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Stones from the River
by Ursula Hegi
Why Read This?The one-sentence sell. What do you get for showing up to this book, even when it's hard?
You'll gain profound empathy for the complexities of complicity and resistance during one of history's darkest periods.
Synopsis
Alternate cover edition of ISBN 9780684844770 From the highly acclaimed, award-winning author of Floating in My Mother's Palm comes a stunning novel about ordinary people living in extraordinary times. Trudi Montag is a Zwerg —a dwarf—short, undesirable, different, the voice of anyone who has ever tried to fit in. Eventually she learns that being different is a secret that all humans share—from her mother who flees into madness, to her friend Georg whose parents pretend he's a girl, to the Jews Trudy harbors in her cellar. Ursula Hegi brings us a timeless and unforgettable story in Trudi and a small town, weaving together a profound tapestry of emotional power, humanity, and truth.
At a Glance
4.09 ★ GoodreadsTop TropesPlot devices and story situations that drive the romance. These are the circumstances that throw characters together or create conflict, not how they personally relate.
MoodWhat you felt reading this. Swoony? Gutted? Deliciously unhinged? The emotional fingerprint.
Book Details
Goodreads RatingThe crowd's verdict. Take it with salt, though. Some masterpieces are polarizing.
4.09 ★
Page CountHow long the commitment is.
525 pages
PublishedWhen this hit shelves. Helpful for tracking vibes by era.
1994
Primary GenreWhat type of book this is. Romance? Fantasy? A 400-page therapy session disguised as a thriller?
Historical Fiction
POVWhose head are you in? First person = deep in the feels. Third = watching from above. Dual = emotional whiplash (affectionate).
Third Person
Romance PacingHow long until they kiss? Slow burn = 300 pages of tension. Insta-love = page 12 and it's already chaos.
Medium Burn
CliffhangerEnding type: HEA = forever happy (you'll cry happy). HFN = happy for now (open to interpretation). Bittersweet = complicated feelings. Know what you're signing up for.
spoiler
AudiobookCan you experience this book while driving? Washing dishes? Working out while emotionally destroyed? Check here.
AvailableCan you experience this book while driving? Washing dishes? Working out while emotionally destroyed? Check here.
Yes
FormatHow fancy is the audio? Standard = one narrator. Full cast = theater kids went off. GraphicAudio = a MoViE iN yOuR mInD.
Standard
NarratorThe voice in your ears.
Kimberly Edwards Fukei
Narrator Count
Single
TropesPlot devices and story situations that drive the romance. These are the circumstances that throw characters together or create conflict, not how they personally relate.
Mood & Vibe
MoodWhat you felt reading this. Swoony? Gutted? Deliciously unhinged? The emotional fingerprint.
FMC: outcast/loner sign in to unlock
rough / aggressive sign in to unlock
historical sign in to unlock
perspective shift sign in to unlock
Short Takes
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