The Master Quilter

Elm Creek Quilts #6

by Jennifer Chiaverini

This ninth Elm Creek Quilts novel continues the series with a tribute to matriarch Sylvia Compson, who surprised her fellow quilters by marrying her longtime sweetheart on a recent holiday. Eager to honor their favorite Master Quilter, the Elm Creek Quilters hasten to stitch a bridal quilt for the newlyweds. Until the time comes to unveil the surprise gift, Sylvia will be the one in the dark. Such little white lies seem harmless enough. But the quilting retreat at Elm Creek Manor thrives on women sharing their creativity, their challenges and their dreams. Somehow, in their race to commemorate in the bridal quilt all they hold dear about Sylvia’s wisdom, skill and devotion, her fellow quilters forget to give honesty its pride of place. Just when it seems that the women have everything to celebrate, forces conspire to threaten their happiness and prosperity. Two among them falter in their personal relationships, while another suffers financial problems. As still two others weigh the comfort of the present against dreams of a future far from Elm Creek Manor, closely guarded secrets strain the bonds of friendship with those who may be left behind.

Genres: Fiction, Quilting, Chick Lit, Historical Fiction, Contemporary, Audiobook, Novels

336 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2004

About the author

Jennifer Chiaverini is the New York Times bestselling author of thirty-three novels, including acclaimed historical fiction and the beloved Elm Creek Quilts series. She has also written seven quilt pattern books inspired by her novels. A graduate of the University of Notre Dame and the University of Chicago, she lives with her husband and two sons in Madison, Wisconsin. About her historical fiction, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel writes, "In addition to simply being fascinating stories, these novels go a long way in capturing the texture of life for women, rich and poor, black and white, in those perilous years."

Reviews

[Glenda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not my favorite of the series so far, but I enjoyed the characters as usual. In The Master Quilter, the author uses the technique of recounting the action from multiple points of view. While I did enjoy learning more about some of the characters that have not been featured in the earlier books, like Agnes, I found the retelling of the same action sequence disorienting and not all together pleasant -- like waking up yet again from a recurring dream.

[Trisha Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Original review posted here: http://onceuponatime-bookblog.blogspo...

Let me just start by saying that I am really enjoying this series!! I kept hearing good things about them at the public library and picked up the first book, The Quilter's Apprentice, about a month ago and have been hooked ever since. I usually don't read series books - mostly because there are so many books out there that I have a hard time committing the quickly declining reading time that I have unless the series is really, really good. I also usually like to find books with a bit more substance, but I love listening to these books on playaway and find myself drawn to the various characters and storylines. I have a little over a half-an-hour drive to and from work everyday and they are the perfect books to listen to in the car (and sometimes in the driveway to finish a really good chapter!)

Sometimes after reading a lot of heavier and more complex books, I need to unwind with something a big more low-key. Sometimes I just want to read about real people doing real things and not have to think too much about why or how they are doing them. Sometimes I just need a break from thinking for awhile.

And these books just aren't just mind-numbing click-lit type books either. Even though they don't have that literary quality that I usually look for, there is a substantial amount of historical detail throughout a majority of the books and I am really enjoying learning about quilting!!

This story is a bit different from the previous novels. It is completely set in the present and comes back to the original Elm Creek quilters as they prepare a bridal quilt for Sylvia. As usual they all have secrets and problems of there own that are sorted out through the story. The book is unique in that each chapter is told from the view point of one of the different characters and overlaps in the time span of the story (about four or five months - I think). I don't remember ever reading a book that was done this way before and I thought it was done very well. As each chapter unfolds, readers learn more and more about how each of the characters are dealing with specific situations mentioned and why they are acting the way they are. Even though I missed having a historical aspect of the story, it was still interesting and I enjoyed how the author went more in depth about each of the main characters and showcased their lives and personalities.

