Author: Jennifer Chiaverini
Short synopsis from Goodreads:
With The Union Quilters, Chiaverini delivers a powerful story of a remarkable group of women coping with changing roles and the extraordinary experiences of the Civil War. Together with the other members of the circle, the women support one another through loneliness and fear, and devise an ingenious business plan to keep Water's Ford functioning. That plan may forever alter the patchwork of town life in ways that transcend even the ultimate sacrifices of war.
1.) Reasons you chose this book
I've been reading this series from the very beginning. My mother-in-law is a gifted quilter and I've always admired her work and often dreamed of being a quilter myself. Knowing that there is no way I can create these works of art, I opted to live out my dreams by reading this series about women and quilting.
2.) Reasons you liked or disliked this book
- I really enjoy books that take place during the Civil War time period. I've always been fascinated by this part of United States history and believe me...this book covers this quite well.
- The reader gets a very detailed look into Pennsylvania and some of the battles that took place in the state. I really liked reading about the free African-Americans fight to be included in fighting regiments during the Civil War and how they did not want to be in the background as cooks or ditch diggers. Very compelling and interesting history in that regards.
- Chiaverini really did her research and at times I was cringing with the descriptions of the piles of amputated legs and arms, and all that the surgeons experienced and saw during this bloody war.
- I'm on the fence with this one because I loved most of the books in this series and would highly recommend it to anyone that is fascinated about quilts, women who bond over hand crafts, and history. This one, however, was just too much historical content in regards to the war and the men who fought it. There wasn't enough of the women's story for me...I wanted something a bit more here and it wasn't to read page after page of skirmishes that took place during various battles. I wondered if maybe the author felt that this book had to be filled with more historical data than story???? Of course, I will read her next book in this series because I just have to...but this is one that if you want to skip you certainly won't be left out in the dark with the next book.
Published: February , 2011Publisher: DuttonPages: 342Genre: Historical FictionISBN: 9780525952039 Disclaimer:Thank you to my public library as my source for this book. I was not compensated for my review. My thoughts on this book were in no way influenced by the author or publicist. They are my personal reflections based solely on MY experience while reading this novel © 2011, Staci of Life in the Thumb. All Rights Reserved. If you reading this on a site other than, Life in the Thumb or Staci's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.
