<p><i>Heartstone<i> weaves elements of the Arthurian legend into a contemporary quest tale in which a young woman seeks the truth behind her father's disappearance and the mysterious stone he left her. Maxine Pike teaches English and folklore at a community college on Chicago's north side where she lives with an over-sized dog and vague aspirations. Shortly after learning her archaeologist father is missing and presumed dead, she becomes custodian of the strange-colored stone he left her. Immediately she begins searching for answers: what happened to her father and what is the story behind the stone? Events are set in motion that will test her courage and faith and force her to redefine her own reality.</p>