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Reviews
Bone Lines: The bestselling novel about our remarkable human journey by Stephanie Bretherton
toofondofbooks's review
4.0
Bone Lines is set in two time lines. Eloise is geneticist in present day London and is going to be working on a skull that has been found, it’s a major archeological find and she knows this is going to be such important work. The novel also follows a woman 74,000 years ago. We see her give birth out in the open and then her struggles to keep herself and her child alive and well. The skull that Eloise is working with is named Sarah, and it’s apparent that this is the woman from the past.
I’ll be honest and say that initially I did find this novel a little hard to get into, I wasn’t sure where it was going and it’s so different from anything else that I’ve read in quite a while. A few chapters in though I felt it all began to make sense to me and I could see parallels between modern woman and the woman 74,000 years ago. At this point this book became compelling for me and I struggled to put it down.
Sarah clearly has a very difficult life, she is separated from her family and is unsure where exactly she is and whether she will ever encounter people she can join with again. She is terrified of anything happening to her child and is very protective. I felt such an emotional connection to Sarah. The way she honours the dead from her family, and the way she remembers her mother and longs for her after her child is born was incredibly moving. It really got to me in a way that I wasn’t expecting, I ignorantly assumed I wouldn’t really understand a woman who lived so long ago but this novel really made me think about how longing for our mothers, needing their support and protection at various times in our lives is such a universal human emotion. The book leaves you wondering if this innate feeling is genetic, or if it’s entirely just an emotional connection to the past.
Eloise is struggling with the issues that come with being a professional woman – ideas around having children, not having a husband etc that people often want to know about. She’s also working hard to discover if there’s a genetic link to suicide. She looks for answers about everything within science and is sure there are answers to be found. When she’s really finding it tough she starts writing letters to Charles Darwin, and while this might sound like a gimmick it actually really works within the book. It gave more insight into how Eloise thinks and feels and shows her ambition and why she strives in the way she does.
The further you get into the novel the more you see the parallels between the two women. The way they are both searching for a place to belong, a place where they fit in and feel safe. Sarah ponders on finding another group she can settle with, and Eloise seems to be looking for something that’s missing in her own life. It really opened my eyes to the universality of what humans are seeking, in spite of the circumstances of their life.
This is a beautifully written novel that explores science, evolution and emotion. It’s such an enjoyable read whilst also giving you something to think about. I’m so glad that I got the chance to read this, it feels like a book that will really stay with me. It’s made me want to read more about the period that Sarah was living and to understand how we got from there to here. I’m delighted to see that while this book stands on its own that a sequel is planned, I will definitely pre-order this book when it’s available!
A powerful, moving and fascinating novel!
This review was originally posted on my blog https://rathertoofondofbooks.com
I’ll be honest and say that initially I did find this novel a little hard to get into, I wasn’t sure where it was going and it’s so different from anything else that I’ve read in quite a while. A few chapters in though I felt it all began to make sense to me and I could see parallels between modern woman and the woman 74,000 years ago. At this point this book became compelling for me and I struggled to put it down.
Sarah clearly has a very difficult life, she is separated from her family and is unsure where exactly she is and whether she will ever encounter people she can join with again. She is terrified of anything happening to her child and is very protective. I felt such an emotional connection to Sarah. The way she honours the dead from her family, and the way she remembers her mother and longs for her after her child is born was incredibly moving. It really got to me in a way that I wasn’t expecting, I ignorantly assumed I wouldn’t really understand a woman who lived so long ago but this novel really made me think about how longing for our mothers, needing their support and protection at various times in our lives is such a universal human emotion. The book leaves you wondering if this innate feeling is genetic, or if it’s entirely just an emotional connection to the past.
Eloise is struggling with the issues that come with being a professional woman – ideas around having children, not having a husband etc that people often want to know about. She’s also working hard to discover if there’s a genetic link to suicide. She looks for answers about everything within science and is sure there are answers to be found. When she’s really finding it tough she starts writing letters to Charles Darwin, and while this might sound like a gimmick it actually really works within the book. It gave more insight into how Eloise thinks and feels and shows her ambition and why she strives in the way she does.
