[Nina]

#59195

*** SPOILER ALERT ***
This is the place where we discuss The Last Runaway by Tracy Chevalier.

Some of you will already have read the book, so feel free to start the discussion already now! As others have a chance to get hold of the book and read it, they’ll join in.

[Sylvia Priest – webmaster and quilter]

#59197

I think I have the Kindle Version, if not I soon will have. Whats the protocol for this please? Apart from reading it of course!

[Nina]

#59200

Sylvia – details are here, https://ukqu.co.uk/groups/ukqu-book-club/forum/topic/book-1-april-2018-the-last-runaway/

Or were you after some more detailed instructions???

[Anne Burke]

#59334

Nina, how do the tags work please?

[Anne Burke]

#59333

I have read this before, and given it away, but with my foggy brain I won’t remember it. And how lucky am I? It’s available from my library as an e-book, so have just downloaded it ! Fabuloso 🤓

[Nina]

#59335

Anne, that was meant to be then!

[Anne Burke]

#59665

Actually I think I haven’t read this before. Was getting mixed up with the Jennifer Chiaverini books .

Very glad to have been introduced to The Last Runaway.

[Nina]

#59337

@pollyanna – Anne, what did you mean with your question on how the tags work please?

[Anne Burke]

#59339

When we add a contribution to the discussion, is there a particular tag or set of tags for this discussion thread, or just leave the tags blank?

[Nina]

#59341

@pollyanna – just keep the discussion in this Topic / thread. Tags may get too confusing for those on phones & tablets!

[Frances Darvill]

#59356

Im just about to order this one 🙂

[Kathrin W]

#59361

Ooh good. Have had the book for ages. Now I have an excuse to read it.

[Sylvia Priest – webmaster and quilter]

#59367

I have made a start, and having just checked one of the Quilt Patterns mentioned I am surprised how it has lasted the test of time, and been reinterpreted in modern day patterns too. the Star of Bethlehem is one I had not heard about previously, but with so many patterns that doesn’t surprise me one bit. The book, I am finding, is engrossing and not just because it talks of quilts. It flows and is written so well I am almost sat next to Honor on her journey!

[Sylvia Priest – webmaster and quilter]

#59383

Loving this book even more now I have found a direct geographical connection with one of the characters. Belle and I come from the same county!

[Anne Burke]

#59667

Kentucky?

[Sylvia Priest – webmaster and quilter]

#63455

No, Lincolnshire!

[Sue Burford]

#59661

I have downloaded it. When do we start and when do we start to make the comments please?

[Nina]

#59663

Sue, start reading when you have a chance!! Discussion can start already now in this thread, as Sylvia has done.
Try to finish the book during April, as I’ll be selecting a new book for May. Don’t blame me if you don’t have time for housework or sewing….

[Anne Burke]

#59669

Oh my goodness, have finished it already, couldn’t stop reading. Really good story. References to quilts and quilting felt completely natural. Some good further reading ideas suggested too. And a great summary of some of the essentials of the history of the USA also included at the back. Feel like I have broadened my understanding of Quakers and consolidated and cleared up some of my confusion about the long struggle for emancipation.

[Nina]

#59809

Anne, BLIMEY!!!! That was fast!
It is a really good read.
I feel absolutely no pressure selecting the next one…. LOL

[Anne Burke]

#61483

LOL, but you can’t please all the people all the time x
If some don’t like a particular book, others will = bound to be a mixed bag or responses x

[Lyn Butler]

#59677

I’ve downloaded the audible, so I can multitask!

[Nina]

#61719

Lyn, I’m trying to find books which are available in at least two formats – printed, ebook and audio. A few are available as MP3 CDs (but not download audio), others not at all. Hopefully most months, audio will be an option.

[Sally Dodsworth]

#60481

Downloaded and started…usually I’m a crime and thriller type of girl but this has me hooked already. Such an easy “flowing” read.

[Nina]

#60758

Sally, I am planning to select different types of books, so you’ll get some quilt crime too!

[Nicola Broadhurst]

#60512

I’ve finished and loved it. Couldnt put it down and actually stopped me sewing for a few days! Thanks for the suggestion. A really beautiful read and included a favourite pastime of quilting and my home county if Dorset.

[Nina]

#60764

Nicola, sorry about the sewing, lol!

[Nina]

#60766

QUESTION TO ALL – would you like a separate thread for those who has FINISHED the book, for chatting about it, or happy to do it here / not at all?

[Frances Darvill]

#61105

Im happy to chat here if thats okay with everyone else, im still waiting for my book to arrive. I was going to ask is there any chance that we could know the title of the next one before the start of the month so that those of us who need to order it, can get it before the start of the month 🙂

[Nina]

#61722

Frances,
I am hoping to announce the book at the beginning of each month (or just before); April was a bit later as I hadn’t expected the huge and immediate interest in a Book Club!!!
I am reading through a few different books at the moment, to make sure we get a variety of genres, but as soon as I’ve decided on the next one, there’ll be an announcement.

[Frances Darvill]

#61736

Thank you Nina 🙂

[Marilyn Moffat]

#61338

Well this is an engrossing read. I like the way the letters are used to summarise time that has passed as well as some pithy comments on quilting styles. I was at the American Museum to look at the quilts last year and I now have a deeper understanding as to why some quilts have a patchy rough and ready appearance when you look closer.
As I am just finishing a sample block quilt I was familiar with some of the patterns under discussion (if only because I rejected them as too complex for me) but the Road to Ohio block has new meaning mow!
BTW – I have been seasick – it is horrible but I can’t imagine a scenario where it would make me THROW AWAY fabric!

