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The Quilter's Homecoming: An Elm Creek Quilts Novel (Elm Creek Quilts #10)
A Roaring Twenties adventure unfolds in Jennifer Chiaverini's latest bestselling Elm Creek Quilts novel.
Newly wed in a festive yet poignant ceremony at Elm Creek Manor, bride Elizabeth Nelson takes leave of her ancestral Pennsylvania home. Setting off with her husband, Henry, on the adventure of a lifetime, Elizabeth packs the couple's trunk with more than the wedding quil
...moreebook, 320 pages
Published
April 10th 2007
by Simon & Schuster
(first published January 1st 2007)
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This is the first (and probably the last) I have read of this group of books - The Elm Creek Quilts Novels. It started out slowly - young newlyweds starting out traveling across the country, having bought a ranch. Then they arrive and all is lost - the papers they have are forgeries and they have no money and nowhere to live.
Amazingly, instead of selling something (they brought trunks full of wedding gifts) and hopping the train back home, the husband squeals something about his pride and how he...more
Amazingly, instead of selling something (they brought trunks full of wedding gifts) and hopping the train back home, the husband squeals something about his pride and how he...more
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I hadn't read an Elm Creek Quilt book for quite some time. It was on sale in the kindle store, I was looking for something light and thought this would fit the bill.
The story was actually better than I expected. Not that I don't like Chiaverini's books, but it was different from her earlier books. There was more character depth, and less quilting comparisons. Sure, quilts still showed up in her books, which I liked, but the quilts were incidental to the storyline.
Elizabeth and Henry set off to C...more
The story was actually better than I expected. Not that I don't like Chiaverini's books, but it was different from her earlier books. There was more character depth, and less quilting comparisons. Sure, quilts still showed up in her books, which I liked, but the quilts were incidental to the storyline.
Elizabeth and Henry set off to C...more
This one was my least favorite book of this series. We found out the behing-the-scene story of Sylvia's beloved cousin, Elizabeth who follows her husband Henry Nelson to California where he has purchased a cattle ranch. I could smell a rip-off a mile away, especially in the 20s where it was all about going to California and getting rich. But anyhoo, I thought Henry behaved like a jerk for most of the book even though Elizabeth, who is in just a much of a mess as he is, through fault of her own,...more
Not bad. I mean, I must be addicted to these things...I listen to one a week at least. At least I admit they keep my attention. Another reader says they are not too taxing when one has brain fog. That is it, exactly. And I always feel I am at the mercy of libraries and publishers when it comes to audiobooks. I have to rely on them--I couldn't afford the number of audiobooks I listen to in a month. Besides, these are reliably at the library when I ask for them. Old enough to have been gone throug...more
Jennifer Chiaverini is one of my go-to 'comfort food' authors. Her stories of women, friendship, family, and quilting always keep me engaged. They are just complex enough to keep me engaged but not too complex to overwhelm me when I am struggling with so much brain fog. While I enjoyed The Quilter's Homecoming and always enjoy when Chiaverini takes a historical fiction approach, this book seemed a bit weaker and sloppier than some of her others. She seemed to struggle with how to wrap up the cha...more
This is a book about Sylvia Compson's cousin Elizabeth and her husband Henry. Elizabeth shows up in an earlier book in Jennifer Chiaverini's Elm Creek series and she and Henry move to California. This book is their story. At first, I was not as interested in the story because a lot of the Elm Creek characters only show up in the first chapter. I also didn't think that I'd be interested in Isabel & Rosa's story. However, as I kept on reading and the two stories started to intertwine, it becam...more
Yet another book in Chiaverini's extensive quilting series. However, unlike the last book I was gushing over in the series (Circle of Quilters) this one didn't capture me as that one did. Its not that Chiaverini didn't write a good novel, its only that once again, this novel departed from the usual cast of characters and instead told a story from the past. As there are so many books in the series and they mostly can be read as a stand alone, I'm not going to describe them here, but instead just...more
This is a quick and pleasant read as are all of Jennifer Chiaverini's Elm Creek Quilter's books. This book follows Elizabeth, Sylvia's cousin and her new husband Henry. As newly weds they leave Pennsylvannia for the new home they have purchased in California, Triumph Ranch.
But all is not what it seems, the ranch they thought they had bought turns out to belong to the Jorgensens who are third generation farmers. The Jorgensen's very generously hire Elizabeth and Henry and they settle in to try to...more
But all is not what it seems, the ranch they thought they had bought turns out to belong to the Jorgensens who are third generation farmers. The Jorgensen's very generously hire Elizabeth and Henry and they settle in to try to...more
Nov 17, 2009
Jo
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
2009,
jennifer-chiaverini
I really loved this book! Generally I've preferred to "contemporary" Elm Creek Quilts books to the "historical" ones, and this book started very slowly, so I was expecting to rather trudge through it, but after a couple of chapters (possibly when I worked out the connection between the two storylines) it became very gripping. Couldn't put it down and ended up finishing it off at work because I couldn't bear to wait until I got home in the evening. There were a few parts that I found vaguely unse...more
This is the first of the "Elm Creek Quilts" book I have read. I think when I ordered it I didn't pay attention to the fact that it was a series. I would read another of these books I believe. Not right away, but eventually. I enjoyed the time this story takes place, and it moved right a long for the most part. A little slow, but it has it's moments. I liked the way it told of two lives and how.....well, I don't want to give that away. I like how quilts are sewn into the story, each stitch reveal...more
I'm not a huge fan of Chiaverini's writing (ever heard of that age old writing advice: show don't tell?). Boredom and a small library conspired against me and I picked up one of her books, and then several more. This is, perhaps, one of the better in the series. Or, at least up to book 12 or so (no, I didn't read all 12).
