One thing that struck me about this book, aside from the fact that I thoroughly enjoyed it, is to wonder about the title. The knitting group in this novel is called "Stitch and Bitch", although Jo McKenzie's yarn shop IS located on Beach Street, though. Strange!
That being said, McNeil's novel is wonderful, a series of glimpses into a year in the life of a British wife and mother whose husband is killed in an automobile accident just after telling her that he is leaving her for another woman. Amidst the confusion of dealing with sudden widowhood and raising two small boys on her own, Jo, an expert knitter, decides to move back to the seaside town of her youth and take over running her grandmother's old fashioned yarn shop. Jo is refreshing, dealing diplomatically with her grandmother's longtime assistant who prefers tradition to change, providing encouragement and friendship to a famous movie star that happens into her shop one day, and interacting with her long-time friend, Ellen, a local celebrity. Jo is not desperately looking for love or immobilized with grief or regrets. She is practical, loyal to her friends, realistic about money and family (including her adorable grandmother, her active sons, and her "crap" mother), and approaches every part of her life with a sense of humor. She is endearing, just the type of friend I would like to have. McNeil manages to combine self-deprecation, practicality, intelligence, and charm into one woman who is not not necessarily looking for someone to take care of her or complete her life. This story is an uplifing tale of friendship, family, and survival. I loved it and I can't wait for the next installment, Needles and Pearls, due out this spring!
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