Customer Reviews

Patchwork: American Series (Harvest American Writing)

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Karen Osborn's novel contains all the elements I like. The story, which starts in the thirties and ends in contemporary times, is based in a declining mill-town, and is told through the alternating voices of three women connected to the mill. The characters all feel realistic and believable, as well as do the tensions between the characters. The descriptions of the mill feel both historically accurate and "lived."

By the end of the book, I start to feel like I should have liked the book more than I did. Osborn seems to lose her trust in the audience around the middle of the novel, and begins to summarize points she's already made (in case we didn't "get it" through her story-telling), and the allusions to the textile metaphor (both weaving and quilting) that she builds throughout the book become more obvious and stretched.

All in all, this novel is a fun read, especially if you don't think the novel through too much. Read this book for entertainment only and you won't be disappointed.

Michelle Cox