I liked Elizabeth. But I wasn't a big fan of her whiney, driveling husband. Enough already! The plot moves on, though, and tidies up nicely. Everything just comes together in th...more
I liked Elizabeth. But I wasn't a big fan of her whiney, driveling husband. Enough already! The plot moves on, though, and tidies up nicely. Everything just comes together in th...more
Sylvia's cousin Elizabeth marries Henry, an Elm Creek neighbor, and they go off to California to ranch cattle. Henry has spent his life savings to purchase Triumph Ranch. However, when they arrive they find the sale was a swindle and they have nothing. They are hired as hands and given a small cabin without running water to live in. Elizabeth works on two quilts she finds in the cabin, and meets Rosa, a young woman whose grandmother used to live in the cabin. As with all Elm Creek books, there a...more
I really like Jennifer Chiaverini's Elm Creek Quilts series. The tenth book, The Quilter's Homecoming, is set in the Roaring Twenties, though I felt like there was only a small flavor of that time period in the story. At first I wasn't liking this novel as much as some of Chiaverini's others, I think because I found the main character, newly wed Elizabeth Bergstrom Nelson, kind of shallow and self-centered. But as the book progressed, so too did her character growth. And as my admiration for her...more
i was ready to give this a 4 until the end. This author doesn't seems to know how to wind up her characters and storylines. I enjoyed reading the parallel lives decades apart until the collided. But then it is a shocking fast forward, quick summary of what happened to every one and the hollywood ending. I've read four of her books so far and not sure how she ended up writint so many.
I will say i enjoyed the historically based plots better than the modern day set ones. They are more plot driven t...more
I will say i enjoyed the historically based plots better than the modern day set ones. They are more plot driven t...more
I was getting tired of this series and just going through the motions of reading the last couple of books, but this one caught my attention and I found myself reading it quickly to find out what happened! I was initially turned off to find it was set in the past and did not have anything to do with the current Elm Creek Quilters.But when I realized that it told the story of Sylvia's cousin, Elizabeth, who had journeyed to CA after her marriage, I was intrigues and curious as to her story. Very e...more
I love the historical direction of this series. This made me wonder of other people from the past and how they made their fortunes.
I was upset with how the innkeeper took advantage of Elizabeth. Yes, she needed practical things more than the fine items which she & Henry brought with them. Then to lose her cherished quilts! Made lovingly by hand of her family's matriarchs!
I was saddened by how the earlier love triangle affected everyone involved...and how letting go of a farm resulted in suc...more
I was upset with how the innkeeper took advantage of Elizabeth. Yes, she needed practical things more than the fine items which she & Henry brought with them. Then to lose her cherished quilts! Made lovingly by hand of her family's matriarchs!
I was saddened by how the earlier love triangle affected everyone involved...and how letting go of a farm resulted in suc...more
When cousin Elizabeth was mentioned in the Christmas Quilt book I had a feeling there would be a story about her going to California. I thought it weird that she went there and never came back or they didn't seem to know what happened to her or anything about her family. I kind of liked the story about the other families but found the story about the people they met on the train kind of weird. I kind of wish the story would have followed Elizabeth and her family through more years and had them f...more
I really enjoyed this book! Generally I've preferred the more current Elm Creek Quilts books to the "historical" ones, and this book started quite slowly, so I was expecting to rather trudge through it, but after a couple of chapters (possibly when I worked out the connection between the two storylines) it became very gripping. There were a few parts that I found unnerving, but I think because it was like reading about some of my own fears, they were all happily resolved by the end. All in all,...more
In the Quilter's Homecoming, there is a roaring twenties adventure. When Sylvia was a child she had a favorite cousin, Elizabeth Bergstrom, whom she always, always wanted to spend all her time with whenever she was at Elm Creek Manor. However, Elizabeth was in love with a neighbor, Henry Nelson. Sylvia was upset when Elizabeth and Henry were to marry. She tried her best to make Henry not like Elizabeth. She was unkind to Henry to say the least.
