The Gift of Stones
The Gift of Stones is a 1988 novel by Jim Crace. Set at the end of the Neolithic era, just as bronze tools begin to change life, the story is told by a village storyteller who once lost an arm and was shunned because of his stonemasonry skills. The boy leaves the village to find his place and discovers he is a natural storyteller. The storyteller returns home but mostly spends his time protecting a widow and her child who were banished and now live two days’ walk away. He travels back to the village with new stories to tell.
Crace based the amputation scene on his father’s real experience with a bone infection. The novel explores truth and fiction, asking readers to consider which parts of a story to believe. It also looks at social change and the impact of new technology, and some readers see it as a reflection on Thatcher-era Britain.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 05:33 (CET).