I am going to give this series a break for awhile. I read somewhere that this was originally where Chaverini was going to end the Elm Creek Quilts book, so I figured it would be a good place to stop. I have grown to really enjoy these books, but I don't want to end up listening to them all in a few months - there are 20 total - even though I easily could. Plus I have a extremely huge and ever-growing list of "to-read" books at the moment (thank you to my new job at the public library as an adult services librarian!) There are a few holiday books coming up in the series and I am planning on coming back to them towards Christmas this year - can't wait, but it will be nice to explore some other titles and authors and are sitting on my desk as well! And perhaps I can also find sometime to learn how to quilt :)

[Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am trying to work my way through the Elm Creek Quilts series, and I have to say that is is my least favorite so far. It all centers around secret-keeping, starting with a special wedding quilt that the Quilters want to give Sylvia as a belated wedding gift. From there, each chapter focuses on a different Quilter and updates us on each of their lives. I found this to be a great thing because by now I've sort of lost track of who is who and what they're up to. I liked the continuing drama between Diane and her combative neighbor, Mary Beth. The battle escalates! I liked the different points of view.

What I didn't like, however, was the repetition of telling the same story over and over again from the different points of view of the different quilters. It was very annoying having to slog through the whole thing this way. For this reason, It would have been better to write from third person in a linear fashion, in my opinion.

I listened to the audio version, and I wasn't to crazy about the narrator's version of Summer. She's supposed to be this dynamic, strong-willed, go-getter, but the personification of her sounded like a bored, half-asleep dimwit. I hope her "voice" in future volumes is better.

I also was annoyed with all the secret-keeping. These women are supposed to be the best of friends (and in my experience best friends tell each other EVERYTHING), but because of pride and fear of what the others will say, they all have something that they are keeping from the others. Everything could have been solved in the first chapter if they just talked to each other. I hate when the solution is so OBVIOUS, but the characters in the book are suddenly out of character and bumble along acting oblivious to the solution. Ugh! I wanted to reach out and slap all of them. Except Sylvia, who was out of the loop on this one.

Again, I give points for lack of foul language and all that negative stuff. I generally very much enjoy this series, but this particular volume was pretty annoying, so I have to take off a couple of stars.

[Cathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel continues the series with a tribute to matriarch Sylvia who surprised her fellow quilters by getting married to longtime sweetheart Andrew. So to honor their favorite quilter the Elm Creek Quilters decide to stitch a bridal quilt for the newlyweds. Until the time comes to unveil the gift, Sylvia will be the one in the dark. It also has side stories of other women in the Elm Creek Quilters. One in particular is Bonnie who owns the quilt shop in town and is struggling to keep it open. I found this interesting cause I also have been working with a quilt store owner that is struggling to keep her store open. So I could see what both women were doing in their shops to keep them going. Unfortunately they both had very different endings. I really enjoyed this book, just for the fact that I could understand what was going on with Bonnie and also her fellow quilters that were trying hard to help her survive.

[Trish · Rating 3 out of 5]

I rather enjoyed this book in the series. Each of the characters serially tells what is happening in their lives at the same point of time, and we get the persepctive of their behaviors from the others. Chiaverini did well with this technique: there is enough diversity of activity in everyone's lives to add depth to the story rather than thin it out. On the last few pages and still am not entirely sure why the story is called The Master Quilter, but presume it refers to Sylvia Compson, for whom everyone is making and collecting squares for a bridal quilt. I have, actually, seen the photographs of a quilt made in that style in Chiaverini's Return to Elm Creek: More Quilt Projects Inspired by the Elm Creek Quilts Novels. It is as gorgeous as one might think, especially when viewed close-up.

[Candy · Rating 4 out of 5]

There was a lot of action in the present day in this installment. It really kept my attention! I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.....after I read a few others in my book pile on my dresser!

