A review by cakt1991
The Thread Collectors by Shaunna J. Edwards, Alyson Richman

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.