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Feb 06, 2012

Hayes rated it:

A gentle portrait of Kansas during the Depression. A group of ladies meet regularly for quilting bees, and help each other through death, childbirth, pain and sorrow.

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Well, you learn something new every day. "Persian Pickle" is a traditional American term that quilt makers used for the Paisley pattern.

Hand stamp for printing traditional "paisley" designs, Isfahan, Iran
Picture from Wikipedia More...

15 comments like (4 people liked it)

Feb 23, 2008

Jim rated it:

My grandparents and great-grandparents, the Butlers and the Fouts, owned farms probably on the exact land Sandra Dallas places her story. I spent many a summer break helping out on the farm. The pickle club so matches the politeness, rhythm, dialect, and pace of my grandmother's and the extended families' speech that I cried at the rememberences. The stories "Bean", as my grandfather was known (omigosh, "Queenie Bean" a coincidence?), and my father told me of growing up in th More...

0 comments like (8 people liked it)

May 17, 2008

Gigi rated it:

This book was chosen for a book club. I enjoy books from by gone era's and this is one of them. It takes a look at the lives of women living in Kansas during the depression. It illustrates their strong characters, their work ethic, and the strength of friendship. Besides all of this it has a wonderful plot with twists and turns that made it even more enjoyable to read. I also liked the book because it reminds us that even people living "simple" lives can have a strong understanding of More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Mar 29, 2008

Joan rated it:

I'm still thinking about it. do women really go to these extremes to support one another? Or was the author talking about the collective guilt women take upon themselves for the misbehavior of the men in their lives?
It was well written and I enjoyed the character's development. I was surprised the direction the book took having never read the author before. I especially liked the setting of the dust bowl era and a story about those who didn't go to California and I liked that the farmers More...

6 comments like (1 person liked it)

Jan 30, 2009

Torii rated it:

I have to save my review until after my friends read it, and after the Knit*Lit Club meets! This was the on the list for our Library book club.

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Jan 31, 2012

Alyce (At Home With Books) rated it:

The Persian Pickle Club was just a mediocre read for me, although the rest of the members of my book club liked it. I thought that the writing was over-simplified, and I know that part of the reason for this impression was that there was a lot of back and forth everyday dialogue about things inconsequential to the plot (and a lot of folksy Southern speech).

My guess is that this was one of those friendship club books that got churned out after the Ya-Ya book gained popularity (even tho More...

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Jan 10, 2012

Melissa rated it:

I have to say that this book didn't really do anything for me. It's supposed to be light hearted and a story about friendship, which I guess it is. But it just wasn't interesting to me.

In the 1930's in Kansas, a group of women get together for a quilting and literature club every week. They call themselves the Persian Pickles (named after a paisley print) and in the depression its a good way to add some fun to their life. But then, the body of one of their member's husband is found More...

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Apr 12, 2011

Laura rated it:

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here

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Dec 20, 2010

Claire rated it:

I thought this was a cute story about ladies who were in a quilting club in the 1930's.

I did enjoy reading a book based in a different time and culture (Kansas farmers). It's always interesting to see how "far" we've come since then. There are things like buttermilk that I'm glad aren't the norm anymore, but then things like affairs and unwed mothers are totally acceptable now. So, yes, it's kinda fun to read and imagine what it would be like to have lived then.

I More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Sep 17, 2010

Amy rated it:

More like 3.5 stars. And I was hesitant to call this historical fiction. But I did learn a lot about every day life in the 1930's depression era.

This book immediately drew me in by its poignant, well articulated voice of a small town farmer’s wife with spunk. The storytelling was casual and upbeat. And the often humorous metaphors were farm appropriate and well drawn out.

Luckily, this is such a short book that the slow pace didn’t bother me. (I’m more of an action se More...

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Sep 11, 2010

Loralee rated it:

Named after the other title for paisley cloth, the Persian Pickle Club tells the story of a country quilting club. Good characters, really great setting, good accounts of women comforting and standing up for each other. While there's a murder mystery in the plot, the book seems to progress around it, rather than building on it. Far more important are the simple interactions between characters: a young married woman who wants a baby and a new best friend; a snooty girl her age; an unbearable p More...

