Finn Dodd, Hy's granddaughter, was about to marry. The ladies of the Grasse
Quilting Circle offered to make her a bridal quilt in honour of her
marriage, and it was not just any quilt, but a
Crazy Quilt. While this quilt was often thought to be the easiest quilt to make, it was imperative that the numerous patterns brought into the quilt by the women who participate in making it be in harmony with each other. And this made the quilt challenging. In the course of making the bridal quilt, the ladies of the quilting circle brought to fore their thoughts, their dreams, their histories, and their disappointments. What was initially a quilting project turned into a story of these women's lives...
I am not too excited about this novel by Whitney Otto, but I have to commend the novelty of the plot. Putting in eight diverse characters is not an easy task, yet somehow, Otto manages to blend these characters seamlessly. However, somewhere in the middle of those quilting
instructions, I have lost track of the one character I most want to find out about: Finn Dodd. I almost always stop reading to remind myself that the whole point of the quilting circle is for Finn Dodd to be able to get the women's perspective on marriage. I get lost by those numerous quilting instructions, and by the stories of the women comprising the quilting circle. Admittedly, I am able to turn the pages of the novel because I want to know the stories of these women. And just when the stories of these women have been told, the novel, very abruptly, ends. Is not Finn's story worth telling too? And why does she suddenly get excited about marrying? I do not see the deeper connection.
Anyhow, the novel is a light read if you do not mind the instructions on quilting.