Review: The Giving Quilt by Jennifer Chiaverini

Title:  The Giving Quilt
Author:  Jennifer Chiaverini
Genre:  Contemporary Women’s Fiction
Pages:  336
Published:  October 2012
Publisher:  Dutton
Source:  Publisher via NetGalley
Buy Links:  Amazon

Synopsis:

“Why do you give?” asks Master Quilter Sylvia Bergstrom Compson Cooper in The Giving Quilt, the New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Chiaverini’s artful, inspiring novel that imagines what good would come from practicing the holiday spirit each and every day of the year.

At Elm Creek Manor, the week after Thanksgiving is “Quiltsgiving,” a time to commence a season of generosity. From near and far, quilters and aspiring quilters—a librarian, a teacher, a college student, and a quilt-shop clerk among them—gather for a special winter session of quilt camp, to make quilts for Project Linus. (In real life, Chiaverini has long been active in this charitable organization, dedicated to providing handmade quilts and blankets to children in need.)

Each quilter, ever mindful that many of her neighbors, friends, and family members are struggling through difficult times, uses her creative gifts to alleviate their collective burden. As the week unfolds, the quilters respond to Sylvia’s provocative question in ways as varied as the life experiences that drew them to Elm Creek Manor. Love and comfort are sewn into the warm, bright, beautiful quilts they stitch, and their stories collectively consider the strength of human connection and its rich rewards.

Featuring not only well-loved characters but also intriguing newcomers, The Giving Quilt will remind us all: Giving from the heart blesses the giver as much as the recipient, and while giving may not always be easy, it is always worthwhile.

Once again we return to Elm Creek Quilts to see old friends and meet new quilters.  The group gathers together to create quilts for Project Linus, eat good food, enjoy each others company and learn from the fabulous teachers.  We meet several new characters, who join the group to learn about themselves and one another and create something wonderful.

The 20th book, yes you read that correctly – the 20th book in the Elm Creek Quilts series takes us through the week of “Quiltsgiving” where the ladies gather for a free week of quilting for charity.  When a series gets into this many books – you always wonder how it’s going to progress, will it lose something because of the number of books?

This is a wonderful series, filled with friendship, history, a dash of romance and of course quilts.  As each book comes out, we see a few more character, their back story, how they came to be where they are, the history of Elm Creek and each story draws you in more and more.

Would I recommend this book?  Of course!  I would recommend picking up not only The Giving Quilt, but the entire series.  I picked up the first book from the library years ago and have gathered each book as it became available to find a permanent home on my bookcase.  Would I read more by this author?  Most definitely!  I can’t wait for the next book!