included – and so in touch with Africa. She was just brilliant: I especially loved it when she was crafty!
The supporting characters were equally amazing. Gert Roux, Corlie’s eight-year-old brother, was brilliant; I loved him! He was smart, the “big man”, clever and sneaky. He really loved Corlie, and she adored him back. ‘Ma’, on the other hand, I did not love. She doted on her sons, and was constantly cruel to Corlie. But as much as I hated Ma from the word go for being so horrid to Corlie, I couldn’t help being impressed by her strength. The question that bothered me throughout? Why does she hate Corlie so much? The answer explained everything, but didn’t really redeem her in my eyes, though I did feel sorry for her. Finally, Corporal Malachi Byrne, who was a Canadian soldier, who was really nice to Corlie. He was also one of my favourite characters. He was so lovely, and it was interesting seeing him talk: he wasn’t sure why he was fighting, as he had never even been to England. He was wonderful: cheerful and patient.
As I mentioned before, I really don’t know much about the Boer War: somehow, it’s managed to escape me. Therefore I loved to see it through Corlie’s eyes. It was terrible, obviously as all wars are, but it was just amazing seeing it through a child’s point-of-view. To begin with it was one-sided (obviously, as it was written by the daughter of a Boer soldier!), but by the end Corlie started to see everything, and the individual Tommies soldiers were shown in almost as a light as the Boers. Of course, she wasn’t a fan of the British as a whole, but I liked seeing the balanced view.
The writing was amazing – emotional, beautiful, strong. Plus it was so Corlie! It made me laugh, cry and fear. The descriptions were just amazing: so vivid and real, as if I were there. I saw Africa as I read; saw Corlie and Gert, saw everything. And when I started, I didn’t really think this would be a twisty book, but boy was I wrong! There were some I suspected, and some that completely shocked me. As you’ve probably guessed from my rambling, I adored every moment of my time in Africa, even if I was crying a lot of the time!
As for the characters, well, they were wonderfully done – they all felt so real to me! They were three dimensional –just jumped right off of the page and into my head. Some I loved with all my heart, some I didn’t, some I pitied, some I grieved. I loved (most of) them so much!
A strong girl, a country crippled by war and a family caught in the middle, Stone For My Father was a powerful, emotional, moving, beautiful story I won’t forget in any kind of a hurry. Corlie, Byrne, Gert and the soldiers on both sides will stay with me for a long time. I’ve already informed my mother, aunt and cousin that they have to read this. Therefore: most certainly recommended (I only shove good books on the relatives)!
lisens's review against another edition
3.0
**3.5 stars**
I had to read this for class and though I didn’t hate it, I didn’t really enjoy the first half of it either. It picked up toward the end, especially the last 15 pages or so where all the walls and prejudices came down. Before that I found it a bit slow and surprisingly unemotional for such a heavy book.
I had to read this for class and though I didn’t hate it, I didn’t really enjoy the first half of it either. It picked up toward the end, especially the last 15 pages or so where all the walls and prejudices came down. Before that I found it a bit slow and surprisingly unemotional for such a heavy book.
sammeehicks's review
4.0
This is a great example of how history can really be brought to life through fiction. I knew nothing about the Boer War before reading this but now feel as if I have a good idea of what it would have been like to have lived through it.
I adored Colie. She has a resilience and strength to her that I envy. Her mother is absolutely awful to her but she doesn't let it affect how much she loves her family. I did think there might be an explanation for why her mother behaved in the way she did - and although one was given it wasn't what I thought it was going to be and - in my eyes at least - did not redeem her mother's actions. But at the same time I could see where Corlie got her strength - her mother was a formidable women who knew how to get on and survive even the hardest of circumstances.
I also adore Gert and loved his relationship with Corlie. The two obviously loved each other greatly and that was wonderful to read. I also fell head over heels in love with Api! Honestly, how adorable! Corporal Malachi Byrne was an interesting character too - someone who questions what he's doing and I liked the connection that develops between him and Corlie. That something good could come out of all the hatred surrounding her.
There is violence and devastation too. Unsurprisingly, much of the hatred and violence did not only come from the enemy but from their own too which is disturbing to read. I admired Trilby Kent for not shying away from this and creating a story that feels real. Devastating, but honest and real.
Although this is only around 180 pages it didn't feel like a quick read - I found myself really immersed in the story and would love to read more by this author.
I adored Colie. She has a resilience and strength to her that I envy. Her mother is absolutely awful to her but she doesn't let it affect how much she loves her family. I did think there might be an explanation for why her mother behaved in the way she did - and although one was given it wasn't what I thought it was going to be and - in my eyes at least - did not redeem her mother's actions. But at the same time I could see where Corlie got her strength - her mother was a formidable women who knew how to get on and survive even the hardest of circumstances.
I also adore Gert and loved his relationship with Corlie. The two obviously loved each other greatly and that was wonderful to read. I also fell head over heels in love with Api! Honestly, how adorable! Corporal Malachi Byrne was an interesting character too - someone who questions what he's doing and I liked the connection that develops between him and Corlie. That something good could come out of all the hatred surrounding her.
There is violence and devastation too. Unsurprisingly, much of the hatred and violence did not only come from the enemy but from their own too which is disturbing to read. I admired Trilby Kent for not shying away from this and creating a story that feels real. Devastating, but honest and real.
Although this is only around 180 pages it didn't feel like a quick read - I found myself really immersed in the story and would love to read more by this author.
ltg584's review
4.0
FIRST READS GIVEAWAY
Although a short book, Trilby Kent has managed to fit an enormous tale within the pages. You are introduced to Coraline Roux, a young girl living in South Africa, and follow her through her experience of the Anglo-Boer War.
Corlie struggled not just with the events of the war, but her own personal battles. I felt the immense urge to reach through the pages to hold and comfort this child, for everything that she went through.
Any war is cruel in its harsh reality, and the story definitely shows many cruelties. It was, however, the kindness of a few that glowed the brightest.
Can Corlie learns to forgive the unforgivable?
Although a short book, Trilby Kent has managed to fit an enormous tale within the pages. You are introduced to Coraline Roux, a young girl living in South Africa, and follow her through her experience of the Anglo-Boer War.
Corlie struggled not just with the events of the war, but her own personal battles. I felt the immense urge to reach through the pages to hold and comfort this child, for everything that she went through.
Any war is cruel in its harsh reality, and the story definitely shows many cruelties. It was, however, the kindness of a few that glowed the brightest.
Can Corlie learns to forgive the unforgivable?
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