Red Gifts in the Garden of Stones

A dark tale of grief and ghosts and at least one small dog

Distrust and grievance weren’t invited to Lizzie Coombe’s 100th birthday tea-party. But they came anyway. Bearing stone-cold gifts.

Image shows the book cover, featuring a view through silhouetted trees to an old house in the distance; the air is foggy and snow has fallen

As the vicar turns the neighbours against matriarch Lizzie and her misunderstood family—daughter, granddaughter and untamed great-granddaughter—events and people spiral off beyond nostalgia into a place of superstition. Trauma and loss haunt the struggle between mother-daughters, daughter-mothers.

When home and household is attacked by people Lizzie’s known all their lives, is there more to lose than respect? When the attack is from within the family, who is to blame? When flesh and blood is threatened, can any of these love-starved women be saved…

In the legendary landscape of South Wales, the impacts of love and tragedy on the generations are lived out in moments of grief and tenderness, regret and humour.

A community is defined by its history. But history can be as dry as tinder. And as red as fire.

“It’s an impressive tale, and Swanborough is a talented, lyrical writer… A debut that will enchant readers with its poetic prose and haunted realism. Our verdict: get it!” Kirkus Starred Review

“Red Gifts in the Garden of Stones is mesmerisingly good… a spellbinding novel full of dark enchantment and arcane fire. Swanborough’s beguilingly beautiful prose and uncanny imagination take the reader on a compelling journey through love, loss, and redemption.’ The Book Review Directory

Award-winning author and educator Lee Kofman describes Red Gifts in the Garden of Stones as ‘A compelling tale, brought to life… immersive, wild, visceral and magical’, and specifies for praise the dialogue, humour, world building and thematic richness; in summary, ‘…a very readable book in the best sense of this expression (so entertaining but not light).’

Published by Two Feathers Press and now available:

ISBN 978-1-7635000-0-6: paperback: purchase here or:

ISBN 978-1-7635000-1-3: e-book available on Amazon Barnes & Noble Kobo and other online sources in your country

Come and say hello:

Other Work:

Short Fiction — short stories and fragments, that we can call ‘not true’. Although some of them might be true, for some people, in some places, at some times.

Non-Fiction — a mix of narrative non-fiction on a mix of topics.

Poetry — well, inevitable really. I’ll keep it to a minimum.

Some non-fiction work can also be found on my Medium site

I have had short stories included in anthologies:

  • COLP Underground Anthology 2021, available here
  • Gypsum Tales:
  • Stringy Bark Tales:
  • 100 Word Stories:

All content including images is original and my own work. © Pamela Swanborough 2019–24, except where credited otherwise, or out of copyright. Send me a contact message if you wish to link to any posts etc.

You can contact me HERE . Thanks