Originally published in 2005
My rating: 4 out of 5
"The Christmas Quilt" is part of the long and ongoing Elm Creek Quilts series by Jennifer Chiaverini. I've never read any of the other books (although now my interest in the series is definitely piqued), but even so I completely enjoyed this novel. It was an easy, heartwarming read and had all the themes a Christmas novel should: love, family, friendship, forgiveness, generosity, overcoming hardships, a happy ending.
We meet the main character, Sylvia Bergstrom, in present day and follow her as she reminisces about Christmases past, taking us on a journey back to the Great Depression and WWII. The nexus of the story is a Christmas quilt worked on by four generations of women, Sylvia herself, her Great-Aunt Lucinda, her estranged sister Claudia, and now her young friend and business partner at Elm Creek Quilts, Sarah. It's not hard to get lost in the tales and traditions of an old-fashioned Christmas, but Chiaverini keeps us hooked by slowly unraveling the story of what came between Sylvia and her sister, Claudia.
This was a good, quick, festive read and I enjoyed it. But I will give you a short disclaimer: this novel may make you want to take up quilting ASAP. But first you'll probably want to scour the internet searching for a recipe to replicate the much-written-about Bergstrom apple strudel. Happy reading!
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