The further you get into the novel the more you see the parallels between the two women. The way they are both searching for a place to belong, a place where they fit in and feel safe. Sarah ponders on finding another group she can settle with, and Eloise seems to be looking for something that’s missing in her own life. It really opened my eyes to the universality of what humans are seeking, in spite of the circumstances of their life.
This is a beautifully written novel that explores science, evolution and emotion. It’s such an enjoyable read whilst also giving you something to think about. I’m so glad that I got the chance to read this, it feels like a book that will really stay with me. It’s made me want to read more about the period that Sarah was living and to understand how we got from there to here. I’m delighted to see that while this book stands on its own that a sequel is planned, I will definitely pre-order this book when it’s available!
A powerful, moving and fascinating novel!
This review was originally posted on my blog https://rathertoofondofbooks.com
kleonard's review
1.0
The premise of this novel was interesting: two women, one ancient, one modern, whose stories come together when the modern woman is asked to study the bones of the ancient. The narrative moves back and forth between them, mostly parallel, as the author details the daily concerns and struggles both face. However, neither woman is very interesting, and their characters are flat and dull, which makes for some stultifying reading. In addition, the modern woman, who is primarily occupied by her sex life and potential partners, comes off as unprofessional and far more interested in the dynamics of her relationship with a co-worker and former lovers than anything else. While it's undoubtedly fascinating to her, for readers it's a lot of repetitive navel-gazing. The ancient woman gives birth alone, must fight and kill a bear, and searches for a sustainable life. Her trek is only mildly more interesting that that of the modern woman, and the writing about both is riddled with cliches and stereotyping. Finally, the author apparently felt the need to educate her readers, which she attempts to do through a series of incredibly asinine and pedantic letters the modern woman writes to Charles Dickens in a one-sided conversation.
ewanl's review
4.0
This debut novel by Stephanie Bretherton is another Unbound publication, the publisher which continues to take a risk on the more unusual suspects, when selecting their authors and projects.
Bone Lines deals both with a scientist investigating some prehistoric remains in the present day and the story of the person who left those remains behind. Stephanie creates two believable and well-rounded heroines in separate and entirely convincing worlds. They are both strong and complex women of their time and this reader was thoroughly engaged by them. No regrets at all about picking up Ms Bretherton’s novel with its intriguing premise.
Some may feel the device of Eloise’s letters to Darwin a little contrived, but in fact it works well in explaining and exploring some of the difficult ethical, scientific and philosophical concepts touched on by this book.
Without banging the reader over the head with polemic, this novel explains beautifully some of the compromises, dilemmas and injustices encountered by women in the scientific (and let’s face it, almost any other) field.
Perhaps I’ve made Bone Fields sound a little dry: I assure you it’s anything but. Give it a try, it really is a book less ordinary and I for one am looking forward to the sequel.
thedeathmaven's review
4.0
Full review: http://lauramorningstar.com/book-review-bone-lines/
Bone Lines is a beautifully crafted book that once again shows Unbound Digital’s wonderful ability to showcase new authors. This is a novel that can be read as a stand alone however is also planned to be the first part of the authors ‘Children of Sarah’ series.
This is a book that unashamedly mixes scientific fact, with a fictional storyline, that provides context for the moral dilemmas scientists face. The story predominantly follows Eloise a geneticist trying to uncover the mysteries of a 74,000 year old skeleton. The remains are those of Sarah a prehistoric woman. The author beautiful weaves the stories of both women throughout the book, firstly Sarah who is a mother, plagued with visions, and making a perilous journey while confronted by many dangers. Then Eloise, who is trying to discover more about Sarah, while facing moral dilemmas, talking to her cat Newton, having a bit of a hapless love-life, and writing letters to Charles Darwin.
What I loved is that Stephanie created two amazing heroines, in two totally different times and for all intense purposes different worlds. Both Eloise and Sarah are well-rounded and it is easy to empathise with them.
I liked how Eloise wrote to Darwin as she pondered the moral complexities of her work and it was a brilliant plot line in my mind for explaining some of the difficult philosophical and scientific questions that are raised within the book.
Bone Lines could run the risk of being very heavy and dry, however in the approach the author takes asking us to journey with Eloise as she discovers the secrets Sarah’s skelton hides we are drawn into the lives of these two strong characters. In many ways Sarah’s story was more compelling to me, and that could be because as a mother it was easier to imagine the extremes you would go to to protect your child.