Henry had purchased a ranch, Triumph Ranch, in Calif...more
Henry had purchased a ranch, Triumph Ranch, in Calif...more
I just reread this book in preparation for the new Elm Creek Quilts Novel that has just come out (Sonoma Rose) that is a follow up to The Quilter's Homecoming. I knew that I had read The Quilter's Homecoming but the details of the book were gone from my memory banks. Now that Elizabeth and Henry's and Rosa and Lars stories are fresh in my mind, I am anxious to read Sonoma Rose. Of course, I am always anxious to read a new Elm Creek Quilts novel as this is one of my favorite series. (And I don't...more
This book was a nice, easy read. It is skillfully written, and contrary to what the title may imply, you don't have to be "into" quilting to enjoy this book. The quilts in this book were meaningful to the main character because they symbolize home, family, love and hope. They are also reminders to her of beloved family members who made the quilts and left a piece of themselves in their handiwork.
The main story is about Elizabeth and Henry who are newlyweds. In the beginning, it is set in the ea...more
The main story is about Elizabeth and Henry who are newlyweds. In the beginning, it is set in the ea...more
Even though I love quilting myself, I was afraid a book that incorporated quilts and quilting into the plot might be cheesy. It wasn't. I found this to be a well-crafted tale, with the quilting element contributing in a not-overdone and integral way to the story. I enjoyed the setting - California in the 1920s - and felt invested in the protagonist, Elizabeth, a new bride who journeys West with her husband, encounters hardship and danger, and finds she is made of stronger mettle than she thought...more
Feb 21, 2009
Debby
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
fiction,
chiaverini-jennifer
Elm Creek Quilts #10. Sylvia's beloved older cousin marries a neighbor and they head for California to ranch. When they arrive, they discover they've been swindled. Instead of returning home, they make the best of it and make a life for themselves in the Arboles Valley. The quilts made by the family provide the housekeeping money they need to get started. Not as interesting as some of the series although the ending is better than the beginning. Gives a good slice of 1920's life.
Book 10 in the Elm Creek Quilter's series. This one goes back in time to the 1920s and the depression years in California. Like the other books, it involves an ancestor of Sylvia Compson, and like all her other ancestors, this woman quilts. Chiaverini has a nice formula. She writes about quilting, family, women and relationships and ties it all together with facts about quilting and patterns.
I enjoyed this novel, although not as much as I've enjoyed some of her others. This one was a very fast...more
I enjoyed this novel, although not as much as I've enjoyed some of her others. This one was a very fast...more
This is the 10th book in the Elm Creek Quilters series and this one is a purely historical story. We see Elizabeth, the older cousin of the current owner of Elm Creek Manor as she and her newlywed husband, Henry travel to California to start a new life in the 1920's. Her family has given her 2 quilts as wedding gifts and they play a role in the story. When they arrive, they find that they have been victims of a fraudelent land deal and their life savings are gone. Instead of owning the farm, the...more
Since I just purchased and went to Jennifer Chiaverini's book signing of the follow up book, Sonoma Rose, I had to read the first one. Filled with one drama and mishap after another of this newly married couple, whose kind heartedness present many setbacks in living. There is hope in their sweetness and it does pay off as the story progresses. Jennifer has a wonderful gift for storytelling and creatively mixes many personalities. I always enjoy her stories.
I would have to say this was one of my lesser favorites in the Elm Creek Quilts series. I think Jennifer Chiaverini is exploring ways to expand the characters she writes about and I didn't find this story quite as uplifting as most of the others have been. I thought the tie to quilts was weak and I found the story kind of depressing, actually. I'm sure the attempt is to demonstrate resilience, but I'm not sure the book entirely succeeded on that score.
I love the Elm Creek Quilt series. This novel tells the story of Elizabeth, Sylvia's beloved cousin, and what happens to her after she marries Henry Nelson and heads for California. The young couple encounter topics of the 1920s--prohibition, con artists, shorter hemlines and bobbed hair.
Elizabeth, in a sad story of devastating loss, has to sell her quilts from home in order to survive. The chimneys and cornerstones quilt made by her Aunt Lucinda and the wedding ring quilt that she has dreamed o...more
Elizabeth, in a sad story of devastating loss, has to sell her quilts from home in order to survive. The chimneys and cornerstones quilt made by her Aunt Lucinda and the wedding ring quilt that she has dreamed o...more
This book is set in the 20's when Elizabeth marries Henry and sets off across country to the ranch he has bought in California. When the get there they discover that they have been swindled and take jobs on the ranch they were supposed to own. Instead of being the owners living in the nice ranch house they are the hired hands living in a shack. The back story of two quilts that she found in an old trunk is woven through the book.
I really enjoy the Elm Creek Quilting novels. They are a bit addictive - this one was done in under 24 hours. I found them once upon a time when we staying at Krista's house. I appreciate quilts, but beyond that these stories are about the lives of women at various points in history. This one starts in 1925 with a woman on the verge of getting married and heading to California with her new husband.
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Jennifer Chiaverini is the author of ten Elm Creek Quilts novels and An Elm Creek Quilts Sampler and An Elm Creek Quilts Album, as well as Elm Creek Quilts and Return to Elm Creek, two collections of quilt projects inspired by the series, and is the designer of the Elm Creek Quilts fabric lines from Red Rooster fabrics. She lives with her husband and two sons in Madison, Wisconsin.
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