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3.89 AVERAGE
3.89 AVERAGE
emotional
informative
inspiring
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:
Complicated
emotional
informative
sad
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
emotional
informative
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
sad
tense
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Racism, Sexual content, Slavery, Medical content, War, Injury/Injury detail
emotional
informative
sad
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:
Complicated
Emotional,heartbreaking. The trial and tragedies of the civil war are difficult to read about. A terrible time on American history. However there have been and continues to be terrible times in our country.
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
In a Nutshell: Not a typical historical fiction set during the Civil War. This one covers perspectives not commonly seen – that of Jews and Blacks. The #OwnVoices factor adds to the charm of the story. Expected something a little different, but still enjoyed what I got.
Story Synopsis:
1863.
In New Orleans, Stella, a Creole of mixed heritage, uses her skill with the needle to stitch ingenious maps to help enslaved men run from their hopeless destiny. Her lover William – a Black slave and an expert musician - is one such man, hoping to be freed of his shackles by fighting in the Civil War from the Union side.
In New York City, Lily, a Jewish woman with strong ideas on abolition, does her best to ensure that the Union soldiers get adequate supplies. Her husband Jacob, who has enlisted with the Union Army as a musician, is an unhappy soldier as his own brother believes in the Confederacy.
How the tracks of these two couples come together is what you need to read and find out.
The story comes to us in a limited third person narration of these four characters.
Where the book worked for me:
👏 The unusual perspective is the highlight of the story. We rarely see historical fiction exploring the war from the perspective of Jewish or Black soldiers, or of the women in their lives.
👏 An equal novelty was in the way sewing is used throughout the story, and how it stitches the narrative of all four characters into one colourful quilt. Whether it is through the maps that Stella makes for the escaping slaves with the limited material she has at her disposal, or through the sewing circle which Lily is a part of, making helpful items to keep the soldiers warmer and safer, or even through the way their efforts help the Union soldiers, the ‘thread collectors’ is a title that works for this book in multifarious ways.
👏 The storyline is quite complex, but the authors manage to pull it off to a great extent.
👏 The characters are sketched quite realistically. The title might make you feel that this is a women's story all the way, that the male characters have only limited secondary roles. But this isn’t true, especially in the first half.
👏 The plot explores many impactful themes such as racial discrimination, gender discrimination, disparity in the fortunes of family members due to either their beliefs or their status, and the impact of war. It also explores how determination and drive can change supposed destiny.
👏 Alyson Richman is the USA Today bestselling and #1 international bestselling author of several historical novels. Shaunna J. Edwards makes her debut with this book. These two are friends in real life, and are of the same racial background as the characters they created (A Jew and a Black respectively.) Their collaboration on this work is thus filled with a strong flavour of authenticity. I especially loved the insight into the Creole belief system as seen from Stella’s part of the story.
👏 The authors’ note indicates how the two authors used their own background to make the story authentic. There are many historical events and persons woven into this fictional narrative, and their note elaborates on this.
Where the book could have worked better for me:
⚠ Though the narrative is set mainly in 1863, there are quite a few flashbacks to establish the backstories of the key characters. This will be a real test of your memory. To me, some of the backstories worked, but some were superfluous.
⚠ A couple of the events in the second half were too coincidental to be believable. Yeah okay, fiction is fiction, but when the overall tone is so realistic and spot-on, such anomalies stand out.
⚠ The blurb reveals one event that happens much later in the book. It also makes the story seem like that of Stella and Lisa, rather than of all four characters.
⚠ The pacing is a bit topsy-turvy. The ending seems very rushed, though I must give it credit for being bittersweet than an OTT HEA.
All in all, the book has a lot going for it. As an #OwnVoices story inspired by the two authors’ own backgrounds and their friendship, this historical fiction has a lot to offer to its readers. Though the pacing and the backstories could have been better structured, the book still offers tremendous content and is definitely recommended.
Trigger Note: As a slave and war narrative, the book contains several gruesome scenes. Not for the faint-hearted, though whatever happened is definitely based in the truth.
4 stars.
My thanks to Harlequin Trade Publishing, Graydon House, and NetGalley for the DRC of “The Thread Collectors”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
Story Synopsis:
1863.