[Cheryl Gatling]

I had read a few other of Jennifer Chiaverini's Elm Creek Quilt novels, but they were historical novels, which used the Elm Creek Manor as a jumping off place for telling a single coherent narrative from the past. This book was different. It stays completely in the present, but jumps all over between points of view, often retelling the exact same incidents, including the exact same dialogue, from a different character's perspective. There wasn't one plot to follow; there were lots. It took me about a third of the way through the book before this somewhat confusing jumble started to fall into place for me. The main theme is that the Elm Creek Quilters are planning to surprise Sylvia with a bridal quilt. As they make plans for this, and begin to sew and collect blocks, each of the quilters is keeping some kind of personal secret, often with good intentions, but sometimes from embarrassment. This leads to misunderstandings. As people try to judge based on incomplete evidence, they often guess wrong. The biggest event is that Bonnie's quilt shop is robbed, and trashed. Who did it? And why? Bonnie and Craig get a divorce. Summer moves in with her boyfriend, and then breaks up with him. Gwen is passed over for department chair because her research on early American quilts is not "important." Judy has a possible job offer that would require moving. Diane crashes the quilt guild meeting and self=absorbed Mary Beth carries a grudge. It all works out in the end. Sylvia's quilt top is finished and presented, all the ladies follow their hearts, and caring and sharing prevail.

[Margaret · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was the least favorite of those I have read so far in this series. The many broken relationships and acrimony, the break in the friendships of the Guild members as each is centered on their own things, made it quite different in tone. Also the style led to a lot of repetition.

[Julie Cave · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like this series, but this title had a confusing timeline, slowly developing plot, far too easy mystery to solve and lacked the charm found in books 1-5. Hopefully the author will win me back with an improved #7 in the series.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. Getting to know the characters over the last few books made this book even more special. Loved the different points of view.

[Judy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've read several in this series, but not recently. This was good for catching up with the various characters, but the writing style of re-telling the same story multiple times from each person's viewpoint got sort of old. I don't remember for sure, but I don't think that this is the standard way this series normally is written, so I'll probably go ahead and read some more of them.

[Ellen Spes · Rating 3 out of 5]

There was a time i would have given 4 stars.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Much better than the past few in the series. I enjoyed the updates on the women of Elm Creek Quilts and having Sylvia back to being a strong and supportive matriarch for the women around her.

[Jonijean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Second reading—a bit more contrived in structure than others but still very enjoyable.

[Meg Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars- still the most wholesome series suggested by my mom 🩵

[Tami Gandt · Rating 3 out of 5]

After reading other reviews I should have started probably with the first book. However this to me was more of a tell story rather than a show story and the recounting of each character sometimes confused me.

[Maygon Brack · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

[Nolan]

These Elm Creek novels are all wonderfully written, clean, somewhat suspenseful, occasionally romantic, and filled with that small-town flavor you'll want to sample repeatedly. In this particular novel, the Elm Creek manner is gearing up to take in its summer quilting campers. But it'sa busy year indeed. All of the quilters have been secretly asked to create blocks for a bridle quilt for the master quilter among them, Sylvia. The goal is to keep the creation secret from her until it can be unveiled during the summer quilting classes at the manner. But lots of things get in the way. Bonnie, who owns Grandma's Attic quilt shop, is losing a marriage of more than 30 years, and a property management company has purchased her building and wants to up her rent. Worse yet, her shop is vandalized and her insurance won't pay, suspecting that the vandalism is an inside job.

Quilt instructor Judy is considering a new job with Penn State, which means she would leave the close-knit quilting community of Elm Creek behind. Fellow quilt instructor Gwen faces difficulty at the local college where she's slated to become a department chair, and her daughter Summer, who works at Bonnie's shop, is about to move in with her boyfriend--a secret she's kept from Gwen for too long. Diane, who also works at bonnie's shop, desperately needs mony to pay the tuition for her son's ivy league school ambitions, and she may know something about who broke into the shop.

