Of Stone And Sky – Review

Of Stone And Sky, by Merryn Glover

'Of Stone And Sky' was not what I was expecting. When I read the blurb and saw a missing person and a trail of clues, I thought I was picking up a mystery novel. But whilst the central event of this book is indeed the disappearance of Colvin, to render it a 'mystery' would be a complete misrepresentation. 'Of Stone And Sky' is not about solving Colvin's case, nor even about practically finding him; it's about understanding the circumstances that lead to a tragedy. The vast majority of the book happens before he disappears: the picture is built up slowly before anyone even knows what the outcome is going to be. Also, no one actually follows the trail of Colvin's belongings - they merely happen to be uncovered by different people who pass through the hills. None of this is about sleuthing. It's about history, honesty and empathy, and all the people whose lives intersect.

Although I came at this book with the complete wrong idea of what it was going to be, I really liked what I got. Glover has written a family drama that spreads across three generations of characters - and the cast is so diverse. Colvin's parents are Agnes and Gideon, Agnes a Traveller who overflows with folk songs and prayers, and Gideon a haunted war veteran who drowns his trauma in alcohol. His siblings are Sorley, who found his fortune in London but can't hold down a relationship, and Mo, his foster sister, who is both church minister of the village and owner of the local pub. His wife is a stylish Bolivian, his daughter a feisty musician and his son a reclusive birdwatcher - and every different path crosses in an intricate map of relationships and emotions. Everyone was rounded and full of feeling, and I loved following the same characters through their different stages of life, watching them and their family evolve.

The setting is almost a character in its own right. The strath that the Munros call home is central to their experience of life, and Glover describes it as such. As readers, we always know what season it is, what the weather is doing, what the trees look like; the imagery is vivid and beautiful, the land treated reverently. This respect for the land also underpins 'Of Stone And Sky's politics. Throughout each decade the book spans, the community's right to the land is challenged. Buyers threaten to build on the land, wealthy landlords threaten to evict the farming tenants, visitors arrive and hunt the game. Glover highlights the class divide between those who live and work on the land and those who profit from it; all too often the families on the farms are powerless to make decisions, whilst the shots are called by people who've never set foot there and don't understand. The writing is sensitive and thoughtful, but it doesn't shy away from reality: such inequality and unjust treatment is painful, and it does exist.

So this had interesting characters, a beautiful setting and an important political seam. I liked all these features, but my favourite thing about 'Of Stone And Sky' was its Christianity. The whole book glimmers with Christian faith, in a really beautiful way. Mo, the foster sister who does most of the narrating, is a Christian, and this is not an inconsequential label. It actually changes the way she tells the story. Mo is explicit about what she believes and how it informs her decisions; she struggles openly with trusting God through her suffering, but she maintains hope even in the hardest times.

Mo encounters great darkness in this novel. Abandoned at birth, she is unwillingly taken in by Beulah, who openly despises her and later palms her off onto Agnes. Beulah is awful, but Mo decides to forgive her. If I wasn't a Christian, I would never have spoken to her again, she tells us. But she is a Christian, so she does. Forgiveness isn't easy, and Mo is angry, but she restores a relationship with a woman who is herself hurting. Then of course she loses Colvin. Here too she wrestles with her faith, but eventually she hold[s] Colvin before God, because I cannot hold him any other way, and prays peace over him. As a Christian myself, it warmed my heart to see such a genuine, beautiful, literary portrayal of Christianity. Living out a Christian faith means choosing to love, working to forgive, and standing firm in hope, and these values permeate 'Of Stone And Sky'.

Furthermore, Sorley's whole narrative arc is allegorical: he is, almost literally, the prodigal son. He cuts his family loose, makes millions banking in London, and pursues a great many women while he's at it - but when it all comes crashing down around him, he realises the emptiness of his 'success' and returns home to the Highlands seeking a fresh start. The parallel with Jesus's parable was overt, and at times I almost wondered if it was too much. Was Sorley a bit exaggerated, your classic sermon-illustration character who strays too far into earthly pleasures? Maybe so, but even if he was on the less subtle side, Sorley Munro was essential.

You see, at its heart, this is a book about redemption. On every level, and in every character thread, there is the need for redemption and forgiveness, and that is the fulfilment that the novel works towards. Its narrative conclusion isn't when the mystery is solved, or when the baddies get their comeuppance, or when the mistreated are avenged. Instead, this book reaches completion when everyone who has gone wrong has apologised, when fractured relationships are restored, and when the hurt find peace. That, to me, is a book underpinned by Christianity, which teaches the same narrative of love, redemption and hope. I loved it.

Overall, this was a profound and touching book about relationships, belonging and forgiveness. It was filled with faith and peppered with Scottish dialect, and felt authentic, heartfelt and thoughtful all the way through. I would recommend it.

You can buy 'Of Stone And Sky' from Waterstones by following this link (I'll receive a small commission if you do):
Of Stone And Sky, Merryn Glover - Waterstones