I don't know what it is about novels that feature knitting, but I love them, despite the fact that I crochet! This one is no exception. Patillo, a RITA Award Winner (romance), has produced a thoroughly charming story about 5 women who meet monthly in the small Tennessee town of Sweetgum to discuss novels and knitting projects.
When Eugenia, the town librarian, brings sullen 13-year-old Hannah into the group as part of her "punishment" for defacing a library book, the dynamics and relationships between the characters begin to shift and change. Each of the women has a secret: Merry is pregnant with her 4th child and afraid to tell her husband; Camille, when not caring for her dying mother, is carrying on an affair with a married man; impeccable Esther's perfect marriage is a as much of a sham as her perfectly completed knitting projects; Ruthie, Esther's sister, harbors long-standing feelings for her brother-in-law, the man she left behind 30 years ago when she joined the Peace Corps; and Eugenia, who has convinced herself that the life and career that she has forged in Sweetgum is complete and fulfilling, is forced to question herself and her motivations when someone from her past suddenly reappears in her life. Hannah serves as a catalyst for change as she struggles to learn to trust the new people in her life. Patillo successfully ties up most of the loose ends in this novel, some happily and others less so, but overall the book is satisfying and leaves the reader with a feeling of contentment and hope. There are a few unexplored issues, like Esther's long-ago baby, Alex's marriage, and the nature of Camille's mother's illness, but these are minor points and do not detract from the ending of the book.
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