Reviews of A Dark Oval Stone

“...the true appeal of this quiet tale is Konkle’s road map out of despair, likely to appeal to any woman who has suffered a loss.”
~Booklist, 04.15.06

“...A finalist in the 2004 Paraclete fiction contest, Konkle’s debut resonates with an absorbing plot and a protagonist whom readers will root for to find her way back from her loss.”
~Library Journal

“...Konkle’s smooth writing and eye for detail result in a lyrical, emotionally candid novel of faith.”
~Publishers Weekly

“Marsena Konkle’s debut novel is a moving look at the way our lives twist and turn in the seemingly cold and random way they do, only to have revealed to us, finally, the safekeeping — in good times and bad — that God has held us in all along.”
~Bret Lott, author of Songs I Knew
by Heart

“Marsena Konkle has taken us on a journey through grief, struggling relationships, and habits of the heart. On the way we are surprised by laughter and hope; by the end we have grown wiser and more whole.”
~Vinita Hampton Wright, author of
Dwelling Places

 

“The faith [in A Dark Oval Stone] that generates strength and despair, guilt and comfort, is Christian in nature. It is a subtle but definite undertone of this story, both refreshing and atypical.
“When religious faith is the theme of a book, or a part of a book’s characters, there is a tendency to let it overpower the plot and become predictable. It’s hell and damnation, forgiveness and salvation, sermonizing versus storytelling, with little room for gray between the extremes.
“That doesn’t happen here. Much like the way average people conduct their lives, faith helps define Miriam, but it’s not an in-your-face trait that dominates every move made. The author also allows the widow to be human, flawed and skeptical—without apology.
“As Miriam’s options for the future are sorted, her actions and influences from the past are reviewed. That’s another good move by the author. We are a composite of our experiences.
“The publisher, Massachusetts-based Paraclete Press, is an ecumenical publisher of books and recordings about Christian faith. A goal is to produce “literary, faith-based fiction,” and A Dark Oval Stone is an appealing example.
“‘I would have been disappointed if someone read this and decided that I had an agenda,’ Konkle says, in a phone interview. She is a Christian who realizes that life can be messy, and that pain is a pivotal point for everyone, regardless of religious affiliation.”
~The Capital Times, 04.21.06
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