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Sep 08, 2010

Nancy rated it:

I've read at least a handfull of books about the Kansas dust bowl and/or the hardships of the 1930's and most were so mournful or stress-inducing that they left me with a hollow feeling that took a long time to relieve. The Persian Pickle Club takes an entirely different approach by showcasing a community of people that have very little but share what they have.

I was impressed by Dallas' characters because she succeded in creating an environment of need and deprivation without presen More...

1 comment like (2 people liked it)

Sep 01, 2009

Julianne rated it:

I saw that all the book clubs in America seemed to be reading this book, so I was glad when my church book club chose this title. First let me say that this is a clean and wholesome book, and I can recommend it to anyone. But then suddenly, about three-fourths of the way in, there's a swear word! And it is shocking! However, it is in an extreme scene where the use of the word can be justified, so I chose not to take offense. All the ladies at the book club agreed. So don't worry about that More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

May 25, 2011

Anne Hawn rated it:

I have become very fond of these books by Sandra Dallas. This was one of her best. It involves a quilting circle in a small Kansas town during the depression. As the women meet together to quilt and discuss the details of their lives, they become so bonded to one another that they are able to share intense secrets almost as one person.

Into this mix comes the son and brother of two of the members and his new wife, Rita. Tom has gone to college in Denver and he and his young wife i More...

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Jun 08, 2011

Emma rated it:

I haven't heard to much about this book before I read it, but apparently it's popular at the books clubs, because that's where my sister recommended it to me.

Honestly, when I started, I wasn't expecting much. I mean, essentially it's a book about Kansas - that threw me off to begin with (I feel like I can Kansas bash a little because my fiance is from there). And then it's a book about the depression - which is fairly classic thanks to good old Steinbeck. And then it's a book about a More...

1 comment like

Jun 29, 2010

Kari rated it:

I feel like I've read this before. Maybe I haven't and the premise just feels familiar because of a common theme or message that is also in movies. I'm not sure. Regardless, The Persian Pickle Club is a fast and enjoyable read. It doesn't take long before you're attached to the characters and finding yourself biased by their opinions and riding along in their old automobiles charmed by their manners. It was interesting to see which character I related to most and why. As the story unfolds More...

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May 22, 2008

Cassie rated it:

This book was rather delightful. I loved reading about these women who had little in common except a shared love of quilting in a time when little else could be afforded. They were selfless in their devotion to each other through some turn of events that ended to improve each of their lives. I thought the main character's realationship with her husband, although very subtle, throughout the book was enjoyable as well.

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Nov 29, 2011

Melinda rated it:

As if the title alone did not intrigue me, the synopsis on the cover reeled me in. I enjoyed the premise of the book - a group of small town neighbor women who meet weekly to quilt, read and chat. As can be expected, these strong, independent women ended up being and doing so much more than merely that. I found Queenie Bean to be a spunky, determined character whose compassion encouraged her to go to great lengths for her cherished friends.
I thought the book well presented life during t More...

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Jul 18, 2007

Cortney rated it:

I loved this book--and I really didn't expect to. The first chapter had a lot of characters to learn, but after that it just got better with each chapter. There are some fun unexpected twists to the plot, a few predictable parts, but a very good surprize ending. It definitely made me think a little deeper, feel a little more, and find a connection to the characters. Very good read!

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Oct 20, 2011

Lisa rated it:

This book was such a quick read! <spoiler> At first I did not think I was going to like Rita or Queenie for that matter. Rita just seemed a bit stuck up and in truth she was just a bit all the way until the end. Queenie came off as being older than she actually was and it almost sounded like Grover was older than her as well. She did not come right out and say she was better than everyone, but I kind of got that impression. She also seemed a bit daffy at times and I just wanted to reach in More...

