From Barren Rocks... to Living Stones

"From barren rocks ... to living stones" is a concise and incident packed memoir that covers an eighteen month period in the teenage life of the author in the nineteen sixties. It is seen originally from a young person's perspective; and, as the writer matures and shares his experiences, in turn the reader gains from his reflections on the people and the places, beginning in Colonial era Aden, where he has lived, observed, and remembered. Conversational in style, it is very personal which brings something of an intimacy into the story being revealed. The book is a meditative postscript to the twentieth century bringing some valid and perceptive insights. Pursuing through the events of the time, we begin to see a life that will swing from the sadness to the times of joy, times of humour and times of thoughtfulness, times of tragedy and times of tenderness. We can see the issues as one faces the dual challenges of a western youth culture in the context of a home in the Middle East. Like wise there are the aspects of seeing the contrast of an Islamic and Christian culture side by side. However, the deep concerns of the middle eastern terrorism of the nineteen sixties also brings a topical aspect into the process of learning from the events as we begin the twenty first century with strong concerns about the dangers of living with the threat of terrorism. This is the true story of one person's journey in life that brings lessons for so many in their own journey of life.