Customer Reviews

A Quilter's Holiday: An Elm Creek Quilts Novel (Elm Creek Quilts Novels)

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

As a long-time series fan, I really enjoyed this latest edition to the Elm Creek novels. I'd give 4.5 stars, if that was a choice. The quilters gather to spend the day after Thanksgiving at Elm Creek Manor, to devote the day to quilting and togetherness. They celebrate their friendship as they individually struggle with family, life and relationship issues. There's also a lot of great, interesting description of holiday traditions from different cultures. I was impressed that Chiaverini didn't shy away from conflict or controversy, both within the characters' lives and in the larger world that influences them. It's a poignant reminder to find joy and comfort in life, while keeping awareness of those who are suffering. Plus, it takes a novel that could easily have sold just as feel-good fluff and challenges both author and readers.

I haven't always thought much of these "holiday" books (like "The Christmas Quilt" or "The New Year's Quilt") which contained a lot of recycled material from Chiaverini's other novels. "The Quilter's Holiday" has just a touch of review material, but it is integrated well (and not too long). I was glad to see the storylines of the main circle of Elm Creek Quilters move forward.

Every year on the Friday after Thanksgiving, the Elm Street Quilters gather to spend time with friends stitching gifts for loved ones. This year is special as each person creates a quilting block to add to the cornucopia that symbolizes what they are most pleased about. The event is a success but a snowstorm threatens to strand everyone at Em Court Manor.

Diane leaves anyway, but ends up stranded with a chargeless cell phone. Sylvia who once was the sole owner of Elm Creek Manor hopes that Summer, a founder of Elm Creek Quilts, has found through research her blood relatives living in California. Sarah, another founding mother of Elm Creek Quilts, learns her husband will not be there for her pregnancy because his father needs him to run the family business. Anna the manor's chef tells Jeremy , the boyfriend of another founding mother, that she loves him even as he is driving to the dorm of his girlfriend Summer. Gretchen seeks a cause to serve. Gwen misses her daughter Summer while finishing a quilt to thank the person responsible for giving her mentor a bone marrow transplant. Quilters unable to come are missed but remembered.

More a series of vignettes that update the quilters' lives especially their personal problems; this novel targets the fans of Elm Creek Quilts. This novel will leave readers laughing, crying and empathizing with the woes of the quilters. Fans will relish this entry but to learn what happens to the Quilters and their staff the audience will need to continue with the next saga. For the Elm Creek Manor horde, Jennifer Chiaverini stitches a fine character driven tale of friendship.

Harriet Klausner

I love Jennifer's writing, but this book is a bit redundant. It's kind of the same as many of her other books. Not as interesting as some of her earlier books. I love the more historical ones that focus on only a few characters. I will keep it, because I have all of her books. If I was not collecting her I would just pass it on to someone else. Probably not a re-read book.

I am a faithful reader of the Elm Creek Quilt books. While different from each other, I have enjoyed them all and look forward to each installment. I was pleasantly surprised to find out there was a holiday themed book coming out this year and immediately picked it up.

The setting is the Friday after Thanksgiving which is the "official" kickoff to the quilting season. As is their tradition, the quilters gather at Elm Creek manor to share their holiday leftovers in a pitch-in meal and to work on quilting projects for Christmas. The book is a combination of Thanksgiving and Christmas traditions so perfect to read close to Thanksgiving and will get the reader in the mood for Christmas and all its festivities.

For me, this was the perfect holiday book. It's 278 (small) pages since the book itself is small but it packs quite a lot in. Many holiday books are just way too light and fluffy for me or they go the other way and make fun of the season which I don't particularly like. This was wonderful! There is substantial "stuff" that happens in the novel with the Elm Creek Quilter's stories advancing or finding out about past experiences but there were also some life lessons learned by the quilters as the experience the two days immediately following Thanksgiving. Ms. Chiaverini continues to be one of my favorite authors due to her ability to bring the characters to life and make me care about them all, even the ones that have traits I find irritating.

If you are a fan of the series, please pick this up and snuggle in for a great read. If you haven't read any of them yet, it's strong enough to stand independently of the others, but I think you'll want to go back and catch up. I have recommended this series to several people, two of whom have taken me up on it and read them all -- and loved them too!

Festive holiday read -- highly recommended.

The Elm Creek quilters have come together for what has become a new tradition. They return to the Manor on the day after Thanksgiving to work on quilting projects for Christmas presents. (No Black Friday mall shopping for *them*.) A heavy snowstorm develops while they work, threatening to strand the non-residents along with the three couples who make the Manor their home.

