Maybelle in Stitches Book Review

Quilts of Love Series

SUMMARY:  A patchwork quilt holds together two hearts separated by miles of ocean and the Second World War.

     Maybelle can't sew.  But when she finds an unfinished quilt in her mother's closet, she gets the crazy idea to complete it.  At first, it's just a way to fill the lonely nights while her husband, Holden Kazinski, is away fighting in World War II.

     Yet when Maybelle discovers that the quilt is made from scraps of material that can be traced back through her family heritage, the project is suddenly much more important.  Then word comes that Holden is missing in action, and with little else to do, Maybelle clings to the quilt as much as to the hope that her husband is still alive.  As neighborhood friends gather around Maybelle to help her through the unknown days and nights ahead, it is the quilt that becomes a symbol of her unflagging belief that Holden will return to her, to their home, and to their quilt-covered bed.

REVIEW:  Maybelle is a beacon of hope of all of us women who are not the domestic type.  She can't cook, sew or keep a house but she loves working at the shipyard as a welder, helping to build ships in hopes one will bring her husband home soon.  Her attempt at making a dress in high school was a complete disaster (sounds so much like mine!).  I like how she still gets in there and tries (with MASSIVE amounts of encouragement and help from her friends) to make something for her husband to have when he returns from the war.  When she gets bad news after bad news, she doesn't go hide and cry but stands firm in her faith that God will get her through.  

     This book shows that the women at home did not sit around waiting for their men to get home from war.  They got to work, inside and outside the home, making ships and planes, living very frugally, to make sure their boys had whatever they needed.  The women banded together to provide support and encouragement, along with whatever else was needed, in tough times.

     One of the endearing parts was, after Maybelle and her friends started working on the quilt, the other girls also provided cloth squares from items that meant something special to them.  It represented all the hopes, dreams and memories of friends and family.

     This was an enjoyable book.

This book was provided by Litfuse Publicity Group for review without compensation.

 

Joyce Magnin is the author of several books, including The Prayers of Agnes Sparrow, named one of the "Top 5 Best Christian Fiction Books of 2009" by Library Journal.  She has three children and one grandson and is mom to a neurotic parakeet.

Harriet Beamer Strikes Gold Book Review

SUMMARY:  Adventure is never far away.
     After a whirlwind cross-country move, Harriet and her donut-loving basset house, Humphrey, have settled in to a new life in Grass Valley, California. When Harriet learns that she's going to be a grandma for the first time and gets a new suite with room for her salt-and-pepper shaker collection,
she can't wait for her best friend, Martha, to come visit so she can share her good news.
     But adventure is never far away when Harriet is around.  After listening to the pleas of a desperate teen whose daddy needs money right away - and happens to have a gold mine to lease - Harriet falls hook, line and sinker into the venture.  Although she's nervous about her investment, Harriet chooses to keep it a secret from her son, Henry, and his wife.  She can only imagine what she'll do if this turns out to be her ticket to a golden windfall.
     When suspicions arise, though, it becomes clear that Harriet may never see an ounce of gold.  But will she continue to trust and risk losing everything?  The fate of the young teen and a family emergency show Harriet where her true treasure lies.

REVIEW:  Harriet loves her family.  When she finds out she is going to be a grandma, she decides to invest in a gold mine in hopes of striking it rich so she can help her son and daughter-in-law.  With her best friend Martha in tow, she finds out the mine and the people she invested in are under FBI investigation.  Throw in the chaos of a new addition to the house, and you have yourselves a mess! 
     I love how Harriet still wanted to help Lily have a better life, even though she was a big part of the mine fiasco. Harriet and Martha believed the best in this young teen and their faith was proved right.  When Henry and Prudence finds out about the mine and the problems surrounding it, they didn't condemn Harriet but helped her figure out what she could/should do.  This family supports each other and is there for each other, no matter what.
     This is a good book and is perfect for some light reading.

This book was provided by Booksneeze for review without compensation.

Joyce Magnin is the author of five novels, including the popular and quirky Bright's Pond Series and the middle-grade novel Carrying Mason.  She is a frequent conference speaker and writing instructor.  Joyce lives in Pennsylvania with her son, Adam, and their crazy cat, Mango, who likes to eat nachos.