In short, these characters are charming, creative people brought to life by a creative writer who is highly skilled in her use of the language. My only real exposure to quilting included crawling around under my mother's quilting frames as a small child. When she had fabric stretched over those, it was like being in a tiny house within the house. So I know nothing about blocks and patterns and such. But this author is skilled enough iat creating great characters who stay with you that you don't need to know a thing about quilting or even want to quilt. I've not read all of the books in this series, but I expect I will. These are better than LDS fiction, and they're pretty much as clean and far more compelling than most of it. This is just small-town heartland America at its best written by someone who is at the top of her game.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series. I was captivated by the story especially the way that Jennifer weaves the back story in with the present day story. Each book flows nicely into the next but you are given enough of the back story in each book to not be "left in the dark" on what the story is about. The friendship between the main characters was very heartwarming and was developed nicely. I really enjoy the way the author starts bringing in the story of other members of the group. This one was particularly heartwarming with the love story woven in.

I would highly recommend this series to everyone. If you don't have time to read, get the books on tape! They are excellent - the narrator is marvelous!!!

[Joan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love this series but this one just didn't have the heart that the previous books did. There was too much going back and forth as the same story was told from each of the different character's perspectives. It felt like deja vu many times. Also the savory characters never did have to pay for their crimes and the good friends had too many trust issues with each other. Their stories seemed out of character for their personalities. We have come to know them through the years and as I read I didn't feel like I knew them any longer. It was still a good read but I was a little disappointed in this one.

[Tori · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the way the books in this series follow different groups of characters while somehow connecting to the main group of characters. This is my least favorite of the series.

Most of the characters make really unwise decisions and I spent the entire book annoyed by that. I liked the format of retelling from each point of view.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick read. Didn't like this one as much at another book in the same series, I think it was titled "The Runaway Quilt", but I can't remember for sure, but it wasn't bad.

[Jo · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like the Elm Creek quilters series. However this one wasn’t a favorite. All the different view points i found too much repetition of the same storyline.

[Dyana · Rating 4 out of 5]

This 6th in the series takes place in the present and focuses, once again, on the members of Elm Creek Quilts. There were no historical flashbacks as in most previous books. It is told in the point of view of each member and spans a few months and several events. Some reviews did not appreciate this repetitive aspect of the book, but I found it interesting to see the different perspectives of each person on the same event. These women are a tight-knit group and generally share everything, but the theme of this book is secret-keeping.

In the previous book Sylvia Compson surprised everyone by marrying Andrew Cooper at a Christmas Eve celebration which was much earlier than anyone expected. Therefore, Sarah composes a letter to all of Sylvia's friends, family, former students, and admirers to help create a bridal quilt by sending a quilt pattern block that represents how Sylvia has influenced them. This, of course, is to be kept a secret. Since they can't be sent to the Manor, they are to be sent to Grandma's Attic, a quilt shop owned by Bonnie. Later, the shop is broken into, vandalized, and a lot of the quilt blocks are stolen.

Members of the Elm Creek Quilts and teachers at Elm Creek Quilt Camp, a quilting retreat, include:

- Sylvia is the heart and soul of Elm Creek Quilt Camp which is held in her ancestral home. She has a passion for the artistic, historical, and social aspect of quilting. She almost discovers the secret a couple of times.

- Sarah and her husband live on site. She is the director of the camp and does the scheduling. Matt is the ground's keeper and makes a bet that she can't keep the secret from Sylvia and then tries to surreptitiously get her to reveal it.

-Bonnie is the owner of Grandma's Attic, a quilting shop that is failing financially. This is, in part, due to a gigantic fabric warehouse that has been opened in town. Her shop and upstairs apartment have been sold to a property management company who wants to raise her rent 75%. Her husband wants to sell their apartment and is doing everything he can to cause a divorce. Her shop is broken into, vandalized, and some of the quilt blocks that have been sent in are stolen. The police think it is an inside job, and the insurance won't pay because of that. Can Diane recover or must she declare bankruptcy?

