The Wedding Quilt

Summary (from the publisher):  The New York Times bestselling Elm Creek Quilts series continues, with a novel that celebrates one of America's most romantic and enduring traditions. 


Sarah McClure arrived at Elm Creek Manor as a newlywed, never suspecting that her quilting lessons with master quilter Sylvia Bergstrom Compson would inspire the successful and enduring business Elm Creek Quilts, whose members have nurtured a circle of friendship spanning generations.

The Wedding Quilt opens as the wedding day of Sarah's daughter Caroline approaches. As Sarah has learned, a union celebrates not only the betrothed couple's passage into wedlock, but also the contributions of those who have made the bride and groom the unique people they are. Thus Sarah's thoughts are filled with brides of Elm Creek Manor past and present-the traditions they honored, the legacies they bequeathed, and the wedding quilts that contain their stories in every stitch.

A wedding quilt is a powerful metaphor: of sisterhood, of community, of hope for the future. The blocks in Caroline's wedding quilt will display the signatures of beloved guests. As the Elm Creek Quilters circulate amid the festive preparations with pens and fabric in hand, memories of the Manor-and of the women who have lived there, in happiness and in sorrow-spill forth, rendering a vivid pastiche of family, friendship, and love in all its varieties.

Review: I won this novel as a giveaway on goodreads. This is the 18th book in the Elm Creek Quilts series and follows Sarah as she reminisces on her fondest memories in the day's before her daughter's wedding. I have never read any other books in this series before, but I didn't feel lost or confused. From what I gather from other reviews, the biggest complaint about this novel is that it spends a lot of time summarizes what happened in other books. However, since I hadn't read any of the others, the summarizing just helped clue me in on who everyone was and what history the characters had together.

My biggest complaint with this novel was the setting. Apparently the last novel concluded in the present day so in order for Sarah's kids to have grown to adults, Chiaverini set this novel in 2028. That choice would have been fine, but the author continually draws attention to the futuristic setting by referencing new slang words and technology. I didn't think it really worked or added anything to the story other than somewhat out of place futuristic speculation.

All in all, this was a very sweet novel and I found myself continually thinking about how all the characters seemed like really good people that I'd like to know. I'd love to check out other novels in this series, particularly ones on Sarah's early days with Matt and the Elm Creek Quilters.

Stars: 3