Originally posted on my blog, Books Forget Me Knot.

Marc Kuhn's debut adult novel, The Pope's Stone, couldn't have been anymore brilliantly written. It is a tale of historical fiction, intricately woven with suspense and mystery. Plus, Kuhn is just BRILLIANT. The story itself is a masterpiece and only a great writer would be able to pull off a parallel universe character plot.

Let me begin with the gist of the novel:

Nathaniel Henry Barrington and Nicholas Henry Barrington lead a similar life though they live a century apart from one another. The sudden twists and turns of events they both have encountered in their life isn't purely coincidental but scary accurate. It's hard for it to be possible - it's nearly impossible that it can't be true but the only thing that is connecting Nathaniel and Nicolas is the Pope's Stone.

The stone was given to America as a gift from Rome towards the construction of the Washington Monument. After some deliberation and political strife, John Henry Barrington (grandfather of Nathaniel) break the stone into pieces and thrust it into the River Potomac. But they kept one piece, ensuring it to John for it's safety. This begins the journey of the stone being passed from one generation to the next in the Barrington family until it finally settled with Nathaniel.

There are countless of similarities between Nathaniel and Nicholas's life throughout the story. Slowly, Kuhn reveals similar events that as a reader you could only compare and contrast. It's only when Nicholas begins to unravel the history of the stone that he finds out the history surrounding Nathaniel (his great-great grandfather). It was startling because before the discovery I was reading two character's stories. How Kuhn reveals the mystery of it all is magnificent! Pure genius.

There are many things that I liked about the book and most of all it was the brilliant tale Kuhn spins. It's a definite page-turner once you get through the first three chapters of exposition. I also liked the terrible amount of research that Kuhn must have gone through to make the story true to the time and place it's set.

Lastly, I want to draw attention to the cover. After reading the book I've come away with great symbolism that I appreciate. Definite brownie points to Mr. Kuhn for coming up with the concept of the stone and the journal to be on the cover.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading this book. If it wasn't for my friend Monica approaching me about The Pope's Stone then I never would have found it. It's a really great tale filled with heart-wrenching moments, startling conclusions, and mystery. Once you start reading you won't want to stop until you find out the magical attributes surrounding the Pope's Stone.

Note: I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange of an honest review.