27 of 28 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Chiaverini's Latest Effort is Masterful, May 1, 2004
Jennifer Chiaverini's Elm Creek Quilts series has drawn readers in for five books now, and the sixth, THE MASTER QUILTER, will be no different.
The beloved characters from the previous books are back. This time, the Elm Creek Quilters are trying to arrange a wedding quilt as a surprise present for newlyweds Sylvia and Andrew. To help make the quilt, the Elm Creek Quilters contact various minor characters from earlier books to have them contribute quilt blocks.
Meanwhile, Sarah's ability to keep a secret is tested, especially by her husband, Matthew. But both she and Sylvia seem to have minor roles in this book compared to some of the other characters. Bonnie is having financial problems with Grandma's Attic and, even worse, marital difficulties. Diane is feeling unappreciated by her fellow quilters and suspects that her son has begun his bad ways again. Gwen is trying to deal with her peers at the college who tell her that quilting is not a serious academic subject; she feels pressured to stop studying what she loves and concentrate on what is "in." Summer, Gwen's daughter, is moving in with her boyfriend without telling her mother, and she's juggling career choices as well.
Agnes is there for Bonnie, but her role is minor. She's her usual self: helpful, loyal and a good friend. When she does some investigation work to help out Bonnie, we see a different side of the usually reserved Agnes.
The prose here is wonderful, much like the images of quilts throughout the book. The characters are more fleshed out in this latest installment; it is interesting to see them struggling with decisions that any person could face in real life. The history among the characters is respected, which adds to the power of the story. Past relationships are brought in; the nicest was the hostility between Diane and her neighbor Mary Beth, the President of the other quilting club. The messages of friendship and loyalty are still there, and the fact that, six books later, these characters are still interesting is a testament to Chiaverini's writing abilities.
This is a series that can continue for the foreseeable future, and that is a good thing. These characters have a lot of stories left in them, and Chiaverini is bringing them to life in a wonderful way.
--- Reviewed by Melissa A. Palmer (melissaenglish72@yahoo.com)
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19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
It's fun to catch up with this group again!, March 31, 2004
The Elm Creek Quilters have decided to secretly craft a special quilt to honor their hostess and leader. They've asked each one of Sylvia's friends and former campers to stitch a patchwork block that somehow celebrates her inspiration to others. The contributions will be pieced together and presented as a belated wedding present to Sylvia and her new husband, Andrew. This book would be interesting enough if it merely reproduced all of the resulting letters with their stories and creative choices. But no: the local women have lives too, and they can be just as complex and frustrating as our own. Their own dramas wrap around the central theme in the same way that the incoming squares reveal portions of Sylvia's life. And they're told in block fashion as well, with each chapter focusing on one individual until the finale is devoted to the Master Quilter herself. While newbies to this series might be overwhelmed by the number of characters involved, they shouldn't let that bog down their reading. They've got plenty of time to catch up on the previous installments later, and then "the whole story" will be understood.
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15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Can't wait for the next one!, April 14, 2004
I loved Jennifer Chiaverini's latest Elm Creek Quilts novel. The book tells the story of the same several month time period from the view of different characters. Each chapter is another character's experience. It was very interesting to read what each person was thinking at the time and how the actions of others, which seemed unusual, were explained when the next chapter was told in their voice. Once again, Chiaverini has wrapped her readers in the warm storyquilt of friendship that trancends age and geography. Some characters are moving on to different places in their lives, and I look forward to the new characters that will fill their places at Elm Creek Quilts and the stories they will bring with them.
On a side note: Oooohhhh! I hate that man! Bonnie Markham's husband Craig is one of the biggest turd's I've ever read in a novel! Just wait, you'll hate him too.
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