Common Stones

A tragic car accident. A life controlled by addiction. Total devastation. Loss of a loved one. Making the possible out of what seems impossible. People all around the world from all walks of life face obstacles and adversity every day. However, life is not only about the struggle but how one faces it and hopefully prevails. Common Stones, by Alicia M. Smith, invites readers to take a look at the lives several people, as well as her own, who have faced struggles and shares how they managed to find their way through to the other side. Common Stones is a perfect title for this book as readers will find that as different as the people in the book are to each other and to the readers themselves there is a “common stone” to be found.

Common Stones is a very well-written inspirational book that offers not only experiences but times for self-reflection as well. Full of theme appropriate and poignant quotes, as well as Bible verses from scripture, Smith allows readers to not simply read another person’s story but rather to see that through another’s struggles they may be able to find something that can help them through their own difficult time. Some may shy away from this book due to the heavy presence of Christianity through Bible verses and each person’s strong belief and reliance upon their faith through their struggles. However, that would be unfortunate because while these particular people turned to their God and Lord Jesus to find their way, author Alicia M. Smith has written a book that is about more than just religion. She has written a book about finding a way to heal what is broken, find hope when it seems all is lost and to have faith whether it be in something greater or simply in yourself. In a world that seems to focus on how different people are this inspirational book full of life-changing quotes and stories shows us that in the end surviving it all comes down to one common stone.