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The Wisdom of Stones
A deeply moving novel that addresses the question how do we become who we were meant to be? Brian Peyton Joyner has gifted us with a coming-of-age story full of both humor and also courageous vulnerability as he takes us on a journey through the love of both God and family to an authentic life.
Patti Callahan Henry
NYT bestselling author
Ben, a college senior, promised God and his mee maw that he'd be a Southern Baptist preacher, but he can't pray away the gay.
Abandoned by his father at age seven, Ben loses his mother to a car accident that same year and becomes his grandparents' responsibility and their joy.
Handing his grandfather an arrowhead that he finds at his mother's funeral, Ben sets in motion an agreement between Ben gifts his grandfather a stone, and his grandfather gifts him a story. Years later when Mee Maw falls ill, Ben makes yet another deal - this time with If Mee Maw recovers, Ben will dedicate himself to the church.These commitments inform the man he will become.
But life has a way of throwing us curve balls, and it throws Ben a doozy; no matter how hard he tries, he can't pray away the gay. And being gay is in direct conflict with his church's teachings, a roadblock to his becoming a minister.
A beautifully written and relevant coming-of-age story, The Wisdom of Stones is a tribute to one young man's heart-wrenching journey towards self-acceptance, to the relationship between a boy and his grandpa, and an exploration of the impact of each generation on the next. A tribute to the courage it takes to define and then make the right choices for ourselves, this novel is destined to become a new Southern classic.
Patti Callahan Henry
NYT bestselling author
Ben, a college senior, promised God and his mee maw that he'd be a Southern Baptist preacher, but he can't pray away the gay.
Abandoned by his father at age seven, Ben loses his mother to a car accident that same year and becomes his grandparents' responsibility and their joy.
Handing his grandfather an arrowhead that he finds at his mother's funeral, Ben sets in motion an agreement between Ben gifts his grandfather a stone, and his grandfather gifts him a story. Years later when Mee Maw falls ill, Ben makes yet another deal - this time with If Mee Maw recovers, Ben will dedicate himself to the church.These commitments inform the man he will become.
But life has a way of throwing us curve balls, and it throws Ben a doozy; no matter how hard he tries, he can't pray away the gay. And being gay is in direct conflict with his church's teachings, a roadblock to his becoming a minister.
A beautifully written and relevant coming-of-age story, The Wisdom of Stones is a tribute to one young man's heart-wrenching journey towards self-acceptance, to the relationship between a boy and his grandpa, and an exploration of the impact of each generation on the next. A tribute to the courage it takes to define and then make the right choices for ourselves, this novel is destined to become a new Southern classic.
- GenresFiction
351 pages, Paperback
Published May 17, 2017
24 people are currently reading
392 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
May 31, 2017
There is no doubt that the decisions we make in life determine who we become – who we are. But our decisions can also impact others. And such is the case with the grandfather and grandson in the debut novel by Brian Peyton Joyner, THE WISDOM OF STONES.
A child of the Depression (1930’s), Grandpa is forced to leave home and support himself so that his younger siblings will have enough to eat. At times a hobo, and at times a rum-runner during Prohibition, Grandpa’s experiences are the basis of stories he tells his grandson, Ben, in return for the stones with which Ben presents him. Rich in wisdom and life lessons learned, the stories subtly impact Ben.
Raised by Grandpa and Mee Maw, Ben is also a child of the south – specifically of inland South Carolina. Religion is a huge part of their lives, and when Mee Maw falls ill, Ben makes a deal with God. If God will help Mee Maw recover, Ben will become a preacher.
Ben fully intends to honor his bargain with God, and as a senior in college he is on track for a scholarship to seminary. But there is a conflict in his life; Ben is gay.
When his mentor refuses to accept Ben’s orientation and puts Ben’s scholarship – even his admission to seminary – on the line, Ben tries to change, even engaging in a heterosexual relationship.
While Ben’s inner conflict and his relationship with Grandpa are at the core of THE WISDOM OF STONES, there is so much more to this engaging novel. The writing is crisp, the story is compelling, and the characters are well-developed and all essential to Ben’s journey. Thus, while this novel is commercial, it has strong literary overtones.
