Saturday, September 16, 2006

Circle of Quilters by Jennifer Chiaverini (2006)

I didn't realize this was one of the latest in a series of books about Elm Creek quilters. Elm Creek is an old mansion in the Pennsylvania woods that has been opened up as a camp/workshop place for quilters, and it is a privilege to become one of the resident quilters. The storyline of this book is about five different people applying for the job of being one of the quilters. It is a patchwork quilt of people, giving the story of each of the applicants, how they got into quilting, and the stage they have reached in their lives, where a position at Elm Creek Quilts seems very appealing. Though I have never quilted, the details about quilting were so appealing, that I am actually tempted to try it myself. I have never been able to piece cloth together cleanly, but I see it is a skill that could be acquired. I know how soothing knitting is, maybe it could be a new meditative hobby. I am not sure I will read or listen to any more of these Elm Creek Quilt books, as I was a bit frustrated with the writing. Chiaverini sometimes wrote her characters into such a pathetic state, with only quilting saving them that it was hard to listen to. It was interesting to see a review from Publisher's Weekly on the Quilter's Legacy (2003) that said: "Chiaverini's storytelling skills have noticeably improved. She approaches but never succumbs to sentimentality... She remains a keener observer of subtleties in quilts than in people..." I'm not sure I'd call it sentimentality, but something bothers me there. On the other hand, I really liked the details about quilting history and how it has evolved.

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