In New Orleans, Stella, a Creole of mixed heritage, uses her skill with the needle to stitch ingenious maps to help enslaved men run from their hopeless destiny. Her lover William – a Black slave and an expert musician - is one such man, hoping to be freed of his shackles by fighting in the Civil War from the Union side.
In New York City, Lily, a Jewish woman with strong ideas on abolition, does her best to ensure that the Union soldiers get adequate supplies. Her husband Jacob, who has enlisted with the Union Army as a musician, is an unhappy soldier as his own brother believes in the Confederacy.
How the tracks of these two couples come together is what you need to read and find out.
The story comes to us in a limited third person narration of these four characters.
Where the book worked for me:
👏 The unusual perspective is the highlight of the story. We rarely see historical fiction exploring the war from the perspective of Jewish or Black soldiers, or of the women in their lives.
👏 An equal novelty was in the way sewing is used throughout the story, and how it stitches the narrative of all four characters into one colourful quilt. Whether it is through the maps that Stella makes for the escaping slaves with the limited material she has at her disposal, or through the sewing circle which Lily is a part of, making helpful items to keep the soldiers warmer and safer, or even through the way their efforts help the Union soldiers, the ‘thread collectors’ is a title that works for this book in multifarious ways.
👏 The storyline is quite complex, but the authors manage to pull it off to a great extent.
👏 The characters are sketched quite realistically. The title might make you feel that this is a women's story all the way, that the male characters have only limited secondary roles. But this isn’t true, especially in the first half.
👏 The plot explores many impactful themes such as racial discrimination, gender discrimination, disparity in the fortunes of family members due to either their beliefs or their status, and the impact of war. It also explores how determination and drive can change supposed destiny.
👏 Alyson Richman is the USA Today bestselling and #1 international bestselling author of several historical novels. Shaunna J. Edwards makes her debut with this book. These two are friends in real life, and are of the same racial background as the characters they created (A Jew and a Black respectively.) Their collaboration on this work is thus filled with a strong flavour of authenticity. I especially loved the insight into the Creole belief system as seen from Stella’s part of the story.
👏 The authors’ note indicates how the two authors used their own background to make the story authentic. There are many historical events and persons woven into this fictional narrative, and their note elaborates on this.
Where the book could have worked better for me:
⚠ Though the narrative is set mainly in 1863, there are quite a few flashbacks to establish the backstories of the key characters. This will be a real test of your memory. To me, some of the backstories worked, but some were superfluous.
⚠ A couple of the events in the second half were too coincidental to be believable. Yeah okay, fiction is fiction, but when the overall tone is so realistic and spot-on, such anomalies stand out.
⚠ The blurb reveals one event that happens much later in the book. It also makes the story seem like that of Stella and Lisa, rather than of all four characters.
⚠ The pacing is a bit topsy-turvy. The ending seems very rushed, though I must give it credit for being bittersweet than an OTT HEA.
All in all, the book has a lot going for it. As an #OwnVoices story inspired by the two authors’ own backgrounds and their friendship, this historical fiction has a lot to offer to its readers. Though the pacing and the backstories could have been better structured, the book still offers tremendous content and is definitely recommended.
Trigger Note: As a slave and war narrative, the book contains several gruesome scenes. Not for the faint-hearted, though whatever happened is definitely based in the truth.
4 stars.
My thanks to Harlequin Trade Publishing, Graydon House, and NetGalley for the DRC of “The Thread Collectors”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
She sat in the chair by the window, the sunlight pouring through the dust streaked glass. In her lap she held a piece of delicate cotton, a bright colorful thread weaving through its center. She carefully moved her needle through the cloth, each stitch a lifesaving one. A single tear fell from her eye, as she pictured the man this map was going to and she prayed for his safe journey and that one day he’d come home.
The Thread Collectors is a powerful historical fiction story set in the 1860s during the Civil War. The book follows multiple point of views as these people navigate the war and their place in it. A white couple from the north, he fighting in the war, and she doing her part to help. A black couple in the south, he fleeing his master to help fight, and she secretly sewing maps to help lead men to safety.