It is clear that Bone Lines has been thoroughly and meticulously researched through Stephanie's ability to describe complex scientific topics in layman's terms. Making them more widely accessible to a broader audience.
This is a book that can be appreciated on many different levels, it appealed to my inner science geek and at the same time to my wondering questioning philosophical side to. It raised questions that have created the opportunity for interesting discussions with my partner and friends. Most importantly it drew me into the lives of these two courageous women. A powerful book!
Bone Lines is a beautifully crafted book that once again shows Unbound Digital’s wonderful ability to showcase new authors. This is a novel that can be read as a stand alone however is also planned to be the first part of the authors ‘Children of Sarah’ series.
This is a book that unashamedly mixes scientific fact, with a fictional storyline, that provides context for the moral dilemmas scientists face. The story predominantly follows Eloise a geneticist trying to uncover the mysteries of a 74,000 year old skeleton. The remains are those of Sarah a prehistoric woman. The author beautiful weaves the stories of both women throughout the book, firstly Sarah who is a mother, plagued with visions, and making a perilous journey while confronted by many dangers. Then Eloise, who is trying to discover more about Sarah, while facing moral dilemmas, talking to her cat Newton, having a bit of a hapless love-life, and writing letters to Charles Darwin.
What I loved is that Stephanie created two amazing heroines, in two totally different times and for all intense purposes different worlds. Both Eloise and Sarah are well-rounded and it is easy to empathise with them.
I liked how Eloise wrote to Darwin as she pondered the moral complexities of her work and it was a brilliant plot line in my mind for explaining some of the difficult philosophical and scientific questions that are raised within the book.
Bone Lines could run the risk of being very heavy and dry, however in the approach the author takes asking us to journey with Eloise as she discovers the secrets Sarah’s skelton hides we are drawn into the lives of these two strong characters. In many ways Sarah’s story was more compelling to me, and that could be because as a mother it was easier to imagine the extremes you would go to to protect your child.
It is clear that Bone Lines has been thoroughly and meticulously researched through Stephanie's ability to describe complex scientific topics in layman's terms. Making them more widely accessible to a broader audience.
This is a book that can be appreciated on many different levels, it appealed to my inner science geek and at the same time to my wondering questioning philosophical side to. It raised questions that have created the opportunity for interesting discussions with my partner and friends. Most importantly it drew me into the lives of these two courageous women. A powerful book!
lilbroccoli's review
1.0
There are good ideas at the core of this book. You spend most of the novel inside the main character’s head, and she frequently grapples with big issues such as evolution and religion. I personally did not enjoy this book, because I did not like the main character and I don’t feel that these big ideas were seamlessly integrated into the story. They came up in contrived circumstances, especially with Eloise’s “love letters” to Darwin. I think some readers would find these quirky and endearing, but I personally did not.
My biggest issue with Eloise is that she feels like everyone’s idea of a scientist rather than a real person. Despite (or maybe because of) all that time spent in her head, she never felt real to me. With that said, I feel like the book ended on a good note, even if it wasn’t what I expected at the beginning.
This is a very ambitious debut, but it just wasn’t for me personally.
My biggest issue with Eloise is that she feels like everyone’s idea of a scientist rather than a real person. Despite (or maybe because of) all that time spent in her head, she never felt real to me. With that said, I feel like the book ended on a good note, even if it wasn’t what I expected at the beginning.
This is a very ambitious debut, but it just wasn’t for me personally.
dave_holwill's review
4.0
I got this because it sounded like it would teach me all sorts of stuff about anthropology and pre-historic humanity while being dragged along in a whirlwind plot.
The plot is not a whirlwind, but the two storylines are compelling and I did learn a lot.
If you aren't entirely au fait with the subject matter, or very interested in it then you might find it a little dry as much of it reads like a science lecture.
But if you are, then this is the book for you, lots of theories to devour and ponder.
The plot is not a whirlwind, but the two storylines are compelling and I did learn a lot.
If you aren't entirely au fait with the subject matter, or very interested in it then you might find it a little dry as much of it reads like a science lecture.
But if you are, then this is the book for you, lots of theories to devour and ponder.
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