‘The Quilter’s Apprentice’ by Jennifer Chiaverini.
July is a manic month for me – it’s almost summer holidays, but not quite. Daily life carries on as usual, although this year the heat seems to be making every task take twice as long!
So the book for this month is a relatively straight forward read, and many of you may well already have read it.
The author has written 27 books in total, including quilt pattern books and historical novels, and ‘The Quilter’s Apprentice’ was her first novel. It tells the story of how Sarah McClure struggles to find a fulfilling job. In the meantime, she agrees to help the elderly Sylvia Compson prepare her family estate, Elm Creek Manor, for sale. As part of her salary, Sarah is taught how to quilt by this grumpy older woman, who turns out to be a master quilter (hence the ‘apprentice’ of the title).
As their friendship deepens, Mrs. Compson tells Sarah the truth about why she wants to sell Elm Creek Manor and in return, Sarah looks for a way to bring life and joy back to the estate, with the aim that Mrs Compson can keep her home – and Sarah can keep her dear friend.
For me, this is a ‘Marmite’ book for many quilters. I’ve met many people who are committed Chiaverini fans and who revel in the homely stories, and others who dismiss the novels as utter tosh.
The book is easily available both as a text and on Kindle.
First question – did you like it or loathe it? And why?????
4 years ago