-Diane works part-time at the shop, but would like to work more hours to help send her son to a prestigious college. Bonnie thinks she will probably have to let her go because of finances. Diane has a key to the shop. Are either of her sons involved in the break-in?

- Gwen is passed over for department chair at Waterford College because her research on quilt making in American history is considered a largely female occupation. Other faculty members to not consider quilting as art that is politically or socially relevant within a culture. Moving forward, she has hit upon a new research project that will make or break her career.

- Summer is Gwen's daughter and works at both Grandma's Attic and the Manor. She moves in with her boyfriend Jeremy but doesn't tell anyone. She has gone about as far as she can go career wise in Waterford but is afraid to venture further, because her mother has convinced her to stay in town. She and Jeremy break up when they disagree about their future plans. She has a key to the shop.

- Judy's husband Steve is offered in a job at a larger paper in Philadelphia. Then Judy is contacted by a former graduate school classmate about a job in the Department of Computer Sciences at Penn. She applies for it, but is afraid to tell her friends. If she gets it, she will have to move away and disappoint them all.

- Agnes is Sylvia's sister-in-law and seems to be the glue that is holding Bonnie together. She provides a place for Bonnie to live when her husband, Craig, changes the locks on their apartment and leaves her nothing. Agnes also discovers a secret on how Craig has been hoarding money from Bonnie. Agnes is also the one who is sewing the blocks together and getting the top ready to be quilted. Then each quilter at camp can add their quilting stitches when the top is presented to Sylvia.

Mary Beth is the President of the Waterford Quilting Guild and an arch enemy of the Elm Creek Quilters. She refuses to pass the letter about the quilt blocks for Sylvia around her group. Diane seeks revenge by secretly attending a meeting and revealing Mary Beth's duplicity. She is also Diane's next door neighbor and their sons are best friends until...

One doesn't have to be a stitcher or quilter to enjoy this book. There is enough suspense and intrigue to keep one turning the pages. The characters are endearing and the vignettes are believable. It is also heartwarming to see the value of friends and sharing our joys and sorrows with them. This is a light easy read. Enjoyable.

[HadenXCharm · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an interesting addition to the series, written in such a way that we get to see how all the friends experienced a period of a few days in which a few secrets and mysteries occurred. We don't figure out what happened until we see the last person's view of that mystery, Mary Beth.

Chiaverini is so good at creating hateable villains, and that prejudiced close-minded small-town feel within even her heroes. For instance, Agnes being really old fashioned and religious about Summer moving in with her boyfriend. Girl you ran away to get married at like 16 with a guy you just met back in the 40's lmao.

Each of the ladies has a secret they're keeping from the other members, and we get a new piece of the puzzle with each story. Sarah is trying to keep the quilt camp running and keep from blabbing about the wedding quilt, Judy has a new job offer, Bonnie is going through a contentious divorce, Diane's sons are acting a fool, Agnes is keeping Bonnie's situation secret, Gwen is getting shafted at her job, and Summer is afraid of commitment with her BF. When Bonnie's store gets broken into and the secrets come out, it brings the friends closer together, even though goodbyes must eventually be said. They're a part of life.

Poor Gwen got rejected from her rightful position on the College Board. It was cool to see her become passionate about a new project. I never knew about Eleanor Roosevelt's quilt competition at the world fair, that was an interesting history tidbit.

Everyone reacted really strangely to Summer moving in with her boyfriend. She's 27. Why was everyone acting weird about them living together. Was it literally just religious reasons? Strange. It's baffling that even back in the 00's, people seemed to think it was a good idea to get married without ever having lived together before.

The mystery of who messed up Bonnie's shop was genuinely difficult to figure out. I was so sure it was Craig or Michael, I even thought it could have been that bitch, Mary beth because the quilt blocks were stolen, and it turns out it was Todd's little shit of a friend, Brent. I wish he had gotten caught and prosecuted.

