Stoneheart is a novel of place that passes through many places; a novel of people that brings many strangers to life; and a novel of redemption that redeems both people and place.

Soldiers carry wounds both visible and invisible, and this novel addresses them with deep compassion. But ordinary citizens carry wounds too, especially in the present world where old securities betray us. Author Baer Charlton bridges those gaps between soldier and civilian, PTSD and physical trauma, and deliberate and accidental wounds with honest empathy.

Health fails. Nature betrays. Finances dwindle. And businesses are lost in this modern world; no longer the place this novel’s protagonist knew before going to war, and not the world he knew for 39 years as a gunnery sergeant. There again, Stone can’t be the same person he was either. Everything’s changed, and everything’s waiting to build on what was lost…

Stoneheart is a story filled with heart—not just Stone’s heart for those he knew before and the new friends he makes, but the sort of heart that invites readers to stop and listen awhile, maybe hearing their own heartbeat as it echoes in the sound of another’s. Easy judgements are cast aside when they come across human realities. Life-changing mistakes become openings for life-building change. The past can be redeemed… and the wounded… and the lost. And time spent in this novel might change the reader.

Stoneheart is told from multiple points of view—sometimes confusing as befits the world of a man cast out from all that used to define him; sometimes longwinded to match the lengthy silence of loneliness; always honest, and with pitch-perfect conversation, fascinating characters, glorious scenery… yes, and powerful heart. The premise reveals itself slowly, coming to the fore at just the right time to resolve readers’ surfacing questions. And the whole becomes a parable for our times, a promise for our people, and a beautiful picture for our land.

Disclosure: I was given a copy and I thoroughly enjoyed it. ( )

Baer's books center around family. Not the "nuclear family" politicians and religious nuts bang on about; but the family we choose. In every book, people find each other and take care of each other in ways which make me tear up in wistfulness. Wouldn't it be lovely if we could all find a large group of people who, upon meeting us, took us in and gave us what we needed?

Stoneheart is about a grizzled marine who finds himself retired, and no idea of who, where, or what he belongs to. He travels the country helping other vets and builds a community along the way. Physically, the community comes together and builds a compound in Oregon to serve the vets and loggers in a rural area who have suffered at the hands of war, forest fires and greedy business men.

While not perfect, Baer's books are good reading, and often provoke emotions and thoughts. How can I make my life better to serve others? I do especially recommend Stoneheart. ( )