Joanna Davidson Politano
"Compelling. Rich. Winding through past and present and linking them in surprising ways, Wen’s debut novel captures the legacy of a historic farmhouse and all the people who’ve made their lives there. I was rooting for Sloane out of the gate, and my heart went up and down with her story until the well-drawn conclusion. Wen writes with warmth and a delightful voice about heritage, family, and the nature of what’s truly important."
Foreword Reviews
"In Amanda Wen’s sensitive Christian novel Roots of Wood and Stone, a nineteenth-century diary draws a Kansas pair closer as they unearth personal pains.... Vulnerable and multifaceted characters deal with the heartbreaking realities of eldercare, but also learn to trust God’s plans over their own well-intentioned decisions. Characters’ thoughts and emotions are pulled between their desires to cling to old habits and fears and their needs to risk opening up to others.... With a resonant, alternating time line that highlights the past’s continuing influence on the present, Roots of Wood and Stone is a satisfying, moving novel that combines ancestral stories with a new romance."
Susie Finkbeiner
"Now and then I am fortunate enough to read a book that so thoroughly captures me that I forget I’m reading. It’s rare, but when it happens it feels a whole lot like magic. Amanda Wen has written such a novel. In Roots of Wood and Stone, Wen invites readers in, introduces them to characters who feel like dear friends, and gives them the gift of a tale well told. And in the telling, Wen reminds us of the beauty of friendship, love, and finding out the fullest meaning of home."
Amanda Barratt
"Amanda Wen seamlessly blends the historical and the contemporary in this lyrical debut. From Annabelle, a courageous young woman building a life on the Kansas frontier, to Sloane, a museum curator searching for answers within the pages of a diary penned over one hundred years ago, Roots of Wood and Stone spans generations in a brilliantly rendered narrative that explores the heart behind the places we call home."
Heidi Chiavaroli
"A moving, enchanting story of love and loss. Amanda Wen takes readers on an adventure that weaves past and present together in a beautiful tapestry of skillful storytelling. I was blown away by this book and its timeless message."
