Iowa book review: 'Stone City' is a moving and rewarding read

Michael Tidemann
·2 min read
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"Stone City," a novel set in Iowa’s iconic Grant Wood hill country, was written by Jeff Mitchell, an educational consultant and former community college dean living in Cedar Rapids.
"Stone City," a novel set in Iowa’s iconic Grant Wood hill country, was written by Jeff Mitchell, an educational consultant and former community college dean living in Cedar Rapids.

"Would you believe in love at first sight?”

That’s the question posed on the cover of Jeff Mitchell’s heartwarming novel, "Stone City," set in the iconic Grant Wood hill country of eastern Iowa. Mitchell, former dean of industrial technology at Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids and currently an educational consultant, has always lived in the Stone City area, the subject of a Wood painting.

"Stone City" tells how Ashley Morgan escaped a physically abusive relationship with her father only to find herself later struggling on her own, eventually entering a cold and loveless marriage. As she approaches middle age, Ashley virtually stumbles into Jaymes Fitzgerald, a talented graduate student, historian, artist and blues musician at a conference.

Despite a 14-year age difference, the sparks of romance begin. When she takes up Jaymes on a tour of Stone City and Grant Wood country on his 1942 Indian motorcycle, those sparks ignite into a flame.

It seems that everything is against them. Ashley is financially comfortable yet emotionally starved in her marriage. She has three children she could never leave. And Jaymes is financially insecure at best. Yet Jaymes’ free-spiritedness warms Ashley’s heart in a way that her husband never could.

A strong comparison could be made to "Bridges of Madison County" by Robert James Waller, only on a motorcycle. Like Waller’s characters, they meet in an iconic and scenic part of Iowa. However, such a comparison would be dismissive of the true depth of their characters.

Mitchell explores how Ashley and Jaymes overcome the pain that haunts them both. Jaymes shows Ashley the only true, unbridled love she has ever known, and Ashley inspires him to his greatest artistic accomplishment.

Telling more of their story would be a spoiler. Let’s just say this is a very moving novel that would engage anyone interested in Iowa, Grant Wood or the incredible idea that such deep love between two people could actually happen. "Stone City" is more than a romance. It’s a novel of hopeful possibilities meeting reality in a very meaningful way.

While the ending may be unexpected, it shows how the characters help each other reach their ultimate destiny, but in different ways. "Stone City" is a satisfying story of indelibly memorable characters that will keep you thinking long afterward.

'Stone City'

  • Jeff Mitchell

  • Page Publishing

  • ISBN 978-1-6624-3612-3

  • $33.95

Michael Tidemann writes from Estherville, Iowa. His Facebook page is Author Michael Tidemann.

Michael Tidemann
Michael Tidemann

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa book review: 'Stone City' is a moving and rewarding read