THE WISDOM OF STONES was a great read that I will recommend to my book club and read with my older adolescent children – a book that will spark health discussion of how we make the choices we make and of the value of the wisdom of the elders in our lives.
A child of the Depression (1930’s), Grandpa is forced to leave home and support himself so that his younger siblings will have enough to eat. At times a hobo, and at times a rum-runner during Prohibition, Grandpa’s experiences are the basis of stories he tells his grandson, Ben, in return for the stones with which Ben presents him. Rich in wisdom and life lessons learned, the stories subtly impact Ben.
Raised by Grandpa and Mee Maw, Ben is also a child of the south – specifically of inland South Carolina. Religion is a huge part of their lives, and when Mee Maw falls ill, Ben makes a deal with God. If God will help Mee Maw recover, Ben will become a preacher.
Ben fully intends to honor his bargain with God, and as a senior in college he is on track for a scholarship to seminary. But there is a conflict in his life; Ben is gay.
When his mentor refuses to accept Ben’s orientation and puts Ben’s scholarship – even his admission to seminary – on the line, Ben tries to change, even engaging in a heterosexual relationship.
While Ben’s inner conflict and his relationship with Grandpa are at the core of THE WISDOM OF STONES, there is so much more to this engaging novel. The writing is crisp, the story is compelling, and the characters are well-developed and all essential to Ben’s journey. Thus, while this novel is commercial, it has strong literary overtones.
THE WISDOM OF STONES was a great read that I will recommend to my book club and read with my older adolescent children – a book that will spark health discussion of how we make the choices we make and of the value of the wisdom of the elders in our lives.
April 30, 2020
This book had so much potential. A young boy and his mother go to live with her parents after his father leaves them for another woman. His mother dies and his grandparents raise him. As he goes through puberty, he begins to discover his sexuality and realizes he is gay. His grandparents know as well. His grandfather is accepting but his grandmother believes homosexuality is a sin that can be prayed away. After a cancer scare, he promises God and his grandmother he will become a minister. Her cancer later returns and she dies before he completes seminary. He's left with just his grandfather, who is accepting and encouraging of a gay lifestyle, and a minister mentor who uses him as a guinea pig to work the bugs out of a gay reformation program.
My problem with the book is that it's very stereotypical and cliche. The main character listens to show tunes and Madonna. His grandfather's first true love was an African American woman which was incredibly controversial in the 1930s South. I kept thinking of the episode of Seinfeld where George and Jerry kept saying, "We're not gay! Not that there's anything wrong with that."
I like the message the book is trying to convey. I just wish the characters weren't overly exaggerated stereotypes.
My problem with the book is that it's very stereotypical and cliche. The main character listens to show tunes and Madonna. His grandfather's first true love was an African American woman which was incredibly controversial in the 1930s South. I kept thinking of the episode of Seinfeld where George and Jerry kept saying, "We're not gay! Not that there's anything wrong with that."
I like the message the book is trying to convey. I just wish the characters weren't overly exaggerated stereotypes.
June 9, 2017
I received a complimentary copy.
Well this one is certainly a twist but not out of the norm these days. While there are more strict religions that will not like this rather uncertain book, I think it will hit home for others. I can not comment on the topic in any way as it is personal to everyone and perhaps private to others.
Well this one is certainly a twist but not out of the norm these days. While there are more strict religions that will not like this rather uncertain book, I think it will hit home for others. I can not comment on the topic in any way as it is personal to everyone and perhaps private to others.
August 1, 2017
Ben has promised his dying grandmother that he’ll become a Baptist preacher, but in his heart, he knows his feelings for other men don’t match the teachings of the bible. Under the guidance of the well-meaning, but sorely misguided Pastor Hardy, Ben is thrust into a program designed to cure him of his “same-sex addiction.”
Fortunately, Ben has another mentor, his Grandpa, who trades Ben stories of his own life in exchange for stones. But Grandpa has his own secret about the choices he made many years ago.
