My Rating: 4 of 5 Stars
About the Book:
Maybelle Kazinzki can't sew. She was after all, the only girl in the seventh grade Home Economics class to sew the zipper in the neck hole of the A-Line dress they were supposed to make. But when she finds an unfinished quilt in the attic of her mother's house she gets the crazy idea to finish it---somehow, come heck or high water. She thinks it will help fill the lonely nights while her husband, Holden, is serving overseas during World War II.
Her recently departed mother's quilt is made from scraps of material Maybelle traces back to her mother's childhood, her grandmother's childhood and her own childhood. She tries to add one of Holden's stripes to it but the sewing is not going well and neither is her life. After receiving some harsh news, Maybelle's faith falters and she puts the quilt away and stops trusting God. But God is faithful---no matter what. And it'll take a group of neighborhood women armed with quilting needles to help Maybelle believe that.
Her recently departed mother's quilt is made from scraps of material Maybelle traces back to her mother's childhood, her grandmother's childhood and her own childhood. She tries to add one of Holden's stripes to it but the sewing is not going well and neither is her life. After receiving some harsh news, Maybelle's faith falters and she puts the quilt away and stops trusting God. But God is faithful---no matter what. And it'll take a group of neighborhood women armed with quilting needles to help Maybelle believe that.
My Thoughts:
I was super excited to read Maybelle in Stitches as it's another book in a series of books I'm really loving: The Quilts of Love books. This one, like all the books so far, is different from all the rest and very unique!
Despite not being very handy with a needle, Maybelle decides to finish her recently deceased mother's quilt from the attic. This is the basis for story but there is just so much more to it. Along the way there are lots of twists and turns that I certainly did not see coming. I'm not going to lie, I cried a few times while reading this book. Joyce Magnin has a definite talent for inspiring emotion in her readers by crafting amazing characters that all but drag you into the story.
Maybelle is such a cool character! I found it so intriguing that she was a welder-- I would have loved to have been able to read more about that. I also really enjoyed reading about her struggles with God and how she overcomes them and becomes stronger in her faith, that was such an integral part of this book and a pleasant surprise. I loved how even though Maybelle was independent, she was able to rely on the others in the circle to help her try to complete the quilt. This book, from what I understand, is historically correct which definitely adds to the book.
One thing I'm really liking about The Quilts of Love book series is that it's introducing me to all of these amazing authors I've never read before, so I can't wait to see what they have in store for me next. More importantly though, I can't wait to read another Joyce Magnin book! If you have read and loved one of the other Quilts of Love books or perhaps are a fan of WWII era women's historical fiction then I recommend this book to you!
*I received this book for review from the author, which in no way affected my thoughts expressed in this review*
About the Author:
Joyce Magnin is the author of the Bright's Pond novels, including the award-winning The Prayers of Agnes Sparrow. A member of the Greater Philadelphia Christian Writers Fellowship, Joyce is a frequent workshop leader and the organizer of the StoryCrafters fiction group. She lives near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Learn more about Joyce at: http://joycemagnin.blogspot.com
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