I am such a huge reader. I love all kinds of books from period novels to dystopian stories. It all just depends on my mood. I was happy to see a new book out from Joyce Magnin, "Maybelle in Stitches." It was a really easy and relaxing weekend read.
A little about the book from the author:
Maybelle Kazinzki can't sew. She was after all, the only girl in the seventh grade Home Economics class to sew the zipper in the neck hole of the A-Line dress they were supposed to make. But when she finds an unfinished quilt in the attic of her mother's house she gets the crazy idea to finish it---somehow, come heck or high water. She thinks it will help fill the lonely nights while her husband, Holden, is serving overseas during World War II.
Her recently departed mother's quilt is made from scraps of material Maybelle traces back to her mother's childhood, her grandmother's childhood and her own childhood. She tries to add one of Holden's stripes to it but the sewing is not going well and neither is her life. After receiving some harsh news, Maybelle's faith falters and she puts the quilt away and stops trusting God. But God is faithful---no matter what. And it'll take a group of neighborhood women armed with quilting needles to help Maybelle believe that.
This book was a little bit somber but I really enjoyed
it. Maybelle lives in Pennsylvania during
World War II and works at a ship manufacturing plant while her husband is
serving overseas. Most all the
characters in the book are not surprisingly, spouses of soldiers that are serving
our country overseas during the war. It
was really interesting to read about all the things going on during that time
with food rationing, and air raids.
Telegrams meant possible bad news.
Doris is a good
friend to Maybelle and I liked their relationship. Doris is the one who
encourages Maybelle to finish that quilt her mother had left her. She is very supportive of Maybelle and it is interesting
to hear the stories behind the pieces and to learn more about the two women as
they sew together. You really get a
sense of how strong and capable Maybelle truly is!
There are so few men around but the one man that you do see
is Roger. He helps the ladies and finds
the extras that are hard to come by during the war. You get a real sense of what the women face
day to day and their worries about their husbands overseas during a time when
there are no cell phones, Skype or emails. Communication is sparse. These women worked so hard in factories and
this was something that was totally novel for the time. The author provided
great detail and made you feel their hardship.
4/1-4/19!
Don’t miss the newest Quilts of
Love book, Maybelle in Stitches, by Joyce
Magnin. Maybelle can’t sew. But when she finds
an unfinished quilt in the attic of her mother’s house, she gets the
crazy idea to complete it.
Joyce is celebrating the release with a $200 Modcloth
giveaway. Enter today for a chance to spruce up your spring
wardrobe!
One winner will receive:
- A $200 ModCloth.com gift card
- Scraps of Evidence by Barbara Cameron
- A Sky Without Stars by Linda S. Clare
- Maybelle in Stitches by Joyce Magnin
Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry,
the giveaway ends on April 19th. Winner will be
announced on April 21st on the Quilts of Love
blog!
Spread the word—tell your friends about the
giveaway
via FACEBOOK or TWITTER.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe would be good for my readers. 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."