This is a wonderful story about identity, tolerance, and being true to who you really are. With his lulling Southern voice, Joyner paints funny, troubled, and heart-warming characters. Even though I didn’t always agree with their decisions, through Joyner’s courageous storytelling, I understood where they were coming from. In a time when we seem to struggle to acknowledge the other side of an argument, Joyner shines a glowing spotlight on both sides of the fence.
Fortunately, Ben has another mentor, his Grandpa, who trades Ben stories of his own life in exchange for stones. But Grandpa has his own secret about the choices he made many years ago.
This is a wonderful story about identity, tolerance, and being true to who you really are. With his lulling Southern voice, Joyner paints funny, troubled, and heart-warming characters. Even though I didn’t always agree with their decisions, through Joyner’s courageous storytelling, I understood where they were coming from. In a time when we seem to struggle to acknowledge the other side of an argument, Joyner shines a glowing spotlight on both sides of the fence.
October 26, 2017
Inspirational - Self-Acceptance - Live Life By Your Own Rules
The "The Wisdom of Stones" is a fantastic book! Its a coming of age story about a boy named Ben who struggles coming to terms with his "same-sex attractions". I found it fascinating to learn about Ben's struggles and related to how he learned to accept himself for who he was born to be.
I fell in love with the main characters, Ben and Grandpa Charlie. The author, Brian Peyton Joyner did an amazing job by writing the book from both of their points of view. I felt close to both of them like I really understood what motivated them.
The book moved me deeply and I felt so many reactions to different parts of it. I was excited, angry, upset sad, happy and joyous.
The book ended in a powerful message: "If you live your life by your own rules, your gone be ok."
AMEN
I highly recommend this book!
The "The Wisdom of Stones" is a fantastic book! Its a coming of age story about a boy named Ben who struggles coming to terms with his "same-sex attractions". I found it fascinating to learn about Ben's struggles and related to how he learned to accept himself for who he was born to be.
I fell in love with the main characters, Ben and Grandpa Charlie. The author, Brian Peyton Joyner did an amazing job by writing the book from both of their points of view. I felt close to both of them like I really understood what motivated them.
The book moved me deeply and I felt so many reactions to different parts of it. I was excited, angry, upset sad, happy and joyous.
The book ended in a powerful message: "If you live your life by your own rules, your gone be ok."
AMEN
I highly recommend this book!
June 14, 2017
I’ll admit it. I love being a fly on the wall, so the opportunity to peek inside a pray-away-the-gay program grabbed my curiosity immediately. Once into the novel, I related very personally to the main character’s dilemma, how to live an authentic life when the consequences seem so awful. My favorite parts were the interactions between the main character and his grandfather. I found it absolutely charming and sweet that the boy traded found stones to his grandpa in exchange for wise stories. In fact, I wanted more of those stories than the author included. All in all, a satisfying read, that I happily recommend.
June 29, 2017
I really loved this book. Ben felt different when he was 11. His mom died, his dad left and he lived with his grandparents. Everytime he gave a stone to his grandpa, he would hear a story about the live he had. His grandma (Mee Maw) wanted him to be a preacher. But could he live the life he felt?
October 20, 2017
A different perspective, just love one another.
April 24, 2019
An amazing look into the struggles of religion
An amazing look into the struggles of religion and being ones true self as a homosexual in the conservative South.
An amazing look into the struggles of religion and being ones true self as a homosexual in the conservative South.
June 5, 2018
When Ben finds a quartz arrowhead his grandpa trades him a story from his past for it. This becomes a tradition between the two – a stone for a story – and soon Grandpa has a whole jar full of stones. And I – along with Ben – have a fascinating look back into the Great Depression at a life lived by the hobo’s credo: ‘Live life by your own rules and you gone be ok’. But even though Ben's grandpa and his Mee Maw have done their best by him and he's pledged his life to become a Baptist preacher he still struggles against an attraction he can’t pray away. This book ends with a story from Grandpa’s past that helps Ben understand what's truly important and leaves the topic open enough for further discussion.
I received this book for free through Goodreads Giveaways.
I received this book for free through Goodreads Giveaways.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews