Book Club Author Chat: A Stone’s Throw

Join Alida to discuss her novel, A Stone’s Throw.

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The Midwest Book Review says:

A Stone’s Throw is a novel steeped in magical realism and contrasts. It juxtaposes the lives of two women—Minneapolis artist Simona Casale, who discovers she is pregnant on the cusp of her greatest artistic coup to date; and childless Gemma Ledbetter, whose heart aches to become a mother.

They live worlds apart, but when a mysterious woman in a painting steps forth to connect their disparate lives, magic blossoms in an unusual manner that gives each new hope, wisdom, and insights into a realm of women that neither knew existed.

Simona’s embryo is becoming a person as, perhaps ironically, she’s in the process of reinventing her own life, her art, and the idea of motherhood, which feels like a complication to her life.

Gemma finds a confidante and lover in Nicolai and discovers nuances of sexuality and love that she hadn’t experienced before with Peter, but grief over miscarriages and lost opportunities have cast a shadow over her relationships. With her husband out of town so much, who is she accountable to? Is it wrong for her to find love in a friendship that assuages some of the pain of her losses?

Even as Simona converses with her artistic muses and considers their wisdom and surprising insights, Gemma is poised to transform her life in an unexpected way.

Alida Winternheimer dovetails their two lives in a manner that slowly draws together the rich complexity of these worlds, employing the magical, artistic forces that connect them with a creative focus, showing how each woman is creating and contributing to life in a meaningful manner.

Their ultimately collaborative work portends unusual transformations for each woman:

…the plaque that would go on the side wall nearby would explain that the central figure could equally be the artist’s mother carrying the artist, or the artist carrying her daughter, making it a mysterious double, or even triple, portrait. It was fitting for a piece titled Womankind, that celebrates the ultimate creative act: life itself.

Libraries and book clubs seeking women’s writings that review friendships, the impact of children and grief on life trajectories and choices, and the possibilities of a bit of magic that pushes new transformations in two women’s lives will find A Stone’s Throw holds much opportunity for discussion.

Beautifully rendered and astute in its contrasts and insights, A Stone’s Throw is a top pick for readers interested in art, motherhood, and relationships both connected to and challenged by circumstance, trauma, and recovery.

– D. Donovan, Senior Reviewer, Midwest Book Review