A Single Thread [Paperback]

Marie Bostwick (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 2008

It's a long way from Fort Worth, Texas, to New Bern, Connecticut, yet it only takes a day in the charming Yankee town to make Evelyn Dixon realise she's found her new home. The abrupt end of her marriage was Evelyn's wake-up call to get busy chasing her dream of opening a quilt shop. Finding a store front is easy enough; starting a new life isn't. Little does Evelyn imagine it will bring a trio like Abigail Burgess, her niece Liza, and Margot Matthews through her door.Troubled and angry after her mother's death, Liza threatens to embarrass her Aunt Abigail all over town unless she joins her for quilting classes. A victim of downsizing at the peak of her career, Margot hopes an event hosted by the quilt shop could be a great chance to network - and keep from dying of boredom...As they stitch their unique creations, Evelyn, Abigail, Liza, and Margot form a sisterhood they never sought - but one that they'll be grateful for when the unexpected provides a poignant reminder of the single thread that binds us all...

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Bostwick makes a seamless transition from historical fiction to the contemporary scene in this buoyant novel about the value of friendship among women. When Evelyn Dixon's marriage ends, she leaves Texas and drives north until New Bern, Conn., captures her heart. There she pursues a dream of opening a quilt shop, and with little money and a lot of determination, she turns a derelict building into a haven for the crafty set. But three women who show up for quilting class end up learning about more than stitching and batting. Chilly, wealthy Abigail Burgess; her angry 19-year-old niece, Liza; and recently laid-off Margot Matthews all have different reasons for being there, but when Evelyn, having just learned she has breast cancer, breaks down, the trio unites to support her. Evelyn's illness and recovery are the catalysts that force the others to re-examine their own lives, while hints of a possible romance for Evelyn add a complementary thread to the friendship, community and illness story lines. Bostwick's polished style and command of plot make this story of bonding and sisterhood a tantalizing book club contender. (Nov.)
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Review

''Bostwick makes a seamless transition from historical fiction to the contemporary scene in this buoyant novel about the value of friendship among women . . . Bostwick's polished style and command of plot make this story of bonding and sisterhood a tantalizing book club contender.'' --Publishers Weekly

''Bostwick succeeds admirably in this departure from historical fiction . . . This is a pleasant story of friendship, with a message of starting over despite the odds. It will remind readers of Debbie Macomber's popular The Shop on Blossom Street. The first in Bostwick's 'Cobbled Court' series, this comforting book is highly recommended.'' --Library Journal --This text refers to the Audio Cassette edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Kensington Books (November 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0758222572
• ISBN-13: 978-0758222572
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (36 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #68,829 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I was born and raised in the Northwest, but since I married the love of my life twenty-five years ago, I've had eighteen addresses in eight U.S. states and two Mexican cities. My husband and I have three wonderful sons, two of whom are grown and gone. I've been writing for about twelve years. My first novel, FIELDS OF GOLD, came out in 2005 and was a finalist for the Oklahoma Book Award for fiction and the RT Bookclub Reviewer's Choice Award for Best Historical Saga. My second book, RIVER'S EDGE, has been chosen for the Literary Guild catalog for October of 2006.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 5 blue ribbons from Romance Junkies, October 28, 2008

By 

C. Dionne "Chrissy Dionne" (Cloverdale, OREGON USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Single Thread (Paperback)

Evelyn Dixon's life was forever altered the day her husband of almost thirty years announced that he wanted a divorce. With the knowledge that she has to go on with life, she decides to take a road trip and winds up in the cozy little town of New Bern, Connecticut. There she finds the perfect place to make her dreams a reality - only it's not as easy as she'd hoped and life has a few additional curveballs heading in her direction.

For Evelyn opening a quilt shop is a dream come true but there's a lot of work involved and the building she's renting has some issues that put her way behind her intended `grand opening day'. Once she finally opens her good friend Charlie recommends she envision exactly what she wants her shop to be and set about making it a reality. One way she can think of to draw attention to her shop is by participating in the Quilt Pink Event. Women would come in to the shop and quilt a block for a quilt that will be auctioned off with all proceeds going to breast-cancer research.

Women quickly began signing up and sharing their own stories - all while advising Evelyn to go in for a check-up. She follows their advice and the day before the big event at her shop Evelyn receives the news that she has breast cancer. She never dreamed that such devastating news could result in her forming friendships that will carry her through her treatments and beyond.

Abigail Burgess, her niece Liza, and Margot Matthews all have very different reasons for attending the event at Evelyn's quilt shop but once they learn of her predicament the women gather around her and ensure that she has the support she needs to get her through her ordeal. Through their unique friendship formed out of necessity they discover that there's nothing wrong with sharing their burdens.

I'm not a quilter but I have to tell you after reading Marie Bostwick's A SINGLE THREAD I'm definitely considering trying my hand at it. The way she takes such an age-old past time and makes it the glue that holds these women together is simply astounding. This story `speaks' to readers on so many different levels and brings these characters into your heart so that you don't want their story to ever end. Evelyn, Abigail, Liza and Margot are characters you can laugh and cry with and I did several times during the course of this story. One of my favorite characters, Mary Dell, we only get to meet sporadically. She's that eternally optimistic `kick in the pants' friend who comes in and doles out the dose of reality just when it's needed but does it with such humor and heart that leaves you smiling through the tears. I think I'll have to revert to a quote from Ms. Bostwick's book to truly sum this story up though - "The need for friendship is the single thread that we all have running through us." Through life, loves, friendships and heartaches true friends will always be by your side...and these are exactly the sort of friends I want in my life.

Ms. Bostwick will be releasing another book set in this quaint community in the summer of 2009. It's called A THREAD OF TRUTH and there's sneak peek at the end of A SINGLE THREAD so I'm very hopeful that we'll get to reconnect with these friends as well as make some new ones.

Chrissy Dionne (courtesy of Romance Junkies)

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful, October 29, 2008

By 

Cathy ML (Portland, OR) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Single Thread (Paperback)

A Single Thread is a beautiful book. I think it will speak to so many women - women married and divorced, women who have achieved dreams and women who have packed dreams away, women who have been left by men, and women who have had to start all over at one point, or many points, in their lives. Evelyn's a great character, finely drawn, and Abigail is so real I can see her and hear her clearly in my head. So much of what Abigail and Evelyn say rings so true, so authentic, I almost had to laugh. It's difficult to write with different voices and to make the characters sound different from each other, but Marie Bostwick has done a super job with it. Don't be scared away by some of the real life problems these ladies encounter, it's handled well and you'll keep wanting to read...

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It's all About Friendship, May 23, 2009

By 

Sunny Chanel "Sunny" (New England somewhere) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Single Thread (Paperback)

Marie Bostwick's novel got me reading fiction again, after a hiatus of several months. For this I am grateful. In fact, if I had the kind of job where I could afford to stay up past midnight reading, I would have done it. But since I work with kids, well, impossible to read late and keep my focus. What I enjoyed, though, was reading the book every morning over coffee and my breakfast.

I won't go into the details of character and plot; several other reviewers have done that quite thoroughly. I enjoyed the characters immensely, especially their distinct voices; giving each character a separate voice is not an easy thing to achieve. Mary Dell is a hoot, and Abigail's background story and evolution were such fun to discover.

I read the book at a time when I needed a much-deserved spirit lift. Middle-Age Confidential: My Life as a Date (This Could be a True Story)