This book had me wrapped up in so many emotions and I loved each character in this story so much. This is not an easy read in any way; this war a brutal and angering part of this country’s history. But wow, this author duo penned a wonderful story filled with strength and hope.
If you’re a historical fiction fan and want a civil war era read, then I highly recommend picking up this book!
The Thread Collectors is a powerful historical fiction story set in the 1860s during the Civil War. The book follows multiple point of views as these people navigate the war and their place in it. A white couple from the north, he fighting in the war, and she doing her part to help. A black couple in the south, he fleeing his master to help fight, and she secretly sewing maps to help lead men to safety.
This book had me wrapped up in so many emotions and I loved each character in this story so much. This is not an easy read in any way; this war a brutal and angering part of this country’s history. But wow, this author duo penned a wonderful story filled with strength and hope.
If you’re a historical fiction fan and want a civil war era read, then I highly recommend picking up this book!
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
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:
Yes
Stella is a slave/mistress to a cruel owner who visits her Creole cottage in New Orleans. But Stella’s feelings are all for a young slave called William, who is a musician and is determined to join the Louisianna Black Native Guards. When William decides to run away, Stella embroiders a map with information from her master that shows not only rivers, creeks, towns but also Confederate troops, camps and outposts. William is a talented flutist and is assigned to the company band.
Lily is a young Jewish woman whose husband, Jacob, is stationed with the Union forces in Louisianna. Lily is an ardent abolitionist. Lily creates a quilt for Jacob, then continues to make quilts with her sewing group and rolling bandages. When months go by with no word from Jacob, Lily travels to New Orleans. Lily and Stella meet and become determined to find the men.
Jacob is also a musician and he and William bond over their music. Jacob and William escape from a battleground together. William saves Jacob’s life and gets them both away from the fighting. They make their way through swamps, past patrols to an isolated cabin deep in the swampland.
Shaunna Edwards (African American) and Alyson Richman (Jewish) are long time friends. The story is loosely based on their own family histories. They have written a book that portrays a human side to the Civil War through a beautiful friendship. It tells the story of racism against both blacks and Jews. The characters are richly developed and the story is dramatic and absorbing. This provided a unique perspective through the friendships formed by these characters. It tells the story of the Civil War as the horror it was and the heartbreak of a war against friends and family. But the characters’ friendship, love, resolve, bravery, and courage is touching and memorable. Recommend to readers of historical fiction, romance and those interested in portrayal of ordinary people behaving extraordinarily.
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
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
In The Thread Collectors, the character of Jacob Kling is based on a musician who enlisted in the 31st Regiment of New York. Having left his wife, Lily, a harpist, behind in New York, Jacob is stationed at Camp Parapet near Jefferson, Louisiana, assisting the doctor who is examining the many Black men who have arrived to serve with the Louisiana Native Guards. Jacob's older brother has enlisted in the 29th Regiment of Mississippi. Samuel left New York and established a mercantile emporium in Satartia, Mississippi. Samuel was dispatched by their father to expand the family's trading business and, surprisingly, found a Jewish bride and settled there. The brothers' opposing stances create tension, especially when Lily is unable to hide her feelings during a visit. She is appalled that Samuel would join the effort to maintain slavery, but Samuel insists that he had no choice and is fighting not to protect slavery, but to hold onto the business and home he has worked hard to establish. He believes that if the Rebel forces lose, his family will be destitute. The brothers' affection for each other is never in question and both despair at the prospect that they could find themselves on opposite sides of a battlefield.
As the story opens, Stella and William are saying good-bye to each other, unsure if they will ever be reunited. William is running away from New Orleans and his master, risking his life to join the Union Army at the enlistment camp ten miles away. William and Stella love each other but are not permitted to marry or even make decisions about their own lives. They believe that once the Union Army wins the war, that will change.
There, he meets Jacob and the physician Jacob is assisting, who is astounded that William does not bear the kind of physical scars that so many other enslaved men do and his hands have no calluses. William has never performed hard labor. His musical talent was discovered when he was just six years old and he was sent to live in the main house where he was forced to play the flute to amuse and entertain his master's wife and their guests. He was required to dress in the hand-me-down suits of his master's son and perform on command, which was demeaning. Although singled out for his musical prowess, he was denied the opportunity to learn to read music because reading is forbidden . . . and a punishable offense. William can express his feelings through his music, but lacks the ability to commit his thoughts and emotions to paper.
