I had very high hopes for this book since it's been on my TBR for eons. Published in 1966, Five Smooth Stones has some good points but not enough to give it 4 stars. Problems: 1. It's too damn long by 300-350 pages 2. There is a romance between 2 characters that is NOT believable. There is not any chemistry between the 2 characters to make the reader believe they are in love. 3. The character of Sara is irritating! I was happy when I didn't have to read about her. Good stuff: This book was written by a white woman who knew, understood, and was able to write very authentically about race relations, racism, and black people.  There are some white authors who could learn a few things from Ann Fairbairn.