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A review by thebashfulbookworm
The Thread Collectors by Shaunna J. Edwards, Alyson Richman
4.0
Four and a Half Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭒
The Thread Collectors by Shaunna J. Edwards; Alyson Richman is a historical novel set in the American Civil War time period and follows two very different couples and how they managed during the war.
Stella is the slave mistress of a rich plantation owner in New Orleans, as the daughter of a slave and a white man, she’s able to live on her own in a small shack amongst other slave mistresses. But, her true love is a Will, also a slave, with the same awful master. When Will runs away to join the Union Army, Stella knows she has to do everything she can to help other slaves run away too. Stella embroiders maps on bits of cloth to help her neighbors find the Union army camp and escape a life of bondage.
Meanwhile, in New York City, Lily is doing everything she can for the war effort and is waiting for her husband, Jacob, to come home from the war. Jacob is a private in the union army, and also a gifted musician. Jacob and Will strike up an unlikely friendship as two musicians who bring music and joy to the troops. But, when Jacob doesn’t write home for weeks, Lily knows she has to go and find him.
I loved this book as it looks at four very different perspectives of the war. Instead of looking at the north/south perspectives, it looks at the perspective of a fairly wealthy Jewish couple from New York, and a black couple trying to free themselves from slavery in New Orleans. Both couples are on the side of the Union but come from very different backgrounds. Stella, Will, Lily, and Jacob are strong, courageous, and very compelling characters.
The book also revealed some of the ravages of war, both from the north perspective and the south's. It also reveals some of the horrific conditions of slavery and especially the different ways slave owners treated the girls and women they owned.
The Thread Collectors is a book that will stay with me for a very long time. I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical fiction. I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
The Thread Collectors by Shaunna J. Edwards; Alyson Richman is a historical novel set in the American Civil War time period and follows two very different couples and how they managed during the war.
Stella is the slave mistress of a rich plantation owner in New Orleans, as the daughter of a slave and a white man, she’s able to live on her own in a small shack amongst other slave mistresses. But, her true love is a Will, also a slave, with the same awful master. When Will runs away to join the Union Army, Stella knows she has to do everything she can to help other slaves run away too. Stella embroiders maps on bits of cloth to help her neighbors find the Union army camp and escape a life of bondage.
Meanwhile, in New York City, Lily is doing everything she can for the war effort and is waiting for her husband, Jacob, to come home from the war. Jacob is a private in the union army, and also a gifted musician. Jacob and Will strike up an unlikely friendship as two musicians who bring music and joy to the troops. But, when Jacob doesn’t write home for weeks, Lily knows she has to go and find him.
I loved this book as it looks at four very different perspectives of the war. Instead of looking at the north/south perspectives, it looks at the perspective of a fairly wealthy Jewish couple from New York, and a black couple trying to free themselves from slavery in New Orleans. Both couples are on the side of the Union but come from very different backgrounds. Stella, Will, Lily, and Jacob are strong, courageous, and very compelling characters.
The book also revealed some of the ravages of war, both from the north perspective and the south's. It also reveals some of the horrific conditions of slavery and especially the different ways slave owners treated the girls and women they owned.
The Thread Collectors is a book that will stay with me for a very long time. I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical fiction. I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.