Maybelle in Stitches by Joyce Magnin

{ABOUT MAYBELLE IN STITCHES}

Maybelle In Stitches | A Quilts of Love book.

Maybelle Kazinzki can’t sew. She was after all, the only girl in the seventh grade Home Economics class to sew the zipper in the neck hole of the A-Line dress they were supposed to make. But when she finds an unfinished quilt in the attic of her mother’s house she gets the crazy idea to finish it—somehow, come heck or high water. She thinks it will help fill the lonely nights while her husband, Holden, is serving overseas during World War II.

Her recently departed mother’s quilt is made from scraps of material Maybelle traces back to her mother’s childhood, her grandmother’s childhood and her own childhood. She tries to add one of Holden’s stripes to it but the sewing is not going well and neither is her life. After receiving some harsh news, Maybelle’s faith falters and she puts the quilt away and stops trusting God. But God is faithful- no matter what. And it’ll take a group of neighborhood women armed with quilting needles to help Maybelle believe that.

Learn more and purchase a copy at the Quilts of Love site.

 {ABOUT JOYCE MAGNIN}

Joyce Magnin is the author of the Bright’s Pond novels, including the award-winning The Prayers of Agnes Sparrow. A member of the Greater Philadelphia Christian Writers Fellowship, Joyce is a frequent workshop leader and the organizer of the StoryCrafters fiction group. She lives near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Find out more about Joyce at http://www.quiltsoflovebooks.com/products/31/Maybelle-in-Stitches.

My Review:

This is the third book I have read in the Quilts of Love series and I believe that it is my favorite so far. I love the theme of HOPE woven through this novel.  

Maybelle is just another welding girl down at the shipyard filled with women whose men have answered the call of war.  The men have gone overseas leaving the women to build the ships and keep the nation running in a manner of speaking. After receiving disturbing news from the war department, Maybelle goes through each day with trepidation and fear... questioning God and where he is in all that is happening. Through it all, her friend Doris stands beside her, being steadfast and reminding her of God's love for Maybelle and his steadfastness.  

When Maybelle's mother passes away, she goes through her things to clear out a room for boarders and finds a quilt that her mother had started.  The fabrics of the quilt are familiar to Maybelle -- pieces of her father's shirt, her mother's apron, her own dress.  Through this quilt, Maybelle feels connected to her mom and those who have gone before... and she feels HOPE for the future.  

There are definitely times in life when we all feel hopeless, in this, we can identify with Maybelle.  It's the small reminders of life and love and the future that keep us hoping for a brighter day, a better day ahead.  The hope shared in this book between these two women and others around them is contagious and unforgettable.  I would definitely recommend this book to others and I look forward to reading more by Joyce Magnin.