Book Description

Lives Are Transformed. . .One Stitch at a Time

As Amish widow Emma Yoder contemplates the task ahead, her thoughts center on one: What if she fails? Longing to remove a burden from her family by becoming self-sufficient, Emma has offered to hold quilting classes in her home. But when she sees the patchwork of faces assembled for the first lesson, her confidence dwindles as doubt takes hold.

There’s Star Stephens, a young woman yearning for stability; Pam and Stuart Johnston, a struggling couple at odds in their marriage; Paul Ramirez, a widowed father hoping to find solace in finishing a quilt; Jan Sweet, a rough and tough biker looking for something creative to do; and Ruby Lee Williams, a preacher’s wife seeking relaxation amid mounting parish problems.

While Emma grows to realize her ability to share her passion for quilting and her faith, the beginning quilters learn to transform scraps of fabric into beauty. And slowly, their fragmented lives begin to take new shape—some in unexpected ways—with the helping hands of each other and the healing hand of God. 

Review

This was the first time I’ve read one of Wanda Brunstetter, and I am looking forward to reading more of her books.

I am not sure what pulled me to this book, but I am glad that it did.  There are so many lessons to learn through each of the individual stories.  The characters are very real, their situations are very life-like, and recipe for Emma Yoder’s Angel Cream Pie sounds yummy!!

One of my favorite characters is Jan Sweet, and I am not sure if it’s because he is the least likely to be a student of a quilting class, or if it is because he is such a tenderhearted, big burly guy.  My other favorite character is Emma Yoder.  She just seems like such a nice lady; possibly a lady that I would like to go visit one afternoon.  That was kind of like what reading this book was like, not really visiting these characters but like peeking into their lives and pulling for them in their time of need.  I told you that they were very real.

I recommend this book for a nice, fast read.  I’ve been reading a lot of books that required a lot of focus and thought, so it was very nice to read a book that held my attention but didn’t require me to concentrate too hard.  Please tell me that you know what I am trying to say.

I love reading Amish related books, and Wanda E. Brunstetter loves writing about them.  I am fairly positive that I will be reading more of her books, and I hope you will too.

FYI:

The Half-Stitched Amish Quilting Club is being made into a musical play. It will open August 24, 2012 at the Blue Gate Theater in Shipshewana, Indiana, and will run through December 8, 2012. I sure wish I could go!