Carved in Stone by Elizabeth Camden

(The Blackstone Legacy #1)

I’m always on the lookout for good Christian fiction, but I don’t really go for fluffy. There needs to be something interesting about the prose, the characters, the setting, the conflict or the philosophy to keep me engaged. In Carved in Stone, Elizabeth Camden scratched an unknown historical fiction itch that opened up New York City at the turn of the twentieth century. From marble halls to struggling intelligentsia to slummy alleys, Camden weaves three worlds that I found quite engaging. 

Gwen Kellerman is the granddaughter of Frederick Blackstone, one of the wealthiest men in America. She is also deeply connected to her beloved Blackstone College—founded by her late father. While privileged to be raised in halls of wealth and learning, she was not spared the heartache of parents broken by the murder of a young son or a dead husband who had only married her for her money. 

Patrick O’Neill was raised in poverty. He was saved from a life of violence by the church and studied law with the intent of taking holy orders. When he reneged on the priesthood, he felt ashamed that he’d taken so much of the church’s resources for free. He chose to represent those too poor to afford a lawyer and too poor to pay him a living wage. 

Of course, these two brilliant and sensitive minds come together and encounter some pretty powerful opposition in the form of Gwen’s family. Yet, Gwen brings resources Patrick cannot refuse. Patrick brings strength and a brilliant legal mind. Together, they take on many new and interesting challenges. I don’t want to give spoilers, but Camden throws some pretty unique wrenches that kept me invested in the story. 

Carved in Stone is the first novel in The Blackstone Legacy series. I’ve already started #2, and it’s a page-turner as well. Her characters are distinct, flawed, likable, and sometimes a little crazy. Believable crazy. That’s why I liked them.