"These words are my only way out of this self-built dungeon. I am not seeking redemption or salvation- I long ago traded God's grace for pride and praise. This journal is meant for those who still fall for the fairytale of true love, to educate them in the folly behind this mindless faith by revealing the ravages that come from believing in hopes and dreams, in passion and love. My only hope is that readers of this diary discover what I found out too late-that believing in the lie that is true love is a dead end. Maybe then, those who read these words will understand why I threw myself into the restless azure waves 150 feet below my front window. My journal, bound in a cover made from a burlap bag that once held oysters my daddy shucked and ate, lies wedged between two rocks on the cliff 's edge, so it will not blow over the side and join my body amidst the shells and stones below. I start at the beginning. I tell the truth, even about the lies LEO HARRELL LYNN, in his stunning debut novel, THE STONE HEART, eloquently explores a family's unsteady quest for love and their place in the world...a timeless tale of love, loss, and longing, and the lengths one will go to fight the long loneliness...