Stella lives in a Creole cottage with her half-sister, Ammanee. Their mother, Janie, lives nearby in her own cottage on Rampart Street. Their homes are furnished with cast-off items, and their masters provide them with meager allowances to buy food. They are among the light-skinned women who enjoy elevated living conditions because they have been granted favor by the white men who control their lives. Janie was separated from Ammanee's father, the love of her life, and never saw him again, but given her "freedom papers" when Stella was fathered by her master. She is not free to leave, however. Mr. Percy permitted seven-year-old Ammanee to be her half-sister's nursemaid and promised Janie that she could select the man who would be Stella's master. Stella was "sent to market" when she was eighteen years old and it was there that she met William, playing his flute. Keeping his promise to Janie, Mr. Percy negotiated a deal with Mason Frye, William's master, for Stella. She would be provided four bolts of fabric, ten spools of threat, three cotton slips and bloomers, two cast-iron pots, a copper kettle, a wooden desk, a chair, and a mirror. And most importantly, Ammanee would also be purchased to serve as Stella's maid. The three women are fortunate to be together, but Stella is required to submit to her master's demands and whims, and when, after William escapes, she realizes she is pregnant, worries what will happen if the child's skin color is too dark to convince Frye that he is the father.
Stella is a skilled seamstress, of necessity, and after she embroiders a map to guide William, she is called upon by her neighbors to create maps for their sons and brothers who also plan to join the Union Army. She incorporates information gleaned by Ammanee from conversations she overhears while working in the nearby church. Because fabric and thread are precious commodities, quilts, purses, and petticoats must be repurposed, with thread being carefully extracted in order to be used again. Stella codes the maps in various colors signifying routes that are believed to be less fraught with danger than others.
As the war rages on, William is pressed into service, along with a young drummer boy who barely speaks, performing nightmarish tasks he could never have imagined. Teddy is just ten years old, and eventually reveals how he came to be completely alone in the world, his drum his only possession, and in a Union Army camp. William, in particular, is fond of and determined to protect him. Jacob wrote a beautiful song for Lily, "Girl of Fire," and many of the soldiers have learned it. In the evenings, along with other musicians, Jacob, William, and Teddy bring comfort to and boost the morale of the men who are fighting.
They develop a strong sense of camaraderie through their music, as well as their individual senses of being "other than." Jacob hides his background, painfully aware that many of the men he encounters have never before met a Jew and not all will accept him. William stands apart from many of the other men who have endured harsh physical conditions their entire lives. But William is no stranger to hardship and heartbreak, having watched his mother suffer.
A holiday cease-fire inspires William to enlist Jacob's assistance to make it special for young Teddy. But their trek into the nearby woods ends tragically and tests the bonds the men have formed. With no idea what is happening to William or even if he is still alive, Ammanee and Stella will do whatever is necessary in order to keep Stella's child safe. When weeks pass with no word from Jacob, Lily is overcome with worry and determined to find him. But journeying from New York into the South is extremely dangerous, especially for a woman traveling alone, and there are no registries in which the names of soldiers are logged, nor do the various military hospitals maintain records of their patients. Lily's father in unable to convince her to remain at home and wait for word about Jacob's whereabouts and condition, and she embarks on a treacherous trip to Samuel's home. She is shocked when she arrives and see what has become of Samuel and his family. She begins visiting hospitals in search of her husband. There, she witnesses and begins to appreciate the horrifying effects of war as she walks among the wounded and near-dead, hoping to find Jacob among them.
The Thread Collectors is a sprawling, engrossing story featuring compelling and fully developed characters. Authors Shaunna J. Edwards and Alyson Richman illustrate the various ways in which their Black characters enjoy better living conditions than many of their contemporaries. Yet, despite those advantages, they are not free. They are still enslaved. Even if they do not bear physical scars inflicted through mistreatment and back-breaking labor, they are emotionally scarred as a result of seeing loved ones abused and ripped away, and being confined and controlled, deprived autonomy even over their own bodies. But they are hopeful, believing that the Union Army will prevail and they will at last be free to live their lives on their own terms.
