Quilting, Friendship, and Family

"true friends are the most precious gift and...even in the darkest of times, love illuminates the way."

This book was very enjoyable, but it did make me cry a bit. Having an estranged relationship with a close family member, I can relate to the characters. The story gave me hope about reconciliation. The author portrays reconciliation as difficult but doable work. She never offers trite platitudes, rather she respects her readers and with wisdom and wit created a story full of believable characters a nd situations.
And oh! The quilting! The Elm Creek Quilters use quilting as a symbol of friendship and healing. ( )

I'm not really a chick-lit reader, and this book is definitely trying very hard to be solidly in the chick-lit genre. In this story a group of quilters deals with various personal problems. Several of these problems stem directly from the older women bullying or otherwise trying to control the younger women in their circle. Annoyingly, by the end of the book, the resolution never really deals with the bullying. This does leave the possibility open for future books that the younger women may still need to work out how to be treated with more respect by the older women in their lives, but as a middle-aged woman myself I found it annoying that such toxic dynamics were left to simmer. The obvious couples hooked up by the end, marriages patched themselves up, and the central problems all resolved themselves thanks to a fortuitous will, and the characters didn't have to actually 'grow' too much.
I suppose for light reading, if you like chick-lit, this might be an ok book, but this is not a series I'll be seeking out in the future. ( )

Second in the Elm Quilters series and set 2 years after The Quilters Apprentice.

The Quilt camp is up and running, and the group members all help out and give classes.

Each chapter gives focus on a different member of the group and the problems they have as they aim to make a round robin quilt for Slyvia. Bonnie finds her husband is about to meet a woman he knows from the internet in order to have an affair. Diane is having trouble with a neighbour when she builds a skateboard ramp in her back yard. Slyvia's friend Andrew returns after a 50 year absence. Sarah's relationship with her mother hasnt gotten any better after the constant criticism dircted towards her.

The book is short (approx 300 pages in paperback), and with only a chapter per person, the resolution of each problem can therefore seem trite and a little forced. Some people find Sarah an immature woman unwilling to move on, but they are clearly people who have not suffered from someone continually criticising everything they do.
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This was a great 2nd book for a series. It fleshed the other main characters out nicely. Glad to see Carol, Sharon, & Matt are getting their equilibrium back. One quibble: when an ecpetienced needleworker gets s drop of blood on their work, they do not get it out with cold water! Instead, a drop of two of the bleeding persons’s saliva takes it right out! Presto-magico ! ( )

A continuation of the Elm Creek Quilters. There are some surprises in this book as it continues the story of Sara and her quilt club. I loved the story line of the ups and downs of family and friend relationships. This book allows the reader to get to know each member of the club on a personal level. ( )