The Union Quilters: An Elm Creek Quilts Novel by Jennifer Chiaverini

Jennifer Chiaverini is known for her wonderful novels centered around the ladies of the Elm Creek Quilters, both past and present.

In her new book, "The Union Quilters,” Jennifer looks at the founding ladies of the quilting group, women left behind in the harrowing times of the Civil War and how they showed their strength and compassion during the struggles and hardships faced at home during the arduous war.

In 1862, war has come knocking at the door of the community of Water's Ford, Pennsylvania and as Union supporters the local men rally to answer the call to enlist. As their men march off to their unknown fates, the women of Elm Creek Valley are determined to contribute their share to the war effort and turn their sewing and quilting skills from home use to crafting quilts and other necessary items that are so desperately needed by their menfolk.

The ladies of Water’s Ford each face widely varying, yet common fears as the Civil war that is tearing their country apart rages on. Constance Wright’s husband Abel is an accepted member of the community, and a skilled rifleman, but is turned away from enlisting simply because he is black. Dorothea’s pregnant sister-in-law Charlotte Granger is worried about her husband Dr. Jeremy Granger, who sends comforting regular updates on the men from home to his wife, but also sends more detailed letters to his former love, Gerda Berstrom, causing ill-will and strife among the two women.

Anneke Bergstrom must face whispers from the town since her husband refused to enlist, preferring to stay out of the fray, and Dorothea Granger Nelson worries about her educated schoolmaster husband Thomas who carried her Dove In The Window quilt into battle with him, not realizing that she was pregnant with their second child.

A patriotic project to supply new hospitals in Washington with quilts bands the women together, and the project turns into an opportunity for them to show they are capable to run their lives, their families and their community with great success. Though tension and worry reign over the small community, the women do their best to support one another and hold their families together until their men come marching home.

The seventeenth book in the Elm Creek Quilts series, “The Union Quilters” is a deeper look at the original group of women who began the quilting group. With a sharp eye to detail and historical fact, Chiaverini has combined the stories of the women left behind during war with how the art of quilting allowed the women to cope to create an intriguing story that is timely with the 150^th anniversary of the Civil War approaching.

In my opinion, this novel is one of Chiaverini’s best works to date.

About The Author:

Jennifer Chiaverini lives with her husband and two sons in Madison, Wisconsin.

A graduate of the University of Notre Dame and the University of Chicago, she is also a former writing instructor at Penn State and Edgewood College.

In addition to the sixteen volumes of the Elm Creek Quilts series, she is the author of four volumes of quilt patterns inspired by her novels, as well as the designer of the Elm Creek Quilts fabric lines from Red Rooster Fabrics.

My thanks to the publisher and author for the review copy of this book. I was not compensated for my opinions.

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A Thread So Thin by Marie Bostwick

With her “A Cobbled Court” novels, author Marie Bostwick shares the stories of a group of women who find friendship and support at the Cobbled Court Quilt Shop.

Owner Evelyn Dixon opens her cozy shop to all, and over the past two books, “A Single Thread,” and “A Thread of Truth,” readers have become familiar with Evelyn along with the rest of the Quilting Circle members Abigail, Ivy, and Margot.

In her latest book, “A Thread So Thin,” Bostwick tells the story of youngest Quilting Circle member, Liza Burgess.

Liza is a soon-to-be graduate art student who faces a dilemma on which way her life should go. She plans to return home to New Bern to work on her art and at the quilt shop, but when her fiancé Garrett proposes to her on New Year’s Eve, Liza feels her carefully made plans come unraveled. Even more so when her art professor offers her a job in Chicago as assistant curator at a prestigious museum.

Caught up in a whirlwind of wedding plans being made by her formidable aunt Abigail, Liza must stand up for herself to make some big decisions on what would make her happiest, and where. But the risk of hurt feelings and rejection have her scared silly, to the point of making herself ill.

Meanwhile marriage is in the air as Evelyn and her beau, the handsome Irish Charlie, ponder their own commitment to each other, and poor Margot continues to chase after her gold ring from Arnie. Only Ivy has sense enough to stay out of the romance department for now.

“A Thread So Thin” is a lovely visit back to old friends of Marie Bostwick’s making. The continuation of the storyline is full and vibrant, and will leave readers happily looking forward to the next installment of adventures at Cobbled Court.


Thanks to Kim Miller and Nancy Berland Public Relations for the review copy of this book. I was not compensated for my opinion.