They are each, in their own ways, resilient and resourceful, resorting to drastic measures, if required, in order to survive. Jacob and Lily are earnest and endearing, but unprepared for the harsh realities of war. Edwards and Richman use the letters they write to each other not only to advance the story, but also provide insight into their feelings, especially concerning the ideological division that threatens the Kling brothers' relationship.
As the fast-paced and inventive story proceeds, Edwards and Richman cleverly pull together the various storyline threads. Lily, Stella, and Ammenee are tenacious and brave. Eventually, Lily and Stella come face to face and learn about the unlikely friendship between Jacob and William, men of quiet integrity and honor, that is convincingly depicted. Initially because of their mutual love of music, but ultimately because of the atrocities of war, Jacob and William find commonality, and mutual respect and admiration for each other.
The Thread Collectors is a tale of unbreakable bonds of family and love for those we choose to be our family members. It is also an illustrationg of the inherent strain in the mother-daughter relationship between Janie, a woman who has survived unspeakable heartbreak and views the world in a pragmatic, realistic manner, and Stella, who is initially idealistic and naive, but quickly matures when she becomes a mother who will do anything to protect her child.
The Thread Collectors is a unique and absorbing work of historical fiction about the most harrowing period in America history that is also timely and contemporary. Edwards and Richman penned the book in 2020, "as the world wrestled with growing awareness of racialized violence and inequality," in an effort to combine their creative "energy to find beauty in that darkness." They have indeed crafted a beautifully memorable story that continues to resonate long after reading the last page of the book.
Thanks to NetGalley for an Advance Reader's Copy of the book.
As the story opens, Stella and William are saying good-bye to each other, unsure if they will ever be reunited. William is running away from New Orleans and his master, risking his life to join the Union Army at the enlistment camp ten miles away. William and Stella love each other but are not permitted to marry or even make decisions about their own lives. They believe that once the Union Army wins the war, that will change.
There, he meets Jacob and the physician Jacob is assisting, who is astounded that William does not bear the kind of physical scars that so many other enslaved men do and his hands have no calluses. William has never performed hard labor. His musical talent was discovered when he was just six years old and he was sent to live in the main house where he was forced to play the flute to amuse and entertain his master's wife and their guests. He was required to dress in the hand-me-down suits of his master's son and perform on command, which was demeaning. Although singled out for his musical prowess, he was denied the opportunity to learn to read music because reading is forbidden . . . and a punishable offense. William can express his feelings through his music, but lacks the ability to commit his thoughts and emotions to paper.
Stella lives in a Creole cottage with her half-sister, Ammanee. Their mother, Janie, lives nearby in her own cottage on Rampart Street. Their homes are furnished with cast-off items, and their masters provide them with meager allowances to buy food. They are among the light-skinned women who enjoy elevated living conditions because they have been granted favor by the white men who control their lives. Janie was separated from Ammanee's father, the love of her life, and never saw him again, but given her "freedom papers" when Stella was fathered by her master. She is not free to leave, however. Mr. Percy permitted seven-year-old Ammanee to be her half-sister's nursemaid and promised Janie that she could select the man who would be Stella's master. Stella was "sent to market" when she was eighteen years old and it was there that she met William, playing his flute. Keeping his promise to Janie, Mr. Percy negotiated a deal with Mason Frye, William's master, for Stella. She would be provided four bolts of fabric, ten spools of threat, three cotton slips and bloomers, two cast-iron pots, a copper kettle, a wooden desk, a chair, and a mirror. And most importantly, Ammanee would also be purchased to serve as Stella's maid. The three women are fortunate to be together, but Stella is required to submit to her master's demands and whims, and when, after William escapes, she realizes she is pregnant, worries what will happen if the child's skin color is too dark to convince Frye that he is the father.
Stella is a skilled seamstress, of necessity, and after she embroiders a map to guide William, she is called upon by her neighbors to create maps for their sons and brothers who also plan to join the Union Army. She incorporates information gleaned by Ammanee from conversations she overhears while working in the nearby church. Because fabric and thread are precious commodities, quilts, purses, and petticoats must be repurposed, with thread being carefully extracted in order to be used again. Stella codes the maps in various colors signifying routes that are believed to be less fraught with danger than others.
