Reviews

The Thread Collectors by Shaunna J. Edwards, Alyson Richman

bibliogirl0511's review against another edition

dark emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced

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

3.0

mctmama's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

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

4.25

 A Civil War story through an unusual lens - the eyes of a Jewish couple, and a young black couple struggling to be free. The unifying theme in the book is music, and sewing, and hope! The authors notes detail how the two women were inspired by the real men who fought in the Louisiana National Guard at Port Hudson, and the complexity of being a black man fighting for the Union Army. Similarly, the Jewish population was small at that time, but many of the immigrants chose to fight for freedom and their new country. These men also faced distrust from the white Union forces. The Kling brothers in the book were based on author Alyson Richards own ancestors - and the division between brothers was true! Shaunna also based her characters, especially Stella, on ancestors. An interesting read! Enjoyed learning about these characters. 

allisongiovanetti's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative inspiring reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.0

"I wouldn't be your daughter if I just sat back and did nothing." --Lily

The Thread Collectors was a wonderfully unique historical fiction novel set during the Civil War following the lives of black and white musician soldiers, and the women who will do whatever within their means to bring them home safely. I liked that this story was realistic about the limitations women had at the time. I do feel like the ending put just too nice of a bow on everything though. 

You are not powerless. You can do more than just sit and wait. 

rkeefer1011's review against another edition

emotional slow-paced

• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No

3.0

mooisawesome's review against another edition

challenging emotional sad medium-paced

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

4.0

katewutz's review against another edition

DNF. Couldn’t get into it, sorry—characters felt flat, scenes and chapters were choppy, found myself skimming only 60 pages in. May give it another go later…

booklvrkat's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring slow-paced

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

5.0

A poignant, harsh look at the Civil War, and the beauty that did flourish behind the scenes.

cakt1991's review

emotional informative 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

 Alyson Richman is an author that’s been on my radar for a while, but I’ve never been compelled to pick up one of her books until I came across The Thread Collectors, a collaboration with debut author Shaunna J. Edwards. While I’m not into the Civil War, I’m a sucker for stories that center Black narratives of the time period, and this does that, while also focusing on the lives of Jewish people, with both Richman and Edwards using their family histories as inspiration for the characters’ experiences. I love how the authors conveyed the complexity of how one’s identity of being Black or Jewish could shape a person, and even be different for two people within the same family due to other factors, like colorism or gender. 

I love how Edwards and Richman established a connection between their two main female protagonists, Stella and Lily, through their pursuit of sewing, and being “thread collectors,” as well as their common experiences as women whose husbands have gone off to war. While their backgrounds are different I love how those deep emotional things, like love for their husbands and not fully being accepted in one’s country, bring them together. 

And while the men are supporting players, they also play roles on-page, exploring parallel/similar themes to those in their wives’ arcs. While Black soldiers did serve in the Union army, their rations and pay were inferior, and there’s also cases where Black soldiers were cannon fodder.  Jews like Jacob (and Lily) were also subjected to antisemitism. What Jacob and William and soldiers like them experienced while fighting for a country that by-and-large hated them is harrowing, and I was touched reading about how they, like Lily and Stella, bonded over their shared experiences.

I really enjoyed this one, and I’d recommend it to fans of historical fiction about the Civil War and/or featuring Black/Jewish protagonists. 

 

kbaj's review against another edition

4.0

I really enjoyed this story, especially because I learned a lot about the Civil War from the perspective of Black and Jewish soldiers and civilians. There are a lot more books about free and enslaved Black perspectives on the war than when I was younger, but this is the first book about Jewish experiences that I've come across. I found it very valuable for showing that the intersections of race, religion, color, and wealth (among many others) aren't fixed, but can change in their effects depending on the context.

While I appreciated the story, I didn't like the writing style so much. The book read like a thesaurus, which distracted me from what the characters were saying. At times, the authors' efforts to avoid common expressions or the word "said" felt extremely flowery, forced, or plain did not make sense. I also didn't like that the main characters had absolutely no flaws, and the background characters were written like caricatures of "good" and "bad" Southerners or Northerners. I found it difficult to get invested in the main characters as people because they never did anything wrong intentionally and were always perfect wives, husbands, lovers, sisters, etc. I understand that the authors based the story loosely on their own family histories, and you don't really want to make your ancestors (and your protagonists) seem like bad people. But the characters were so blameless that they didn't seem like people at all.

mm691984's review against another edition

medium-paced

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

5.0