When the Stones Held is a historical novel inspired by the remarkable true story of William Edwards, the self-taught Welsh stonemason who built one of the great bridges of the eighteenth century.
Growing up in rural South Wales, William lives in a world of hard physical labour, dangerous rivers and limited opportunity. From an early age, he develops an instinctive understanding of stone, balance and the possibilities hidden within the landscape around him.
As the coal trade begins to transform the valleys and the need for safer routes grows, William accepts an extraordinary challenge: to build a bridge across the River Taff at Pontypridd. He is twenty-seven years old and has never built a bridge before.
What follows will test far more than his skill as a stonemason. Flood destroys his first bridge. Later attempts bring new failures and new problems to solve. With his reputation, livelihood and family affected by every decision he makes, William must decide how much he is prepared to risk for something no one can promise will succeed.
Set against a South Wales beginning to experience profound change, When the Stones Held is a story of ambition, family, community and resilience, and of an apparently ordinary man whose determination would leave a legacy that survives more than two and a half centuries later.
One of the things I enjoyed most about When the Stones Held by David E. Owen was the way the story made me think about the people whose names never appear in history books. We remember William Edwards because of the bridge he built, but what about the people who worked alongside him, encouraged him, argued with him or simply carried on with their lives while he was busy trying to achieve something extraordinary?
I particularly enjoyed the way Owen portrays life in the Welsh valleys. There is a real sense of how closely everyone lives together, and how difficult it must have been to keep anything private. Everyone seems to know everyone else's business, and a person's reputation can be affected by something as simple as who they speak to or which family they associate with. I found that fascinating, particularly when money and social standing came into it.
The Price family are a good example of this. Rhys Price is a man who knows exactly how much influence he has, and he isn't particularly interested in using it kindly. What frustrated me was how easily people like him could interfere in the lives of those who had very little power to challenge them. William might be an exceptionally skilled craftsman, but that doesn't mean he is treated with the respect he deserves.
I also found the religious side of the novel much more interesting than I expected. The chapel is such an important part of the community, and William's involvement with it adds another side to his character. He isn't simply a man who works with stone all day. His beliefs matter to him, and as the years pass, he finds himself facing difficult situations where doing what he believes is right could come at a considerable personal cost.
There is a particularly satisfying development involving the chapel and the Price family later in the novel. I won't spoil it, but I was very pleased with how that situation unfolded. Sometimes you spend so long watching certain characters get away with their behaviour that you begin to wonder whether anyone is ever going to stand up to them!
Another aspect I appreciated was that the novel doesn't forget how much William's work depends upon other people. A bridge might begin as one man's idea, but somebody has to quarry the stone, move it, prepare the foundations and do the exhausting physical work. I liked seeing the men working together, particularly when the weather turned against them. There is something rather satisfying about watching a group of people who know their trades tackle a difficult job.
And the weather certainly doesn't make things easy! I had never given much thought to what happened when builders were halfway through a project and the frost arrived, or when a river suddenly rose after heavy rain. You can't simply carry on regardless, however much work has already gone into it. I found myself appreciating just how much patience these projects must have required.
I also enjoyed the way the years pass in this novel. People grow older, children become adults, relationships change and familiar faces disappear. There is a sadness to that, particularly towards the end, when William begins looking back on the people who have been part of his life. I found those later chapters surprisingly emotional. By then, I had become so accustomed to these characters being around that their absence really mattered.
What I liked most about When the Stones Held was that David E. Owen didn't make William's famous bridge the only thing worth reading about. The everyday lives of the people in the valley were just as interesting to me. Their arguments, friendships, beliefs and struggles gave me plenty to think about, and I particularly enjoyed the way the community changed over William's lifetime.
By the time I finished, I felt I had read about much more than the achievements of one remarkable Welshman. I had spent time in a community where life could be desperately unfair, but where ordinary people could also show tremendous loyalty and courage when it mattered.
If you enjoy historical fiction that takes its time with the characters and gives you plenty of everyday history alongside the bigger events, I would happily recommend When the Stones Held. It is a thoughtful, sometimes heartbreaking novel, and one I thoroughly enjoyed.
After decades spent teaching around the world—from the UK to the Caribbean, Africa, and the Middle East—I came to writing fiction later in life. I started with fantasy before finding my voice in fast-paced, real-world spy thrillers. My stories are grounded in current issues like corruption, gender bias, and power, but always emphasise pace, surprise, and character-driven tension.
I’ve visited over 80 countries, worked as a radio host in Abu Dhabi, directed Shakespeare for African audiences in the bush, and even survived a flash flood in Mali and an armed hold-up. I was arrested for drug-smuggling in Nigeria but was eventually released when I refused to pay off the police captain, and I was boat-wrecked alone on a desert island in the Arabian Sea (but no tree) and rescued through a police search. Now retired from teaching, I split my time between writing, photography, and trying to get fit (thanks to a stubborn rowing machine). My latest novel, Hate Machine, tackles misogyny and gender radicalisation — not typical thriller territory, but I like a challenge.
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