by river piedra i sat down wept

What happens when shyness prevents an adolescent love affair from developing? And what happens when, 11 years later, destiny brings the lovers together again? Pilar is now an independent and strong young woman who has learnt to bury her feelings. She is studying at a small-town university when she receives an unexpected call from her old childhood sweetheart. He is now a handsome spiritual teacher – with a reputation for performing miracles – who has turned to religion as a refuge from his inner conflicts.

Together they take a journey that is initially fraught with difficulty as blame and resentment resurface after years of being hidden. But by the River Piedra, in a small village in the French Pyrenees, they find a way to discuss many of life’s big questions and re-evaluate their own special relationship.

By the River Piedra is a wonderful novel, with a poetic and transcendent narrative, that reflects all the mysteries of love and life.