Stone Mattress by Margaret Atwood

Title: Stone Mattress

 Author: Margaret Atwood

Published: 2014

 Genre: Psychological fiction / Gothic revenge tale

The story follows Verna, a seventy year - a widow who is going on an Arctic cruise for older travelers. Outwardly, she seems like a refined, polite lady — but as the story unfolds, we learn she has a dark secret and a thirst for revenge.

Past and Present

During the cruise, Verna meets Bob, a man who introduces himself as “Bob Goreham.” Hearing his name shocks her — because he is the same man who raped her when she was only fourteen. Back then, he was a popular young man who ruined her reputation by lying that she “wanted it.” The trauma changed her life completely: her education ended, her parents’ trust was broken, and her life took a hard turn.

Now, decades later, fate has brought them together again in this isolated, icy world.

The Setting

The cruise stops at various Arctic locations, including places with ancient rocks and fossils called stromatolites — the “stone mattresses” of the title. These are fossilized layers of microorganisms, millions of years old, symbolizing endurance and time.

The frozen, lonely landscape mirrors Verna’s emotional coldness and the frozen pain she has carried all her life.

The Revenge

Verna begins planning quietly. She realizes Bob doesn’t even remember her — he thinks she’s just another old lady he can charm. His forgetfulness and arrogance enrage her even more.

During a shore excursion, the group visits a rocky site where the guide warns about dangerous terrain. Verna pretends to slip behind with Bob. She lures him onto a slippery area covered with fossils, and when he stumbles, she pushes him to his death — his body falling among the ancient “stone mattresses.”

She covers up the incident smoothly, returning to the ship calm and composed. No one suspects her, and the Arctic swallows her secret — just as it has swallowed Bob.