HEARTS OF STONE

Dutton Children's Books

Children's Fiction Award Winner
— Society of Midland Authors

"The prose is lively, the action dramatic. Historical details never overwhelm the story, and readers will be hooked from the start."
— Kirkus Reviews

"Lessons of endurance, survival, and fierce family love linger long after the story..."
— Children's Literature

Pa ripped our family apart just as spring began whispering sweet promises up on Cumberland Mountain. Serviceberry buds swelled fuzzy and silver. A red fox birthed five kits in an old woodchuck burrow near the meadow. Fiddlehead ferns uncurled by the springhouse. At dawn and twilight, wrens sang their pretty come-to-me, come-to-me song from the fence rails. And the frost wriggled out of our corn patch, bringing a new crop of stones to light as it went.

Thus begins the multiple award-winning tenth published books by bestselling author Kathleen Ernst. It is written for readers age 11 to adult who enjoy historical fiction without sex, gore or explicit violence.

This page offers a mix of background information about the people, places, and the past that went into making Hearts of Stone.

Story Description

The book starts in the spring of 1861 as the American Civil War begins, and is set on Cumberland Mountain in eastern Tennessee, in the war-torn city of Nashville, and on the wagon trails between them. 

With her father gone to join the Yankee troops and her best friend, Ben, sympathizing with the Confederates, fifteen year-old Hannah finds her world torn apart by the Civil War. Then her mother dies.

Now responsible for holding the young family together, Hannah makes the difficult decision to leave her beloved Cumberland Mountain with her brother and sisters and set out on the long and dangerous journey to Nashville, in search of their only relative.

Their quest to reclaim their family leads them into the very heart of the American Civil War, and could cost them their lives.

Originally released as a 248-page hardcover (but currently out of print), it is now available as an electronic book that can be read on the iPad, Kobo, Nook, Sony, and Kindle.

What Others Are Saying

	Tofte/Wright Children's Literature Award Council for Wisconsin Writers 2006 The Council is a community of writers, poets and educators dedicated to recognizing oustanding work by Wisconsin authors.  more>>
	Editor's Choice Historical Novel Review Review by Eileen Charbonneau "Like an old-time ballad, Hearts of Stone transports readers into a lyrical, essential world brimming with life and spirit. It succeeds in that rarest of objectives – to both wrench and warm the heart. Highly recommended."  more>>
	Christian Library Journal Review by Sherri Myers "Hearts of Stone is a fantastic coming of age novel for young readers. Historically accurate and completely engaging, this dramatic book has won numerous awards. Kathleen Ernst used her knowledge and love of the Civil War era to write this remarkable novel, taking ten years to complete the task... Prejudice, hatred, forgiveness, and strong love for family combine to make Hearts of Stone a novel not soon forgotten."  more>>

About the Author

Bestselling author Kathleen Ernst writes award-winning mysteries, historical fiction, and non-fiction for adults and young readers.

Her work has earned numerous honors, including two lifetime writing achievement awards, an Emmy for educational television, and an Edgar Allan Poe and multiple Agatha Christie mystery award nominations.

To date nearly 1.8 million audio, ebook, and print copies of Kathleen's thirty-eight published books have been purchased. more>>

Related Blog Posts

Enjoy the author's insights about the story, characters, and settings.

	The Story Behind The Story "I’m often asked where my interest in the American Civil War comes from. Growing up in Maryland, I had lots of opportunities to visit Civil War battlefields. Since Maryland was a border state..." more>>
	Reenacting For Writers "My husband, daughter Meg, and I reached Spring Hill, TN, in a driving rain. The temperature was dropping. The parking lot—a field intended to hold the vehicles of 10,000 or so Civil War reenactors and their gear..." more>>