Into the converted ballroom they converge: Sarah, Diane, Sylvia, Anna, Gretchen, and Gwen. Along with Agnes and Carol, the quilters work on their individual crafts. They may be sharing the same room; but each woman becomes lost in thought, as so often happens when focusing on creations with needle and thread. Each quilter is quietly dealing with a personal challenge or a real-life dilemma, often questioning her own emotions or judgment in the situation. Allowing us to delve into their lives gives these women depth as characters. The group dynamic that they project is quite different from who they are as individual personalities.

Ms. Chiaverini gives attention to the six main quilters by devoting a chapter to each one, offering the woman's own perspective on the events of the day and on her personal life. The concluding chapter offers some kind of resolution to each problem, as best as it can. These are women in various stages of life who find themselves in a variety of situations. At least one is apt to resound with the reader. While being able to witness what everyone is thinking is a treat, it seems a bit forced at times. How often does someone really think about her complete backstory in the course of one afternoon? Yet some of the information is new and interesting and helps to explain what their lives are like, away from the Manor and the Elm Creek quilt classes.

Fans of the series should of course appreciate any book that continues the story. Anyone who jumps into the fray at this point will wonder about some past events that are referenced but are not fully explained. Perhaps the most intriguing development has to do with Sylvia's favorite cousin, Elizabeth. I can't wait to learn the rest of the story on that topic.

Through the years, the Elm Creek Quilts series has developed into three main categories - the "Storyline" books which advance the main series(e.g., The Quilter's Apprentice), the "Historical" books (e.g., the excellent Lost Quilter) and the "Holiday" books (e.g, The New Year's Quilt). Chiaverini's latest offering, "A Quilter's Holiday" is a blend of the "storyline" and "holiday" sub-series resulting in a story that is easily the best "holiday" book she has penned to date.

As presented in the Product Description, the premise of this book is that our beloved circle of Elm Creek Quilters have gathered at the manor the day after Thanksgiving for a quilting marathon, and more importantly, as a time for them to strengthen their friendship. After all, Ms. Chiaverini uses quilting as her metaphor for how women piece together the parts of their lives, both together and individually, into a more beautiful whole. A Quilter's Holiday follows the same basic layout as "Circle of Quilters" in that a basic introductory paragraph is used to set up the plot lines, followed by chapters focusing on each of the individual quilters. A final chapter, tying up (or binding if you will)the loose ends completes the book.

Previous "holiday" books tended to be far too repetitive, borrowing very heavily from other books in the series. In pleasant contrast, this book focuses upon the turning points that the quilters have reached in their lives. These turning points reflect issues that many women will recognize - when is something a tradition that enriches you & and your family's lives versus habit? What are your responsibilites to your parents versus your spouse? How do you adapt when the nature of a friendship changes? What are the roles of our mentors in our lives and how do we pass their light on to others? Each woman's story focuses upon one of these important issues and how they resolve their issues is what makes this book worth reading. One thing is clear, our characters are about to undergo major changes in their lives.

Recommended reading. 4 starts

One final comment - perhaps it is my personal perspective (I am also a female academic), but I tend to find Gwen's stories the most emotionally touching. I was moved to tears by the end of her chapter.

Well, my heart sank when I picked up this much anticipated book up from the library and saw it's tiny size. I will say that I enjoyed it MUCH more than "The Quilter's Kitchen", which I considered a waste of paper, but after "The Lost Quilter", I was disappointed. I LOVED LOVED LOVED the premise of the Elm Creek Quilter's gathering after Thanksgiving for a quilting bee but I feel like so much more could have been done with their stories. Yes, I agree that things are getting a little redundant, but I love these characters so much I would not have minded if there had just been more to read. And there was not as much description about the quilting either. Rather than give us so many books in the series, I would much prefer if Chiaverini would take a deep breath and just work on a full length novel.

I almost didn't pick up this book. I've liked most of the Elm Creek Quilt books I've read, but I think Jennifer Chiaverini needs to put the series to bed and write something else. There is a compelling element to these stories, however, and I'm sure that is what keeps people reading them. I have mixed feelings about this one. It's a shorter, holiday novella style book that takes place over the course of two days and is easily read in one sitting. This one shares viewpoints from each quilter, and we do learn a bit more about each one. However, there are still redundancies, just like there are in past books.

Diane is the character I like the least and she whines and snipes her way through this book. Yes, her issues are wrapped up neatly at the end, just like everyone else's, but to say she is annoying is an understatement. Sarah and Matt end the book with somewhat unresolved issues and Sylvia discovers more answers to her family history. So I have no doubt that at least one more Elm Creek Quilt book will be published: one that features a return to Elizabeth's story from The Quilter's Homecoming. Another one dealing with Sarah and Matt and the birth of their children is probably on its way as well.

