Today’s book has held a special place in my heart since the first time I read it. In fact, it was the very first book I ever posted for Fiber Arts Fiction Friday (you can read that review here). I re-read it (again) before writing this post, and one of the things I like best about this book is that I come away with something different every time I read it.
The first time I read A Single Thread , I was in an incredibly challenging time of my life. Looking back to those dark days of 2008 still hurts. But I read this book, and then I had the opportunity to see Marie Bostwick, the author, present at the 2009 American Quilter’s Society Paducah Quilt show. To this day, I can’t believe how generous she was with her time after the lecture; meeting her in person was a ray of light in the darkness.
Synopsis (Story Details Below, But No Spoilers)
Evelyn Dixon has just been dealt a blow; her husband of 28 years has left her. In a fit of frustration, she hops in her car and drives from Texas to Connecticut, landing in the quaint New England town of New Bern. Evelyn wanders through the town, exploring the small shops, boutiques, and cafes that have drawn a steady stream of tourists seeking beautiful fall leaves. When she happens down an alley she finds an abandoned storefront that will change her life.
Having fallen in love with New Bern, Evelyn decides to take the plunge and follow one of her lifelong dreams to open a quilt shop: Cobbled Court Quilts. Disaster after disaster ensues, as Evelyn goes through the trials and tribulations of being a small business owner. Shortly after she’s opened her beautiful store, she is inspired to participate in a nation-wide charity event for breast cancer. But on the day before the event, Evelyn herself receives life-changing news.
She gets through the Quilt Pink event on autopilot, and is ready to close up after the long day when realizes there are still three women tucked away in a back room and still working on their charity quilt blocks. Abigail – the wealthy philanthropist, her (until recently) estranged niece Liza – the art college drop out, and Margot – the New Yorker who was just laid off. As Evelyn sits to help the women, the events of the day and her scary news overcome her completely and she breaks down in tears.
Margot, ever the corporate executive, takes charge of the situation immediately. The three women get Evelyn up to her apartment above the shop and fortify her with a cup of strong tea. Margot whips up a plan to help get Evelyn the help she needs and lays out a way to keep the shop open! These three strangers chip in (some more reluctantly than others), and over time a friendship is formed. They begin having a regular Friday night quilting circle, and all begin to look forward to that special time together.
Although Evelyn’s story is the main one, some chapters are also written from Abigail’s perspective. She faces her own challenges with Liza back in the family home after a run-in with the law, having been estranged for practically Liza’s whole life. She’s not entirely on board with Margot’s grand plans to support Evelyn and save the quilt shop, but she discovers over time that she’s found true friends for the very first time. Abigail is challenged to think about the way she lives her life of privlege, and who she truly wants to be.
My Review
I clearly love this book, the whole series, and Marie Bostwick as an author. I love the story of four women, each with their own challenges, coming together to support each other. Having read this book so many times now, I still novel at the way I take away something different each time. For this read, I was really touched by Abigail’s story. Although she’s lived in New Bern for almost all of her adult life and “knows” everyone in town, she is also living a life of solitude. She starts the novel with no true friends, but by the end she’s found new friends and rekindled her relationship with Liza.
Abigail’s story is also a good reminder that money doesn’t always buy happiness. She has over 90 million dollars (and that’s in 2008 dollars!), but she doesn’t enjoy her life. She has the best that money can buy and she gives generously to charity, but she doesn’t put her heart and soul into anything or anyone. And that’s no way to live.
Final Thoughts
I can’t wait to read this book again in a few years and see what part speaks most to me then. I have the book both on my Kindle and on my bookshelf, so it’s never far away whenever I’m ready to pick it up for another read.
In addition to reading this book (and all of her other books), I also highly recommend signing up for Marie Bostwick’s newsletter! She shares delicious recipes, links to her most recent blog posts, and fun snippets of her life!
Want to grab a copy of A Single Thread for yourself? Find it on Amazon here in either paperback or as a Kindle book!
Disclosure: Some of the links above are affiliate links. This means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn an affiliate commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase.
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