Set in the Middle Ages, in the train of King Richard's Crusades, 'Scraping Through Stone' is a wonderful novel about the nature of love, true identity and choice of destiny.
Sibylla, born into a family of wealth in England in the time of Richard Coeur-de-Lion, flees her home on the eve of her arranged marriage. With her hair cut short, she disguises herself as a boy and resolves to join Richard's Crusade.
Dominic is the only son of the unhappy union of a Scots lord and his French wife. Shame stains his family and Dominic looks to the Crusades to restore honour to his household. He becomes a Knight of the Order of St John of Jerusalem, pledged to obedience, chastity, poverty and the defence of the Holy City.
In a fortress in Syria Dominic lives a life of steel and stone, sustained by order. But Sibylla knows already that disorder governs life. As each engages in their own search for freedom, they unexpectedly find each other.
Set amidst the dust haze of the Holy Land, 'Scraping Through Stone' is an exquisitely crafted fable about the mysteries of passion and faith. Exploring the nature of self and identity in the face of loss and chaos, it is a triumphant celebration of love as salvation.
