Stitch With Me

I am often approached to write reviews of one kind or another on this blog.  Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on how you view reviews)  many of the items I’m asked to review don’t have much  relevance to what I write about here, so I decline those requests.

Recently, I was asked to review, The Lacemakers of Glemara by Heather Barbieri scheduled for release June 23, 2009. Having no other summer reading plans, I signed up.

I finished reading it in two days.  It was that good.

The novel revolves around Kate, a seamstress-hopeful fashion designer who has recently suffered tremendous losses; her mother died, her fashion line failed to be picked up at the fashion show and her long-time boyfriend dumped her for a fashion model.  Needing a change, Kate decides to take the trip she and her mother talked about taking before Kate’s mother died from cancer.

While backpacking through the country side in Ireland, Kate stumbles upon Glenmara, a Gaelic hamlet seemingly forgotten by time.  There is no internet access (shocking, I know)  no jobs, and no reason for the young people to stay or to return.  A sad state of affairs in many small towns in the U.S. and abroad, apparently.

In Glenmara, Kate meets the Lacemakers; Aileen, Bernie, Colleen, Moira and Oona.  They take Kate in and teach her to make various types of lace.  Together the Glenmara Lacemakers  decide to use their talents to create lace lingerie for themselves; which affects each of them differently.  Ultimately, they decide to market a line of lingerie to create jobs in the local community.

The author has woven together a great story with believable characters.  One of the reasons I devoured the book so quickly is because I actually cared about the characters and wanted to see what happened to them.  There is realistic conflict and even more realistic resolutions.   I thought it was relevant here because interwoven within the story is the soothing, satisfying nature of needlework  and how it can often bring together diverse groups of women (and the occasional man) in a way that nothing else can.

I highly recommend this book!  Look for it at your local bookstore on July 23, 2009.

This is a review for Mother Talk where readers and writers connect through blog tours, podcasts, radio, a writers community, and more.