Reviews

One Illumined Thread by Sally Colin-James

sallydoig's review

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

michele6169's review

2.0

Just a bit too busy for me too many characters and although all were interesting I could not engage with them.. would have loved to read seperate books about them all .. did not finish because of this

jennifer_c_s's review

4.0

‘The girl in the mirror is a work of art. Unlike me, she will never find freedom.’

This novel, which spans two thousand years, is about the lives of three women. In 41BCE Elisheva lives in Judea, under the rule of Herod. In 1497, Antonia lives in Florence, and in 2018, Elisabeth lives in Adelaide. Elisheva will marry, and long for a child. Antonia marries and is left penniless when her artist husband dies. Elisabeth has suffered her own tragedy and has fled an abusive spouse.

These women have two things in common: difficult mothers and their own creative streaks. Elisheva masters glassblowing while ostracised because of being childless. Antonia seeks to create the elusive perfect white paint, and Elisabeth is a textile conservator.

The narrative shifts between the three women.  The narrative set in Florence is based heavily around the painting La Visitazione by Mariotto Albertinelli (1503) which features the visitation of the Virgin Mary to Elizabeth. Antonia is married to Albertinelli. In Judea, Herod threatens and delivers violence. And, in Adelaide, Elisabeth is working on a 400-hundred-year-old embroidery based on The Visitation. 

While I found each woman’s story interesting, it was Elisheva’s story that captured my imagination. I wanted to know more about glassblowing, and the mysteries of black glass. I found Antonia’s story easiest to follow, but Elisabeth remained more of a mystery to me until near the end of the book (when we learn her name).

I think it is a tribute to Ms Colin-James’s research that she brought each of these characters and their concerns to life. I wanted each of them to succeed. And now, I am thinking about the role of artisanal craft in the lives of so many women, and the challenges so many women face.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

wheresmybookmark's review

4.0

This was a really lovely and amazingly researched book.

Wasn't really what I am that interested in - as someone who doesn't want a child or yearns for one, I can only somewhat relate to the mother/child relationships which are heavy throughout this story.

Would recommend to any mother out there - good mother's day book perhaps??

nixicat1's review against another edition

reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

amrawinter's review

Right book, wrong time

rhodaj's review

slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

sophiereads21's review

4.0

3 stories, 2000 years, 3 women- Adelaide 20th century, Florence 1500's and Middle East pre Christianity. Each woman is constrained by societal norms of their time and each chafes at the confines of their life.

There are some central difficult themes in this book - infertility, difficult mother daughter relationships, abuse. But also a deep appreciation for creativity, experimentation and commitment to art/your craft. This book was quite beautiful and would have taken a huge amount of research!

Wonderfully written but didn't completely grab me

amykate98's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

kathrynjonesreads's review

hopeful informative inspiring medium-paced

3.5

This is a good book, that is impressive in depth of research and epic in its scope, especially notable from a debut author. We follow three women in three very different timelines: modern-day Australia, Renaissance-era Florence, and ancient Judea. Each woman's story tells of how she works with her circumstances to creatively and bravely determine her own future.

For me, personally, I think I would have preferred 3 separate stories as switching between the three women didn't work well for me. Each of these women deserved their own story, in my opinion, or potentially a little more commonality to hold the three stories together more.

Overall, an enjoyable and impressive book.