Also, holy FUCK, Craig makes me MURDEROUS. Darvo, darvo, darvo. For someone who begged Bonnie to take him back, he sure treats her with such hatred and contempt, betrays her again and again. The contempt he has for her is so horrible. He cuts her off financially and stole all the money from their bank accounts and locked her out of the house, tried to leave her destitute. People who double down after betraying someone and then getting angry when the person they've hurt calls them out are so fucking psychopathic. Instead of being penitent and remorseful, he doubles down and starts genuinely hating her because he's angry he's being held to account for cheating and treated like the bad guy. He IS the bad guy! He did so many illegal things in the course of the divorce, drained the bank accounts, hid assets, locked her out of the house, he's going to get SHREDDED in court! And of course, this is the type of guy who will tell a pack of lies to the kids to shape the narrative in his favor and then complain to everyone who will listen that 'my wife left me and stole everything in the divorce' when in reality he tortured her and tried to ruin her life. PSYCHOPATH.
I really hate that she didn't tell the kids that her father is a worthless loser who cheated on her and has beenemotionally abusing her. I hate when women 'try to keep the children's image of their father' by not telling them how abusive and terrible their father was to her. The kids deserve to know.

Also fuck Mary Beth and fuck her brat of a son, Brent. She's a textbook narcissist going crazy woe is me after the quilt meeting, girl no one cared. your huge humiliation? I bet no one else even thought about that afterwards, get over it. And her sON! What a little sociopath. Kids who are obsessed with drinking in highschool to prove they're cool and grown up always seemed weird and insecure to me.

I thought it was so badass when Diane busted into the quilter's guild meeting and told everyone about the project. It was sweet that they all wanted to help. Sylvia got her quilt after all, haha. I also loved reading the letters from the people who contributed to the quilt. Those were nice callbacks to the earlier books.

Nice addition to the series, but I do miss the historical fiction aspect of the books, so I'm looking forward to the Sugar Camp Quilt.

[Luci · Rating 3 out of 5]

MASTER QUILTER 3.5*

This author writes historical fiction, and is also a quilter and weaves some of the quilting processes throughout her other fictional works. I enjoy both, and read one of each back-to-back. You don’t need to be a quilter to enjoy these stories. This one delves more into the quilting jargon, as a quilting teacher (and her new husband) is being celebrated. However, the story is more about friendships and how things can go awry when troubles/secrets are withheld.

OVERVIEW:
The Elm Creek quilters pay tribute to their beloved matriarch with a bridal quilt in this heartwarming novel from the New York Times–bestselling author.

The Elm Creek Quilters are as surprised as anyone when their beloved matriarch, Sylvia Bergstrom Compson, marries her sweetheart, Andrew, at a festive holiday gathering at her ancestral home on Christmas Eve. Eager to celebrate the union, her friends decide to create a beautiful wedding quilt to warm the newlyweds’ home and hearts.

A secret with such good intentions, they reason, couldn’t possibly do anyone harm. But although the quilting retreat established at Elm Creek Manor is a place where quilters share their creativity, their challenges, and their dreams, somehow in their haste to find a way to honor the wisdom, skill, and devotion of their favorite master quilter, they forget that sometimes secrets drive friends apart instead of drawing them closer. As financial troubles, relationship struggles, and unexpected opportunities beyond Elm Creek Quilt Camp test the bonds of friendship, the quilters must find a way to stitch together more than Sylvia’s Bridal Sampler to make a happy ending.

“Upholds the tradition of excellence in these enjoyable novels, warm and wise, full of authentic quilting lore from an author who is herself very much at home over a quilting frame.” —The Advocate

“Even a newcomer to the popular Elm Creek Quilts series will quickly get caught up in the lives of the ladies who stitch . . . [Chiaverini] enriches the reader’s awareness of quilting’s importance as a female art form and a source of deep common bonds.” —Publishers Weekly

[Danielle · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the 8th Elm Creek Quilts novel I've read (I'm reading them in chronological order). I discovered the first one back in 2019. While I haven't done reviews on the others, I felt compelled to write on this one. Clearly, I enjoy the series enough to continue reading them, but this has been my least favorite to date.

