Listen to an interview with the author below.
A Stone’s Throw
By Alida Winternheimer
Two women who never meet, a motherless child and childless mother, are brought together to discover the real magic of creation.
Simona Casale, a Minneapolis artist, learns she’s pregnant the same day she lands a major mural installation at a new women’s center. No problem; she can take on a surprise pregnancy and a monster commission. With the father in London, that’s one less complication.
Gemma Ledbetter, a London homemaker, is grieving the babies she couldn’t have. When her husband returns from the States, she decides they’ll start fresh. But things seldom go as planned.
Simona and Gemma live an ocean apart, yet their lives become forever entwined when the women Simona is painting come to life, stepping out of their portraits. They arrive with a purpose: to nurture a broken heart…or two. Simona and Gemma learn about art-making, love, grief, and motherhood when they are magically welcomed into a lineage of women who share their lives’ joys and sorrows during the most creative time of these women’s lives.
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Beautifully rendered and astute.
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.
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
Women from a painting come alive. A dash of magic. And two women connected by tragedy in ways they don’t yet understand. That’s the premise of this fascinating novel by Alida Winternheimer that combines art, women’s issues, and a dash of magic to create a unique read.
The author tackles a fantastical, complex concept in a credible way that kept me believing. Along the way, she hits on themes around the role of art in sustaining us through tough times.
A feast for artists or any reader who enjoys books with magical elements. A Stone’s Throw is a feat of imagination, truly engrossing and original.
– Lainey Cameron
Award-winning author and host of The Best of Women’s Fiction Podcast
A Stone’s Throw is a refined piece of writing that captures an insightful tale, exploring both the mixed emotions of being a new mother and the despair of trying to become one. It reminds us that we all need those special, often fleeting connections that carry us through uncertainty and provide light when we need it most. The unique bond between Simona and Gemma highlights the complex nature of relationships and the value and purpose of friends and acquaintances who weave in and out of our lives.
– Grishma Shah
Author, Anagram Destiny
Go on an emotional journey with the characters of A Stone’s Throw. Simona, Gemma, and Peter find the lives they’ve built unraveling, each wanting something seemingly just beyond their reach. When spirits intervene, life turns in unexpected directions in this dramatic tale of longing and loss, self-discovery and creation, infused with a layer of magic.
– D. Liebhart
Author, House on Fire & Feral Creatures of Suburbia
Award-Winning Author
Alida Winternheimer
Book Clubs
Readings
Events
Book Club-Style Author Chat
Join me on December 9, 2024 at 6:00 p.m. Central for a virtual book club. We will discuss A Stone’s Throw. Bring your questions, feelings, and insights about the novel for a real conversation with the author!
Zoom link provided upon registration.
Would you like Alida to visit your book club?
“I love to connect with readers! Please reach out if you have a book club reading A Stone’s Throw or one of my other books.”
Alida can join you over Zoom or in person in the Twin Cities metro area.