Thanks to my local library for having a copy I could borrow. Because my library has them, I might pick up the next ones. I don't know. Like I said, there is a compelling element to these stories and kudos to Jennifer Chiaverini for capitalizing on it. If you've liked the rest of the series, you will probably enjoy this one.

Why do people believe that to give a book a review, he/she must tell what the book is about? I am an "Elm Creek Series" lover (among many other great authors as I read voraciously). Of course I read this book the day it became available. I loved it. I can't wait for Ms. Chiaverini's NEXT book! For me it's ALWAYS exciting to hear that she is about to publish another book. Having said that, I realize I feel I should apologize that I picked on you, Avid Reader, but I had read 2 reviews & the first was yours. After continuing to start reading the other reviews in their order, I saw that MANY people basically have done the same thing in giving away the story! If I was the author, that would definitely "cheeze me"; she wants people to enjoy her book(s) as much as she enjoys writing them for us. I've said it before, & I'll say it again - basically the reason for reviewing a book is to give your point of view as to whether you LOVED it, you though it was OKAY, you LOVE this author but this book in your opinion was not one of his/her best, or you didn't like it at all. Sure, give a reason WHY you believe what you believe, but I need to say on behalf of SO MANY people who read the reviews to see whether he/she should buy this, or any book (to READ, of course)- please, DON'T "give it" away.

This series has so many ups and downs. While this one went back to the original characters and storyline, I didn't find it as charming as the others. That's not to say it wasn't any good, it just wasn't as expressive as some of the others. Since there are so many books in the series before this one I'm not going to recap them as it would be way too lengthy.

This book involves the "Quilter's Holiday" which is a day when the Elm Creek quilter's get together near Thanksgiving (more on this later) and enjoy leftovers and quilting together. A lot of this book focuses on different things that are happening in the quilter's lives.

Sarah is preparing for the arrival of her twins but learns that her husband has different plans for their last few months before they are born. While she would like him to stay at Elm Creek Manor to help her and go to Drs. appointments with her, he has decided without talking it over with her to go help his father with his business. While she understands why he wants to, she can't help but think his priorities are a little misplaced.

Diane is feeling a little bit of empty nest syndrome and when a blizzard starts trapping the quilter's at the manor, she becomes determined to get home where her boys are back visiting from college. Despite the snow she starts off and unfortunately becomes stuck on the way. With no one answering the phone, she has to try and make it back to the manor in the blinding whiteness.

Sylvia is in search of long lost relatives. Enlisting the help of some of her researcher friends, she has them look for descendants of her favorite cousin Elizabeth. Although a private investigator had told her earlier that she had no one left in the family, she can't help but believe there must be someone else out there.

Anna is adjusting well to being the cook at Elm Creek. Her biggest frustrations come from Jeremy. A friend of hers and the boyfriend on one of the other quilter's daughter, she discovers that she is falling in love with him. When he leaves to go visit his girlfriend he keeps calling her and she can't help but wonder if maybe he'd like more from their relationship as well.

Gretchen thinks back on her past of helping people. She once volunteered at a home for displaced pregnant teenagers and she reflects on the hardships and joys this has brought her. Now that she lives somewhere else, she hopes to find another volunteer opportunity that gives her as much satisfaction as the previous one did.

Gwen thinks back on a mentor and friend who has recently died. She inspired Gwen to do great things and Gwen in turn inspired her to quilt. In order to help this friend she had also formed a bone marrow drive to help find a match and keep her alive. Despite the match though, she still loses a good friend and wonders what else could have been done.

All the wonderful characters were back and it was so nice to see them continue their story. While I understand Chiaverini likes to branch out, it would be nice if she used those books in a different series instead of combining them with this one. There is one flaw in her characters I do have to point out though. Summer, the daughter of Gwen and girlfriend of Jeremy is becoming extremely unlikeable. While I realize she's supposed to be finding herself, I can't help but think that she treats Jeremy horribly and that it is a total disconnect from what her character is supposed to be.

The writing is back to being unoffensive. Chiaverini barely ever uses harsh words let alone vivid disturbing descriptions. For other descriptions, there are a great many quilts mentioned in this novel but they lack the color and charm that some of her earlier books brought to life. She used to spend great time on colors and shapes, describing patterns and stitches, now we're lucky if they are called "jewel-toned". I also had trouble with something that didn't match up in the book to me. The Quilter's Holiday is supposed to feature a potluck of Thanksgiving leftovers, but then goes on to say the day is the day before Thanksgiving. Perhaps they had a Thanksgiving of their own but it still wasn't very clear to me.

I of course will always continue on with the series. Even her worst is still pretty good. I just hope that she re finds what made the series so charming to begin with. I want to see the character reconnect and picture the quilts so elegantly described in my mind.

A Quilter's Holiday
Copyright 2009
278 pages