I was a little scared going into this book because I didn't think it would really be for me once I found out that one of the main characters was pregnant and the other was struggling because she was desperate to be a mother, but I actually really enjoyed this book and how well written it was. It had me crying a whole lot, especially considering the times we are living in.

I think my favorite aspect was how interesting the magical realism portion was. It was fun reading about women that could magically walk out of a painting, but watching how those women connected with Gemma and Simona through their grief was really heartwarming. I think if anything this book could really show readers how important it is to build communities with others through times of pain, especially women. I think this will be a book that I appreciate for a long time.

Thank you to Netgalley and Wild Woman Typing for the ARC.

I loved this! Really different to anything else I've read and I loved the supernatural element that bonded the two main characters, Gemma and Simona.

Gemma lives in the UK and after several devastating miscarriages, her desperation to be a mother has had a detrimental affect on her marriage to Peter. Across the Atlantic, artist Simona is expecting her first baby, and having grown up without her mother in her life, she feels anxious about what is to come.

When the women in Simona's paintings come to life, their guidance becomes something she depends on, at this crucial point in her life. For Gemma, with her mental health at rock bottom, her job is all she has left and her supportive boss realises, when Gemma has a trance-like moment, that rather than her hand shaking, Gemma's hand is drawing, imitating Simona's art and connecting the two women spiritually.

A beautifully written and thought provoking novel, very enjoyable to read.

4.5 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, Alida Winternheimer and Wild Woman Typing for an ARC in return for an honest review.

Alida Winternheimer’s magical realism in A Stone’s Throw bends the noted genre to involve this literary fiction itself, art which appears realistic but is truly magical, and a woman’s intuition that nods to a sense of magic. Her characters truly step off the page!
This was a beautiful story that approached themes of love and marriage not in a cliche way.

My full review with details will appear in mid November on Novelsalive.com

I thoroughly enjoyed this page-turner of a novel that combines literary fiction deftly with women's fiction and magical realism that feels quite believable. There is much here about the power of art for healing, as well as relationships, marriage, the grief that attends childlessness, and the excitement of new love and creating new life to bring into the world.

I especially loved the journey of transition that Gemma was on, and how her journey brought her to a new place of self-attunement and new people who lent her their wisdom as she let go of life's restraints and turned toward who she really wanted to be.

The writing is deft and comprehensive, with attention to sensual detail that brings the reader right into the story. I admire how this author wove the stories of these two women together, and also how the power of women (past, present, and future) became not just a sub-theme but contained the meaning of the book itself.

Highly recommend for book clubs and those who enjoy good art, womens' stories, and brilliant writing.

Thanks to Netgalley, the author, and publisher, for an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Both characters Gemma and Simona made my heart soar and made me weep.

What an emotional read this and it is such well told tale I was completely lost in my reading. Nothing else mattered.

Motherhood and trying to become a mother will unite most readers but I also think that those who have never thought about it or never wanted it will find this book enjoyable.

I really do think the author has captured every nuance of the subject, and has told her story a the most beautiful and delicate style

fabulous

I LOVED this story. Wow! I haven't read a story like this in a very long time. Alida, you did wonders with this story. I wish it wouldn't have ended. I loved the main character and her story.

This was such a touching book! It had a lot of emotion, and even though I cannot relate as I am not a mother/trying to become pregnant, I could still feel empathy and emotion for their characters. I love how this book dove into 2 opposite sides of motherhood/becoming a mother and how there are so many similarities as well as differences. It was very well written!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for this complimentary ARC in exchange for an honest review!!

I loved the concept of this story. I thought it was a refreshing way to look at relationships and motherhood. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. I think this book will make a good Book Club selection. There's a lot to unpack about pregnancy and becoming a mom within each chapter.