When the Stones Held by David E. Owen

 

One Man. One Dream. One Extraordinary Bridge.

Today, Yarde Book Promotions is handing over the spotlight to historical fiction author David E. Owen and his remarkable novel, When the Stones Held.

Last week, we travelled back to eighteenth-century Wales, where an ambitious young stonemason dared to attempt something that many believed impossible. We discovered a story of determination, extraordinary craftsmanship and the courage to pursue a dream, even when the odds seemed firmly stacked against it.

But we're not quite ready to leave William Edwards and his extraordinary story behind!

Today, we're celebrating When the Stones Held with a special author takeover, bringing together some of the highlights from David's recent blog tour and taking another look at the history that inspired his novel.

📖 First, let's meet the book...

When the Stones Held

By David E. Owen

Publication Date: 16th May 2026

Publisher: Independently Published

Print Length: 331 Pages

Genre: Historical Fiction 

When The Stones Held is an unforgettable historical novel inspired by the true story of William Edwards, the self taught Welsh stonemason who built one of the greatest bridges of the eighteenth century.

Born into poverty in the remote valleys of South Wales, William grows up in a world shaped by hard labour, dangerous rivers, and communities struggling to survive. Education is rare. Opportunity is rarer still. Yet from childhood, William becomes fascinated by stone, by balance, and by the dream of building something that will outlive him.

As the coal trade begins transforming Wales and merchants demand safer routes through the valleys, William sets himself an impossible task, to build a bridge across the fierce River Taff where others have failed. Floods destroy his work. Rivals mock him. Powerful men try to break him. Each collapse threatens his reputation, his livelihood, and the people he loves.

Set against the harsh beauty of eighteenth century Wales, When The Stones Held is a story of ambition, resilience, love, grief, and determination. It brings to life the people, language, and struggles of a forgotten world while telling the remarkable true story behind the bridge that gave birth to the town of Pontypridd.

Perfect for readers who enjoy rich historical fiction, Welsh history, and stories of ordinary people achieving extraordinary things.

🪨 The Man Behind the Bridge

Imagine being told that your greatest ambition was impossible. That you lacked the experience, the education or the standing to achieve something so extraordinary.

Would you give up?

William Edwards didn't.

A self-taught Welsh stonemason, Edwards became known for his remarkable determination to bridge the River Taff at Pontypridd. His story is one of ingenuity, perseverance and the refusal to accept that an ordinary man could not accomplish extraordinary things.

In When the Stones Held, David E. Owen takes this fascinating piece of Welsh history and transforms it into a historical novel that explores not only the building of a bridge, but also the man behind the ambition.

📚 A Look Back at the Blog Tour

What a wonderful week we had celebrating When the Stones Held!

From thoughtful book reviews to fascinating historical guest posts and excerpts, our fabulous bloggers helped introduce David's novel to readers across the historical fiction community.

If you missed the tour, don't worry! You can still explore all the wonderful contributions and discover what our reviewers thought of the book.

Catch up with the blog tour here:

https://maryanneyarde.blogspot.com/2026/08/blog-tour-when-stones-held-by-david-e.html

✍️ Getting to Know David E. Owen

Behind every historical novel is an author who has spent countless hours researching, imagining and bringing the past to life.

Today is also an opportunity to celebrate the author behind When the Stones Held.

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.

⭐ What Did Our Reviewers Think?

One of the loveliest parts of a blog tour is discovering how different readers respond to the same story.

Throughout last week's tour, our reviewers shared their thoughts on William Edwards, the challenges he faced and David's portrayal of eighteenth-century Wales.

"When the Stones Held is an engaging, thoughtful and beautifully grounded piece of historical fiction about craftsmanship, community, ambition and the extraordinary things that can grow from an ordinary person's determination to understand how something works."

Oh Look, Another Book!

"If you are looking for thought-provoking historical fiction set in the Welsh valleys that tells the story of a historical figure you may know very little about, then this book really needs to be on your to-read list."

The Book Bandit's Library

"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."

Candlelight Reading

🪨 Your Next Historical Fiction Read?

If you enjoy historical fiction inspired by real people, forgotten achievements and the determination of ordinary individuals to do extraordinary things, When the Stones Held deserves a place on your reading list.

William Edwards left behind a remarkable legacy. David E. Owen invites readers to discover the man behind it.

Discover When the Stones Held by David E. Owen today!

Amazon

---

A huge thank you to David E. Owen for allowing Yarde Book Promotions to celebrate his wonderful novel, and to all our fabulous bloggers who supported last week's tour. Your time, enthusiasm and dedication are always greatly appreciated!

Yarde Book Promotions