The Sugar Camp Quilt

The Sugar Camp Quilt
by: Jennifer Chiaverini
Elm Creek Quilts Novel Series, book seven

The Sugar Camp Quilt is the seventh book in the series, but is completely new in the way it is written. This book is set entirely in the past, in fact, pre-Civil War, but the Underground Railroad is alive and running through Creeks Crossing.

In the Runaway Quilt, through the journal of the family member, we met some of the past people in Creeks Crossing, including the Wright's, and the Nelson's, and Doctor Granger. This book goes back to the time when Doctor Granger is a young boy of sixteen just starting his training as a doctor, and although he is mentioned in the book, he is not actually around for most of the events, save one small time frame during the passing of Uncle Jacob. Most of the story revolves around Dorthea Granger, who we met in the Runaway Quilt as Dorthea Nelson. This tells us of her life and introduces us to Mr. Nelson.

Dorthea is somewhat shelter and has no idea that people don't believe the Bible the way she was raised and that anyone in their town could actually think Slavery is right is beyond her. This book opens her eyes to the fact that people she just assumed to be like her because they lived in Creeks Crossing are in fact slavecathers, and she is appauled to say the least. It is her coming of age story in the time pre-civil war and the quilts factor in again in the story line.

I loved the book. Again the quilts were wonderful and to read a young girl, much like I would think I might have been, so completely unaware that people out there could hate each other this much and not believe that all are created equal, was wonderful to read. I think you will enjoy this one also!

The Master Quilter

The Master Quilter
by: Jennifer Chiaverini
Elm Creek Quilts Novel, book six

So, Andrew and Sylvia grew tired of everyone at Elm Creek Quilts planning every detail of their wedding, although they knew their friends were only doing it out of love, enough was enough, so behind their backs and in complete surprise, Andrew and Sylvia turned the annual Christmas Gathering into their own wedding. Now that the shock has worn off, the Elm Creek Quilter's turn their attention to the Wedding Quilt. Andrew and Slyvia got married without a wedding quilt, and Sylvia being the driving force behind Elm Creek Quilts, well they had to come up with a master plan.

In secret, they appeal to quilters all over to send in a quilt block of their choice that makes them think of Sylvia, and once in they will assemble them into the Master of all quilts.

The problem is secrets, once secret leads to more and more, and as the story unfolds we find that each person at Elm Creek is hiding something that would best be dealt with together.

The book is broken up into mini-books, or a group of chapters devoted to one person, and then as you read the next person so see a completely different view of what was told in the frist person, so it is told by someone else. The way tht Jennifer was able to weave these together is masterful, she wove a sotry better than a quilt and it was wonderful, and really kept me interested and looking forward to how another person saw what was going on and what would eventually happen. In the end, all came out for the best, but the twists and turns were amazing! I loved they way she wove this story!

The Quilter's Legacy

The Quilter's Legacy
by: Jennifer Chiaverini
Elm Creek Quilts Novel Series, book five

Sylvia has finally decided to marry Andrew, and when Sarah mentions making her wedding quilt, Sylvia decides to find her mother's quilts, they should be in the attic. Only once she starts looking, Agnes, her former sister-in-law tells her that they aren't there, that her sister Claudia sold them all off. With the help of the Elm Creek Quilters, Sylvia starts looking for them.

This is written as two novels in one, you will get Sylvia in her search and then we switch over to her mother as she grows and learns to quilt. As Sylvia searches for the quilts, we learn the real history behind them from her mother's own story. It is amazing to read, and then the details that didn't get passed down, because we all know that there are just some things about our families that we just don't pass on down to the kids!
I found myself wanting to tell Sylvia what her mother did or said and how much a quilt meant to her, or why she started it or what she did and why she did it! It was an amazing read, and although we follow Sylvia on the journey to find the quilts, we also find out more about Sylvia and her relationship with Andrew grows as well as the relationship of the other ElmCreek Quilters.

Jennifer is an amazing writer, and to be able to tell two intertwined, yet still seperate stories so well, that you never feel one is more important than the other, is amazing and I enjoyed it so much. The first time that she really did this two in one storyline with the Elm Creek Series was the last book, Runaway Quilt, and she does it again in this book, but it fits with the stories that are being told, and just seems to be the perfect way to tell the stories.

If you love a good book, this is for you, and if you are a quilter or just love the history of quiliting, this is a great book. I look forward to reading more and more in this series!

Elm Creek Quilts Novel Series

Elm Creek Quilts Novel Series
By: Jennifer Chiaverini

1. The Quilter's Apprentice
2. Round Robin
3. Cross-Country Quilter's
4. The Runaway Quilt
5. The Quilter's Legacy
6.The Master Quilter
7.The Sugar Camp Quilt
8. The Christmas Quilt
9. Circle of Quilters
10. Quilter's Homecoming
11. New Year's Quilt
12. Winding Ways

The Runaway Quilt

The Runaway Quilt
by: Jennifer Chiaverini
An Elm Creek Quilts Novel, book four

You know I love themed series in my books, and I love to quilt, so this was a natural series for me to pick up. The series is by Jennifer Chiaverini and is centered around quiliting, along with life.

This book starts when Sylvia decides to look for the "proof" that her Aunt Lucindia always said was in the attic that the family was a station on the Underground Railround in the Civil War. Upon looking in the attic, Sylvia finds the trunk Aunt Lucindia told her was there, but the proof is not what she expected. In the trunk are three quilts and a journal.

Sylvia's quest to find this information was prompted by meeting a lady at a Quilt Conference who had a family quilt with a picture of Elm Creek stiched into the quilt, but she was from the south, and her family owned slaves, and Sylvia was sure her family helped slaves, so how could they be related or the picture the same place? These questions take Sylvia on a journey to find out about her history.

Along the way, Sylvia finds that all was not as it seemes, and that sometime people are not as noble and fearless ad we thought they were and sometimes the facts of history get confused in the retelling, but the family is still the same family and it doesn't change who people are of the fact that we love them.

This story is told almost as two seperate stories, you have what is going on with Sylvia in the present, which is effected by what she reads in the journal, and the journal is written as if the story if unfold before our eyes. It was amazing to read this story of what might or might not have happend in the Civil War regarding the Underground Railroad, and even in the bad parts, it was still a story worth telling.

Jennifer is am amazing storyteller, and in this book she told two stories that intertwined with each other and brought the reader to the present day, with a better understanding of the past and a hope for the future.
If you like quiliting, or just the rich history of quilts in America, this is a great read. If you are interested in history, and what might have been during the Civiil war, then this is a great read, and if you are just interested in something unquie and enjoyable, then this is a great read. I highly recommned this and the other books in the Elm Creek Series so far.