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May 22, 2010

Teresa rated it:

This is the third Sandra Dallas novel that I have read. I previously read The Chili Queen and Tallgrass. Impressed with her work I picked up several more novels, including this one. I was not disappointed. The Persian Pickle Club follows a diverse group of ladies in Harveyville, Kansas who get together once a week to quilt. I was immediately immersed in the story. I enjoy quilting, but haven't experienced a quilting group like this. For those of you who are not familiar (which I wasn't) P More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Apr 29, 2008

Janelle rated it:

This fits in there with The Secret Life of Bees, for me. Get me out of the deep country, depressing poverty, and books about women's groups. Yikes. I feel like I'm suffocating. This book is partially redeemed by a little plot twist at the end and could bump it up to two stars, but I was forced to read it for a book club, so it stays at one star.

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Oct 13, 2009

Peggy rated it:

I just love a Sandra Dallas book. This is one of my favorites. There are many twists and turns, relationships revealed, a murder to solve and all sorts of confusions and mishaps. Many eccentric characters populted the story and a few will be found in other books by the author.

Queenie and Grover are a husband and wife who live and farm in Kansas. They take in a family, the Massies, Zepha and Blue and their 2 children, who break down and need to save money for the trip west. The More...

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Jun 18, 2009

Carol rated it:

Read this for book club...never would have found it without. I enjoyed the characters in this novel. However thought there were a lot of women (and men) to remember who was who in the "Pickle". There were some funny parts and sad parts. It was a very quick, easy read. I thought it showed how life would of been in the 1930's. It is a cross between a story about true friendships and mystery. It was interesting how the author wove those two subjects together. I liked it more as I read on More...

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Oct 15, 2009

Sherry rated it:

A heartwarming, delightful book that made me appreciate my friends even more than I usually do. A story of true friendship, with a little mystery thrown in for good measure. Even though I live in a different time and place, I truly felt I could relate to Queenie Bean and her wide variety of friends. I especially liked that she felt fierce loyalty to the women in her club, her fellow "Pickles", even the women she didn't really like. It made me stop and think about what kind of friend I More...

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Sep 18, 2011

Cassie rated it:

I was pretty disappointed by this book. It has Dallas's usual cooky, charming characters, but the story was predictable and the ending was not the surprise it was supposed to be. Mostly because the climax has appeared in some form or fashion in several other movies or books or tv shows. If it's been used on Law & Order, I'm not impressed. It was a lovely enough read that I finished it quickly and would recommend it to others, but not without a warning to not expect a whole lot in the form of More...

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Feb 16, 2011

Kim rated it:

I liked this book
setin the depression in Kansas, it follows the stories of a the women of the town. They gather regularly in a quilting club - the 'persian pickle' of the title and the quilting club name is the original name for the paisley pattern.

these women live in hard times; there is no money and no rain and they live in farmlands. Theyhave the usual mix of relationships with men; there is the devouted husband, the abusive one and the women who never has a chance at romantic More...

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Oct 23, 2011

Tiffany added it

Love, love this book! I have rarely seen characters so flawed, true and dang funny. Especially Queenie, the MC, who I found myself identifying with in a heartfelt way. Her insecurities felt like my insecurities--the way she longed for and loved her friends, the way she baked and visited to solve problems, and even her marriage.

Queenie is a member of the Persian Pickle club--a quilting club of ladies in rural Kansas I think around the 1930s. The group is composed of opinionated, diverse More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

May 10, 2008

Carol rated it:

I just loved this book. It shows the strength of bond of a group of women meeting for the express purpose of quilting, when in reality they support each other in ways far beyond the creative aspect of quilting. It reminds me of my bookclub and the bond that we have.

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

May 18, 2010

Nicster rated it:

I DID IT. I finally read The Persian Pickle Club, but with a catchy title such as that how could you not but read it. I admit that alone sold my on reading the book and I am glad I did. Having gotten lost in the chipper title of the story I was totally surprise in the direction the story went, but not disappointed.

I enjoyed getting to know each character of the pickle club and found it amusing that not each one was exactly likable. I enjoyed that through the development of th More...

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