Review: Book three needs books one and two to make the story complete
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 03 21, 2014
Mona Hodgson writes a heartwarming tale where community means giving each other a helping hand when needed. The setting for this book is a small town in Missouri just a few months after the end of the Civil War. Nearly every family in the area was touched by the war in some way. Some had lost family members; some had family return either wounded physically or emotionally.Recently, Caroline Milburn had started coming to Mrs. Brantenberg's quilting circle. She shared with the group that she hadn't heard news of her husband serving in the army in several months. The strain of not knowing whether he had perished or was alive was telling on her. Each week they encouraged and prayed for her. But bitterness sharpened her tongue. She often embarrassed her sister with her curt mannerism. Another friend of Mrs. Brantenberg's family, Gerrit Cowlishaw, knew the right people to contact, and he obtained news of her husband. Caroline was a widow. This third novella of The Quilted Heart Trilogy is about Caroline's story.Caroline lived with her sister Jewell and her family. Jewell's husband returned from the war alive but had lost a leg. He was angry and bitter, making family life difficult for Jewell. He was openly hostile with Caroline, although she did her best to help with the children and housework, giving comfort to her sister. But after several months grieving the loss of her husband, she realized she needed to start fresh, perhaps as a teacher out west.The final novella continues to develop the life stories of the other members of the quilting group which met every Thursday, hosted by Mrs. Brantenberg in her home. The club was the social event for women in the area to get together and share news and gossip. It also doubled as a Bible study where hearts that were raw and bruised found solace in the widow's kindness and spiritual wisdom. The members supported and prayed for one another.This book showcases the author's skill in creating a feeling of community and closeness. I found it easy to care for its members. The relationships were warm and realistic, and sometimes poignant. I could easily imagine them as friends. If you enjoy a cozy read where friendship is a central theme, then I think you will enjoy this novella.Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary review copy of this book from Blogging for Books on behalf of Waterbrook Press. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”