A Single Thread by Tracy Chevalier

A Single Thread

 Historical Fiction is one of my favorite genres to read and Tracy Chevalier is among my favorite authors.  A Single Thread, did not disappoint.  Chevalier draws you right into the story from the very beginning and you not only read a moving story but learn a bit of history along the way.

Book Review

I found this to be a fascinating story of how one woman created a good life for herself despite the constraints of her time.  It takes place in England in the 1930's.  The country is just getting past World War I and the beginning of the next war is on the horizon.

Violet Speedwell finds herself to be deemed a "surplus woman".  She is a 38-year-old woman who has lost both her fiancé and her brother in World War I.  In societies eye she is doomed to be a "spinster".  That however is not what Violet wants for her life.  She wants to be independent and to do so does the unheard of and leaves her small town and family home to seek employment in the larger town of Winchester. 

 

She secures a job and makes friends. Through a friend she decides to join a group of women who embroider kneelers for the local Cathedral. Violet has never done this type of embroidery before, but she becomes quite dedicated to learning this skill and finds support and fellowship with the group.

When forces threaten to hurt her new independence, Violet must find a way to put down roots in a place and time where women are not expected to grow and thrive on their own. 

Through this book, I learned a lot about the challenges woman faced in that era and admired the way the main character overcame the challenges of the age.  I also learned a lot about the craft of the brodiers.

Book on Amazon

A Single Thread can be purchased on Amazon in hardback, paperback, audio and kindle versions.  Here is a link to get you to the book A Single Thread

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

FOLLOW US ON:

Book Review- At the Edge of the Orchard

 

Historical fiction is my favorite genre, and Tracy Chevalier is among the authors in this genre that I enjoy reading.  Her careful research and delightful way of pulling you into the story make her books real page turners.  At the Edge of the Orchard was a fascinating tale that I found myself unable to put down.

Book Summary

James and Sadie Goodenough leave their home in Connecticut to head out west.  When they get to Ohio their wagon gets stuck in the muddy 1830's black swamp area.  They decide to claim some land in this area and settle down to growing apple trees.  If they plant 50 trees within 3 years, they can claim the land for their own.  James is enthralled with apple trees, that remind him of his home in Connecticut, while Sadie is more interested in the apple jack that they can produce.  She can use it as an alcoholic retreat from the tough times that visit them, including deaths of a child to illness in many years.  Their children are helpers on their farm from a very early age.

The next part of the book skips to 15 years later when the youngest son Robert is wandering through the Gold Rush in California.  He is haunted from his past and the family he left behind when he was only 9 years old.  He does find some peace working with a naturalist and helping him to gather saplings and seed of the majestic redwoods and sequoias to send to gardeners in England.

I found the book to be very interesting and really appreciate the care the author takes in describing the historical settings in the novel.  The characters are delightful, and you find yourself pulled into their lives.

I have read several of Tracy Chevaliers books in the past and have never been disappointed.

About the Author

Tracy Chevalier was born and grew up in Washington DC.  After attending Oberlin college in Ohio, she moved to London in the mid 1980's.   Her first novel was Virgin Blue in 1997 followed by The Girl with the Pearl Earring in 1999.  She is currently working on her 12th book.

She does a lot of research for each book and one thing she likes to do is put herself in some of the situations she writes about.  She tried painting for one book, stitching for another and for At the Edge of the Orchard she spent some time among trees, including the redwoods and sequoias in California.

Link to Book on Amazon

At the Edge of the Orchard, along with Tracy's other books can be found on Amazon.  Here is the link: At the Edge of the Orchard

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

FOLLOW US ON: