Years of Stone

The McDonnell Clan, Book 2

When the man she loves is sent to prison in 1842, Deidre follows him to a world beyond the seas, Van Diemen’s Land in Australia. Their ship runs aground just as they reach the dreaded penal colony in Van Diemen’s Land (present-day Tasmania).

As Mac toils on a road gang, Deidre cobbles together a job. Befriended by Lady Franklin, the wife of world-famous explorer Sir John Franklin, Deidre finds a way to reassign Mac to Doc Morrell in Hobart Town. But Doc cannot help him once Mac fights with Constable Johnson. Mac must find a way to survive the prison at Port Arthur. Can Deidre and Mac build a new life for themselves in this rough and tumble penal colony?

Years of Stone was a quarterfinalist in 2014’s Amazon’s Breakthrough Novel Award (ABNA) competition. ABNA reviewers commented Years of Stone “grips from the beginning” and is “not to be missed”.

©2014 Beth Camp (P)2020 Beth Camp

a triumph of human perseverance

A very in-depth look at life in Tasmania, where the young couple end up. Hardships of the times seem endless, and cruelty of the system contrast greatly with our modern life. Deidre and Mac never fail in their efforts to become man & wife despite what, throughout the novel, seem insurmountable odds. The novel is very descriptive of the way of life, and the characters become real to the reader. It is clear Beth Camp did her due diligence of research, to write such vivid episodes. I look forward to another novel to carry the story forward. The reader did an admirable job of changing my her voice to depict the different characters. I usually prefer to read my novels, so I can go back to review or check information, but I enjoyed this reading.