Stone Woman is a saga of Blossom's unconventional family of five women, whose lives are bound by a Vietnam-War draft dodger David, immersed in the Yorkville subculture of the hippie daze of Toronto. The novel draws the reader into a web of liaisons -- into David's love affair with Blossom's mother Liza, his covert dealings with her friend Anna, as well as the mysterious Helena. The story is brought to the present through the lives of the women's daughters who discover that their family secrets have been sculpted -- literally -- into an art form that imparts a sense of homecoming and alludes to a more hopeful future.

Bianca Lakoseljac’s second novel, Stone Woman—that relives Toronto’s 1967 “summer of love”—is being released by Guernica Editions, Fall 2016. Bianca is the author of a novel, Summer of the Dancing Bear; a collection of stories, Bridge in the Rain (Guernica, 2012, 2010); and a book of poetry, Memoirs of a Praying Mantis (Turtle Moons Press, 2009). She is TWUC liaison for the National Reading Campaign, past president of the Canadian Authors Association, Toronto, has judged various national literary competitions, and has served on a number of literary contest panels. Bianca taught at Ryerson University and Humber College. She holds an MA from York U, and is the winner of the Matthew Ahern Memorial Award in literature.

Bianca Lakoseljac's profile page

Bianca Lakoseljac has woven a complex and accomplished tapestry of a novel that contains many elements: it is a glorious visit to the late sixties, when Leonard Cohen and others played the Riverboat Cafe on Yorkville Avenue and the anti-war movement raged in its northern expression; it is a love letter to west end Toronto and the spirit of creativity in High Park; finally it is a mystery involving the complicated love among two generations of strong women who must learn to accept their triumphs and their tragedies.

Antanas Sileika, author of Buying on Time and Under Ground, and Director for the Humber School for Writers

Stone Woman is a magically-written, enthralling tale which juxtaposes the destruction of war through generations with the spirit of creativity during 1967’s “the summer of love.” There is so much beautiful writing in this novel it truly is a pleasure to read.

Paul Butler, author of NaGeira and Hero

Stone Woman pays homage to the Toronto arts and hippie scene of the 60s. Not only does it explore the ways art affects life, it also delves into how people are connected and bonded through the making and enjoyment of art.

Ottawa Review of Books