It s 1969 High overhead a man is preparing to walk on the moon Down here in the valley things are much interesting Distrust and arrogance are alive and well in the timeless bones and living stones of this close Welsh community and the pagan ancestors aren t as far in the past as people might think It only takes a very small dog to inflame a slumbering beast Suspiciously long lived matriarch Lizzie Coombe expects her one hundredth birthday to be a day to remember She s always kept aloof from the neighbours hasn t spoken to some for over 50 years and cares even less for their opinions But what has that got to do with anything A stuffy little that should be the highlight of the day But Reverent Morgan latest in a long line of Morgan vicars at the tiny village chapel is affronted by events And he finds a ready audience for his complaints gossip is gossip after all What follows will never be forgotten Jumbled together inside the haunted stone walls of the ancestral farmhouse aristocratic Lizzie and her stolid daughter Myfanwy only know old love from long dead sweethearts Lizzie s unstable granddaughter Sarah Maud is frightened of it Great granddaughter Jenner doesn t seem to need love at all is she a wise woman or a witch As events and people spiral out of her accustomed control Lizzie faces her own ghosts and sees she might have to do the care for her family or accept the that her family don t care for her This quirky family saga looks at alienation and healing change and tradition and the impacts of love and tragedy on the generations And holding them all the ancient landscape of South Wales Described as A compelling tale brought to life immersive wild visceral and magical the book moves through moments of tension optimism and humour like life itself and will be appreciated by mature readers looking for work that is thoughtful imaginative and complex yet very enjoyable to read Red Gifts in the Garden of Stones A tale of grief and ghosts and at least one small dogAldous Huxley famously said that to write fiction one needs a whole series of inspirations about people in an actual environment and then a whole lot of work on the basis of those inspirations. Through a blend of lyrical prose poignant moments sharp wit and enchanting storytelling Swanborough s debut novel set in the ancient landscape of South Wales tells a story that touches the heart and mind It s a tale filled with magic and depth that resonates long after the final page is turned I think Huxley would have approved 9781763500013 One of the things I look for in a novel is that it takes me somewhere new somewhere I ve never been or couldn t be This book does that I m instantly transported from my climate controlled middle class suburban life into the bustle of Welsh village life where fires crackle under blackened pots shadows flicker and strangers get noticed at the pub Swanborough s writing is exquisite rich earthy full of life and mess and ill omen So vivid you can hear the characters breathing 9781763500013