At the beginning of the second chapter, it took me a minute to realize we were going to cover the same timeline from a different character's point of view. In the 3rd chapter, I realized we were going to see this for all the main characters. While somewhat interesting for the first few chapters, it got tiresome after a while.

Additionally, I felt that many of the characters were acting, well, out of character as we've come to know them through the previous novels. They are a group of close women who usually confide in each other, celebrating successes, commiserating when things aren't so great. So to see them all harboring secrets and not confiding in each other just seemed off. And worse, making assumptions as to how they felt the others would react to their situations.

Lastly, Craig was despicable. Admittedly, it's been some time since I read one of the books where he was more prominently featured (and he wasn't so great back then either), but compared to what I recall of that book, the character presented this time around was like a completely different person, with no real explanation as to how he devolved into this horrible person, so mean and conniving. (Definitely not looking to defend him in any way, more just confused as to how he was written this time around....or maybe I'm just misremembering how he was before and it's not so far of a stretch?)

Having said all that, I don't intend to stop reading the books (and in fact, have the next 2 from the library right here next to me), but I do hope they get better.

[Emily · Rating 2 out of 5]

My least favourite of the Elm Creek books I've read so far. Overall they're peaceful, homey little books about a circle of female friends and quilting; nothing that's going to change your life, but pleasant little reads about small-town friendships. In this book the author uses a different narrative structure than her usual and gives each chapter to a different character, covering basically the same timeline over and over but from different perspectives. During this time most of the characters have some kind of secret they're hiding, and a crime is committed, and so the reader slowly pieces together what's happening as each chapter reveals a bit more. It was okay, but seemed a little bit forced, and I felt as if the ending didn't really resolve well whether the culprit was going to be punished nor whether the rivalry between quilters was going to be healed or not. Also seemed a bit silly how many of the characters were portrayed as being shocked that Summer decides to move in with her boyfriend - considering she is stated to be 27 at the time it's a bit ridiculous in this day and age that any of the other characters would even blink. Makes the book come across as super uptight and conservative, which wasn't a feeling I'd got from the others I've read.

[Diane Ferbrache · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this volume in the series, the author returns to the format she set up in the first book -- the current day stories of the women who are the Elm Creek Quilters. Each is struggling with her own issues -- marital problems, financial issues, job struggles, personal dilemmas. The story unfolds in a general way with the reader seeing the "action" as it happens, then there are alternating chapters where the story of each woman is told -- the timelines overlapping.

I found this style a bit disconcerting & even confusing at first, but then realized that this is how real life evolves. Each of us has a unique perspective, each of us is dealing with our own issues, and every story impacts the lives of our friends and family. This is what I really love about these books. While each book has been unique, I have grown to care for each character and have become invested in these women & what happens to them. This one is NOT historical fiction, but there is a bit of history in one of the storylines, so there's something for everyone.

I also love that although every book has had a satisfying ending, they are not always "happily ever after" -- SPOILER, of sorts -- this one left me a bit melancholy, not in tears, but sad for the changes to come in the future books. Now.....on to number 7.

[Rachel B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just what I needed: A cozy, clean read about a community of quilters!

Each chapter is told from a different character's perspective. Instead of each character picking up the story where the previous one left off, though, most of the chapters cover the same time period, so various plot points and dialogue exchanges are repeated, which I didn't love. A couple of minor characters also acted in ways that seemed unrealistic.

On the moral front, premarital sex is portrayed as being relatively acceptable (though there is no description of it).

All the same, it was a nice break from the nonfiction I tend to read. I'll definitely keep turning to this series in the future for all my fluffy-but-not-too-fluffy reading needs.