“The Stone” by Claire Nolan is an absolutely lovely novel, albeit, a slight culture shock if the reader has not had a lot of exposure to Viking culture. The novel centers on the willingness and determination one woman has for gaining power, and keeping it at all costs. Dame Alice Kyteler crosses paths with Bishop of Ossory and only his anger stands in the way of Alice’s path to fame and riches. This is an incredibly enjoyable read, very fast paced; I found myself thinking that Ms. Nolan’s writing style is very similar to Karen Cushman, who gained high praise for the 1995 book “Catherine, Called Birdy.” Overall highly recommended.

KC ( )