As the war rages on, William is pressed into service, along with a young drummer boy who barely speaks, performing nightmarish tasks he could never have imagined. Teddy is just ten years old, and eventually reveals how he came to be completely alone in the world, his drum his only possession, and in a Union Army camp. William, in particular, is fond of and determined to protect him. Jacob wrote a beautiful song for Lily, "Girl of Fire," and many of the soldiers have learned it. In the evenings, along with other musicians, Jacob, William, and Teddy bring comfort to and boost the morale of the men who are fighting.
They develop a strong sense of camaraderie through their music, as well as their individual senses of being "other than." Jacob hides his background, painfully aware that many of the men he encounters have never before met a Jew and not all will accept him. William stands apart from many of the other men who have endured harsh physical conditions their entire lives. But William is no stranger to hardship and heartbreak, having watched his mother suffer.
A holiday cease-fire inspires William to enlist Jacob's assistance to make it special for young Teddy. But their trek into the nearby woods ends tragically and tests the bonds the men have formed. With no idea what is happening to William or even if he is still alive, Ammanee and Stella will do whatever is necessary in order to keep Stella's child safe. When weeks pass with no word from Jacob, Lily is overcome with worry and determined to find him. But journeying from New York into the South is extremely dangerous, especially for a woman traveling alone, and there are no registries in which the names of soldiers are logged, nor do the various military hospitals maintain records of their patients. Lily's father in unable to convince her to remain at home and wait for word about Jacob's whereabouts and condition, and she embarks on a treacherous trip to Samuel's home. She is shocked when she arrives and see what has become of Samuel and his family. She begins visiting hospitals in search of her husband. There, she witnesses and begins to appreciate the horrifying effects of war as she walks among the wounded and near-dead, hoping to find Jacob among them.
The Thread Collectors is a sprawling, engrossing story featuring compelling and fully developed characters. Authors Shaunna J. Edwards and Alyson Richman illustrate the various ways in which their Black characters enjoy better living conditions than many of their contemporaries. Yet, despite those advantages, they are not free. They are still enslaved. Even if they do not bear physical scars inflicted through mistreatment and back-breaking labor, they are emotionally scarred as a result of seeing loved ones abused and ripped away, and being confined and controlled, deprived autonomy even over their own bodies. But they are hopeful, believing that the Union Army will prevail and they will at last be free to live their lives on their own terms.
They are each, in their own ways, resilient and resourceful, resorting to drastic measures, if required, in order to survive. Jacob and Lily are earnest and endearing, but unprepared for the harsh realities of war. Edwards and Richman use the letters they write to each other not only to advance the story, but also provide insight into their feelings, especially concerning the ideological division that threatens the Kling brothers' relationship.
As the fast-paced and inventive story proceeds, Edwards and Richman cleverly pull together the various storyline threads. Lily, Stella, and Ammenee are tenacious and brave. Eventually, Lily and Stella come face to face and learn about the unlikely friendship between Jacob and William, men of quiet integrity and honor, that is convincingly depicted. Initially because of their mutual love of music, but ultimately because of the atrocities of war, Jacob and William find commonality, and mutual respect and admiration for each other.
The Thread Collectors is a tale of unbreakable bonds of family and love for those we choose to be our family members. It is also an illustrationg of the inherent strain in the mother-daughter relationship between Janie, a woman who has survived unspeakable heartbreak and views the world in a pragmatic, realistic manner, and Stella, who is initially idealistic and naive, but quickly matures when she becomes a mother who will do anything to protect her child.
The Thread Collectors is a unique and absorbing work of historical fiction about the most harrowing period in America history that is also timely and contemporary. Edwards and Richman penned the book in 2020, "as the world wrestled with growing awareness of racialized violence and inequality," in an effort to combine their creative "energy to find beauty in that darkness." They have indeed crafted a beautifully memorable story that continues to resonate long after reading the last page of the book.
Thanks to NetGalley for an Advance Reader's Copy of the book.
emotional
informative
inspiring
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:
No