[Sue Collins]

#61507

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, as always Tracy Chevalier has done a lot of research on her subject. I looked up some of the quilt blocks mentioned and was interested to find them on pinterest! The story was excellent, thought provoking and gave me a better understanding of the Quaker life. I now feel a trip to the American Museum coming on!

[Margaret Cull]

#61527

I came to stay with MIL on Monday and started the book and I’ve just finished it! I loved every minute of it. Thanks to whoever suggested it. I am an avid reader and can’t wait for the next one now.

[Sally Dodsworth]

#61560

Enjoyed a days holiday sat by the pool reading this…loved it. Couldn’t predict how it would end and thought I’d be unhappy but actually liked the ending. A thought provoking book, well researched and quite gripping.

[Vanessa Gibson]

#61741

Just read this whilst on holiday. Not a book I would normally choose but thoroughly enjoyed it. As a beginner quilter I will be looking up some of the patterns mentioned. I did love that she used scraps too… sometimes in todays discussions it can get very specific about what fabric should or should not be used. She used anything to hand. The references to applique and the differences in style also interesting.

Thanks for recommending. Looking forward to the next.

Vanessa

[Anne Burke]

#61758

SPOILER ALERT: IF YOU HAVEN’T FINISHED READING THE BOOK, YOU WOULD PROBABLY PREFER TO LEAVE READING THIS CONTRIBUTION UNTIL YOU HAVE x. Something that I loved about this story is the plethora of ‘might have been a different story’ threads running through it. For Honor alone: if Samuel had honoured their engagement; if Grace hadn’t died; if Donovan had behaved differently and won her hand; if Adam had not chosen Abigail; if Judith and family had not had their own dreadful experiences in the past ….. it’s so like real life with multiple ‘might have been’ threads and it was as though I was partly reading those other stories too. This may have had something to do with Honor repeatedly merely reacting to her predicaments, before finally becoming proactive. She seems so real that I almost feel that I know her. I like the tense that it’s written in (not sure if tense is the right word) and that reminds me of the Harry Potter stories, and why I find those so easy to read – as though we can both observe Harry, and yet know his inner thoughts-as poorly as we know our own. Same here with Honor, it’s so intimate, just fab.

[Sue Burford]

#61821

Just started the book last night. Read 4 chapters – thoroughly enjoyed the book so far. The references to the quilts are good. The part where the heroine works in a Miliners is great – I did a C & G course for 2 years in Millinery and taught for a year – bought it all back! Wonderful…. Can’t wait to pick up again tonight. Thank you so much for introducing me to this Book.

[Lyn Butler]

#62013

I’ve read this before…but surprising how much I missed…loving it.

[Nina]

#62122

SUGGESTED DISCUSSION POINTS, FROM THE AUTHOR –

There are prompts for discussion around the roles, relationships, quilt patterns (!), dealing with loss, and the effect of the journey from England might have us on Honor.

Feel free to commmet on any / all of these and see where it takes us. It’s such a thought provoking book that a good discussion may be welcome to many.

http://www.tchevalier.com/reading-group-guide

[Caz Newton]

#62135

I read this in two days!! Loved it! I used to be an avid reader, then had some big upsets in my life which stopped me reading but this book has got me going again.
Like Anne Burke commented – a lot of ‘what ifs’….I was convinced Honor was going to end up with Donovan after she ran away……
A very good read, makes me want to find out more about the whole slave history and a bit more about the Quakers.
It’s made me look out my Jennifer Chiaverini books, several of those I didn’t read when I bought them….

[Frances Darvill]

#62145

Woohoo my book arrived yesterday, so no guess what i will be reading in bed tonight 🙂

[‘Retired-and-loving-it’ quilter and crafter living in west London]

#64682

I’m an Audible fan and listened to this book over a period of 4 days and loved it. I haven’t read/listened to any of Tracy Chevalier’s books before and loved the flow of the narrative. Thanks for getting me out of The habit of reading a constant diet of crime thrillers peppered with the odd classic. Does anyone know why brides were expected to make 12 quiilt before marriage?

Loved the device of using content of letters to move the plot forward. Pity the narrator of the audiobook wasn’t particularly adept at English regional accents.

[Frances Darvill]

#64773

I hadnt heard of a specific number before, but im guessing its a number of reasons, to show that you were good enough at sewing that you could provide comfort for a future husband, there had to be quite a lot of them so that you could wash them, dry them and still have ones for the bed while you were washing them, and probably something to do with devil making work for idle hands if you could show that you had not been idle then you were probably considered a good worker.
Francesxx

[Frances Darvill]

#65240

Finished it last night, and I really enjoyed it, great book I learnt a lot about Quakers who I knew hardly anything about other than they believed in anti slavery and they preferred to wear silk rather than cotton, since cotton was produced using slavery, so for me its been really interesting…. roll on next month 🙂
Francesxxx

[Jean]

#65242

Thank you for choosing this book. I have found it very difficult to ‘get into’ books recently but this book was different and I had no problems.
I really enjoyed the story and how Honor’s life journey progressed. I wish it had been longer or that there was a sequel.
Can’t wait to see what is chosen for next month.

[Marion]

#95817

Really enjoyed this book as not one I would have chosen for myself but sometimes it is good to move away from the usual authors.

[Author]

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