Historical Fiction Review: Thimbles and Threads: 4 Love Stories Are Quilted into Broken Lives by Mary Davis, Grace Hitchcock, Suzanne Norquist, Liz Tolsma

Book Description:

Enjoy four historical romances that celebrate the arts of sewing and quilting. When four women put needle and thread to fabric, will their talents lead to love?

Bygones by Mary Davis Texas, 1884
Can Tilly figure out how to truly forgive the one who made her childhood unbearable? 

The Bridal Shop by Grace Hitchcock
Charleston, South Carolina, June 1886
Alice Turner, the owner of one of Charleston’s finest bridal shops, is determined never to be dependent on a man for anything after the disgrace of her father’s prison time.  Will the handsome groomsman be able to convince her to open her heart again and finish the quilt once intended for her father?

Mending Sarah’s Heart by Suzanne Norquist
Rockledge, Colorado, 1884
Sarah doesn’t need anyone, especially her dead husband’s partner. When she rejects her husband’s share of the mine, his partner Jack seeks to serve her through other means. But will his efforts only push her further away?

Binding Up Wounds by Liz Tolsma
Regent, Wisconsin, 1865
Melissa Bainbridge is a quirky designer of rag dolls who raises raccoons and never really fit into the small farming town. When Lance Witherspoon arrives in town to thank her for the Sanitary Commission quilt she made that saved his life, she is shocked to learn Lance is a Confederate. Can she and Lance confront the town’s prejudices – along with their own?

My Review:
I enjoyed these gentle stories set in the late 1800s. I'm fascinated with the art of sewing, and love that the women in the stories own businesses. Each author writes a beautiful story, giving the heroin strong faith and determination. The novellas are threaded together by stitches, yet each one is unique. I especially enjoyed Binding Up Wounds. Liz Tolsma did a beautiful job writing about the prejudice that remained after the Civil War and the hurt caused by people who judge. If you enjoy historical fiction, pick up a copy of Thimbles and Threads. I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Books via Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.