Summer Sullivan, the youngest founding member of Elm Creek Quilts, has spent the last two years pursuing a master’s degree in history at the University of Chicago. Her unexpected return home to the celebrated quilter’s retreat is met with delight but also concern from her mother, Gwen; her best friend, Sarah; master quilter Sylvia; and her other colleagues—and rightly so. Stymied by writer’s block, Summer hasn’t finished her thesis, and she can’t graduate until she does.
Elm Creek Manor offers respite while Summer struggles to meet her extended deadline. She finds welcome distraction in organizing an exhibit of antique quilts as a fundraiser to renovate Union Hall, the 1863 Greek Revival headquarters of the Waterford Historical Society. But Summer’s research uncovers startling facts about Waterford’s past, prompting unsettling questions about racism, economic injustice, and political corruption within their community, past and present.
As Summer’s work progresses, quilt lovers and history buffs praise the growing collection, but affronted local leaders demand that she remove all references to Waterford’s troubled history. As controversy threatens the exhibit’s success, Summer fears that her pursuit of the truth might cost the Waterford Historical Society their last chance to save Union Hall. Her only hope is to rally the quilting community to her cause.
The Museum of Lost Quilts is a warm and deeply moving story about the power of collective memory. With every fascinating quilt she studies, Summer finds her passion for history renewed—and discovers a promising new future for herself.
Book reviews of mysteries, historical fiction and graphic novels with a smattering of non-fiction books.
Saturday, April 6, 2024
The Museum of Lost Quilts
Tuesday, February 6, 2024
Two Days in Caracas
Titus faces a threat he never imagined.Can he capture Ahmed Al-Amin before it's too late?Confronting a new operative . . .When veteran CIA operative Titus Ray arrives in San José, Costa Rica, and meets fresh-faced Ben Mitchell, a hot-tempered new operative with barely any experience in the field, he has a choice to make--ignore him or take him under his wing.Facing an old demon . . .In the middle of an active, ongoing operation, Titus is suddenly called back to the States where he must deal with the failures from his past and make decisions about his future with Detective Nikki Saxon.Opposing a present danger . . .In an effort to stop Hezbollah assassin, Ahmed Al-Amin, from murdering a high-profile government official, Titus travels to Caracas, Venezuela, where he learns the assassin is but one piece of a complicated international plot to deliver chemical weapons to some of America's most dangerous enemies.Facing the truth . . .Titus risks everything, including his future with Nikki, to capture Ahmed, but is it enough? Can his newfound faith sustain him when everything about his operation goes sideways?
Saturday, February 3, 2024
The Amish Quiltmaker's Unlikely Match
Though Mary Yoder longs to marry someday, she finds caring for her community’s injured and sick is much easier than courting. But when Englischer Clay Markham crashes his car nearby, Mary’s nursing shows her his hidden wounds are more painful than his injuries. Though she’s irresistibly drawn to his kind nature, can she risk letting him into her heart?On the run from his troubled past, ex-pro baseball player Clay can’t believe the quiet sanctuary he’s found under Mary’s care. Her gentle faith and knowledge are somehow giving him hope he can change his life—and offer her the love she truly deserves. But when his secrets catch up with him, can he and Mary find the courage to face the truth, set things to rights . . . and make way for a future together?
I mainly read Amish fiction written by the two icons of the genre: Wanda Brunstetter and Beverly Lewis. These two ladies are so outstanding that it is difficult for me to trust that another author can write just as well and that I will enjoy their books. I have a theory that the plots from other authors are simple in comparison. I still think that this theory is correct but without reading additional authors I can never really know. I should be trying new, to me, authors. For Jennifer Beckstrand, author of this book, I believe that her plot was simpler. Unlikely Match is a straightforward Amish romance story without any of the modern subplots that you see with Brunstetter and Lewis.
After saying all of the above, I must admit that I enjoyed Unlikely Match. I enjoyed it immensely. There was some mystery to the story. The reader doesn't know how long Clay and Mary can remain to be friends given that Clay was not Amish. I kept waiting to read that they stopped seeing each other. However, one thing after another happened to Clay that brought him and Mary together. As with all Amish fiction, there is a happy ending. The suspension of belief that you see with cozy mysteries is evident here. I believe that suspension of belief went a little too far to be believable but hey, at least it's a happy ending. This is why I read Amish fiction. When I buy one of them I am looking for a light read and a book that I will enjoy. To date, I have enjoyed every Amish fiction novel that I have read so I will keep reading.
4 out of 5 stars.
Thursday, January 11, 2024
Letters of Wisdom
Friendship Letters Series — Doretta Schwartz has always enjoyed writing letters and feels her letters can be a bit of a ministry to her friends. In this series, exchanging letters that contain open and honest feelings and struggles helps Doretta and two of her best friends through the darkest challenges of their lives.Letters and Prayers Between Friends Become a Balm for HealingIrma Miller thought having a family of her own would bring her joy and a sense of accomplishment, but she struggles with memories of the abuse she suffered as a child at the hand of her stepfather. When she becomes physically and emotionally abusive to her own children, she reaches out to her friend Doretta for prayer and wisdom. But Irma may find herself at an even darker emotional place before she will admit she needs professional help to heal the past traumas. Will Doretta’s letters of wisdom help Irma and her family, or will too much be broken to ever be repaired?Find out in the third book of The Friendship Letters series by New York Times Bestselling Author Wanda E. Brunstetter.
Wednesday, January 3, 2024
The Blue Monsoon
Saturday, December 9, 2023
2024 Finishing the Series Reading Challenge
- Cleo Coyle's Coffeehouse Mystery Series
- Laura Childs' Indigo Teashop Series
- Charles Finch's Charles Lenox Mystery Series
- Gary McAvoy's Vatican Secret Archives series
- Sujata Massey's Perveen Mistry series
- S. D. Sykes's Oswald de Lacy Somershill Manor
- Ellen Crosby's Wine Country series
- Nathan Dylan Goodwin's Forensic Genealogist Morton Farrier series
- Heather Atkinson's Alardyce House series
- Alka Joshi's Jaipur trilogy
- Susan Wittig Albert's China Bayles series
- A. M. Stuart's Harriet Gordon Mysteries
- C. J. Sansom's Matthew Shardlake series