THE ICE CHORUS

From Booklist
In this tender, elegantly told love story, Liselle flees her native Toronto for a small village on the Irish coast. As she slowly incorporates herself into the lives of the villagers, Liselle recreates the circumstances surrounding the bitter breakup of her 18-year marriage. While accompanying her workaholic husband on an archaeological dig in Mexico she met Charlie, a gifted painter. Their intense affair prompts her realization iof how she has avoided intimacy ever since she found her father dead and discovering he led a double life during her teen years. Although aware of the many ways she has settled for less in her life and her marriage, she is slow to act. When Charlie mounts an exhibit of eight shockingly intimate portraits, she is forced to make a decision. Stonich effortlessly conjures multiple vivid settings and uncommonly interesting characters even as she moves seamlessly between the past and present. A subtle, lovely evocation of the transforming power of love.  

from Bookpage "An aesthetic triumph with real heart."

from Minneapolis Star Tribune
At first glance, the premise of The Ice Chorus might appear all too predictable: Begin with one neglected wife. Add one sensuous painter, and set your tale in an idyllic tropical location. Mix well. It seems obvious that romance will ensue. But as St. Paul native Sarah Stonich first proved in her stunning debut, "These Granite Islands," this talented author has far more to offer. The Ice Chorus is one of those transporting novels that readers will inhabit as they're reading, and perhaps even replay the scenes that pack a particularly cinematic punch. In her unconventional second effort, Stonich has fully mastered the ability to build mood, creating a dreamy air of possibility that lingers.

from Library Journal
In the aftermath of an extramarital affair with painter Charlie, Lise retreats to a seaside cottage in Ireland , where she reflects on her recent and distant histories, with the revelation of layers of memories including a long-buried secret from Lise's childhood, we become drawn in. Between flashbacks, a subplot of Lise's relations with the Conner family is equally engaging. Stonich ( These Granite Islands ) infuses her prose with sensory details appropriate for characters who are keen observers of their surroundings. Whether or not Lise and Charlie end up together is beside the point; this is a story about a woman achieving wholeness on her own terms.

from Publishers Weekly
Here's an Irish Style yarn: a woman of many nicknames meets an artist "considered ugly by most", has a paint-spattered affair with him and then finds comfort in exile at an unhandsome seaside house on the Irish coast. Stonich pays homage to the Irish storytelling tradition in this sophisticated and fully realized tale of love and forgiveness.

from BookSense ".With vivid descriptions and lyrical prose, this novel of love and longing is as beautiful as the ocean-hued piece of silk that binds the story together."

THESE GRANITE ISLANDS

from BookSense
Set in a 1930’s resort community, this is the story of two women and the state of their marriages. Stonich has captured in a unique way the essence of ambiguity relationships can have before they mature or break apart. The suspense as the summer unforlds holds the readerr’s attention in quite a satistying way. It will be a great book group selection.
Anita Zager - Northern Lights Books & Gifts (Duluth)

From Minneapolis Star Tribune
...brisk dialogue and an assured plot...an appealing story about one woman’s transformation...

From Library Journal
Reminiscent of Anita Shreve’s works in its lyrical blend of past and present, this first novel by an award-winning writer opens with a dying Isobel–her grasp on reality fading away–recalling a pivotal time in her past to her son. In 1936, when she was a young mother and her husband had taken their sons away for the summer, Isobel meets Cathryn, and a true friendship is born that alters Isobel’s normally quiet existence. Cathryn becomes involved in a torrid love affair, and Isobel is thrown into the drama. The summer ends in mysterious tragedy that haunts Isobel for the rest of her life. Stonich perfectly captures the essence of a woman facing her death, and her portrait of Isobel’s family is touching and honest. A wonderful read; recommended for public libraries.
Beth Gibbs, P.L. of Charlotte & Mecklenburg Cty., NC Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.

From Publisher’s Weekly
Stonich’s rich debut is a romance in the best sense of the word: it’s a tale of love and adventure set in a remote time, atmospherically rendered, with carefully observed scenes. Stonich unfurls a complex, many-layered and suspenseful story; and, like Susan Minot and Anita Shreve, she handles flashbacks and contemporary details with equal precision. Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.