1. A Stitch and a Prayer, Quilts of Love Series #18
    Eva J. Gibson
    Abingdon Press / 2014 / Trade Paperback
    Our Price$14.39 Retail Price$15.99 Save 10% ($1.60)
    4.0 out of 5 stars for A Stitch and a Prayer, Quilts of Love Series #18. View reviews of this product. 8 Reviews
    Availability: In Stock
    Stock No: WW772528
4 Stars Out Of 5
4 out of 5
(2)
(4)
(2)
(0)
(0)
Quality:
4.1 out Of 5
(4.1 out of 5)
Value:
4.1 out Of 5
(4.1 out of 5)
Meets Expectations:
3.9 out Of 5
(3.9 out of 5)
100%
of customers would recommend this product to a friend.
SORT BY:
SEE:
Displaying items 6-8 of 8
Page 2 of 2
  1. Gazpacho
    Harrison, MI
    Age: 55-65
    Gender: Female
    4 Stars Out Of 5
    A sweet love story; family and community support
    May 5, 2014
    Gazpacho
    Harrison, MI
    Age: 55-65
    Gender: Female
    Quality: 4
    Value: 4
    Meets Expectations: 4
    A young married couple faces their first year together, their first challenges, expecting their first child. Their faith in God and their belief in one another were severely tested. Yet this sweet love story set in the Oregon woods in the post Westward Movement era is a tale of dreams, prayer, community, and family that is timeless.

    Married in February, Florence and Will Nickerson set up housekeeping in their newly built log cabin. Florence suffered from the muscle and joint stiffness of a rheumatic illness that plagued her seasonally with fever and chills, joint and back pains. She walked with the help of a cane. Her fear was to never be the kind of wife Will deserved. Because of past events, she was also afraid Will would leave again, although he promised he would tell her if he needed to be away from her.

    Will worked tirelessly on his farm throughout the summer. He had a suspicion he may be called away and he wanted Florence to be taken care of until his return. But he didn't tell Florence any of this. Then one day she woke up to find Will had gone, leaving only a note behind with the promise to be back in time for their baby's birth.

    Florence wasn't alone. She had extended family: her Aunt Amelia, Tilly and Faye, and friends and neighbors. Aunt Amelia moved into the cabin to help take care of Florence and share in the chores. The settlement's doctor checked on her regularly. Florence decided she would take on an heirloom quilt project to keep her mind and heart mindful of God's love and care for her. She decided to create her own version of the Tree of Life quilt, knowing the stitching would be difficult but may help ease the stiffness in her fingers. She wanted to have a large portion of the quilt finished to present to Will when he returned.

    As the months wore on and Florence did not hear from Will, the project became a prayer quilt. Florence asked for help from a friend, and Tilly took the largest section to the quilting circle at their church. Women signed up to work on the quilt and to pray for Will's safe return, for Florence's health and the health of their baby.

    "Each stitch a prayer; each prayer a hope."

    I enjoyed reading this short novella. I was easily able to read it in a day. I couldn't tell by reading the book if there was a story written that precedes it within the Quilts of Love series. There were many references of a back story how Will and Florence met, but I couldn't find a specific title. As far as I know, the series titles are mostly written as stand alone stories.

    The author has done a wonderful job creating a sense of community in the characters of this book. They lived in a settlement ravaged in the past by flood waters, so they were used to doing things together, helping each other. This was especially evident when people started helping Florence cut the pieces for her quilt, since cutting fabric was painful for the swollen joints of her hands.

    One of my favorite parts of the story was when Tilly, Aunt Amelia and Florence celebrated the return of the pearl necklace after it had been lost. This is when the reader is given the story of Florence's birth, the note her mother wrote to her, and the origin of the pearl necklace. Florence then presented the necklace for Tilly to wear for her wedding, proving to Tilly that they didn't need to be related to be part of the family.

    Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary review copy of this book from NetGalley on behalf of Abingdon Press. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."
  2. cinD
    3 Stars Out Of 5
    Hard to follow at first
    March 22, 2016
    cinD
    Quality: 3
    Value: 4
    Meets Expectations: 3
    The book had a good story line, but hard to follow at times. Also the found several grammer mistakes.
  3. Heart2Heart
    Victorville, CA
    Age: 45-54
    Gender: female
    3 Stars Out Of 5
    Missed the connection to the characters!
    May 21, 2014
    Heart2Heart
    Victorville, CA
    Age: 45-54
    Gender: female
    Quality: 3
    Value: 3
    Meets Expectations: 3
    I find that in order for a novel to be a great one, you have to find a way to connect with the main character in order to have compassion for what they are involved with. With A Stitch and A Prayer, the latest novel to join the Quilts of Love Series, from author Eva Gibson, I was missing that connection point. I don't know where along the line I might have missed it, but it seemed as if the story was simply too broad for me to gain that connection to either of the characters in the novel.

    It is set in the late 1800's in Oregon as a frontier family of Florence and Will Nickerson marry and attempt to create a home for the beginning of their new life together. Florence suffers from chronic joint pain and weakness which she fears will prevent her from becoming the perfect wife for Will. Knowing that her husband will need to provide an income for them, she worries about him being gone from home so long. Even though Will reassures Florence he will always return home, she struggles with finding security even in the scriptures of the Bible. When she learns that she is pregnant, her insecurities increase. Thankfully she isn't alone in the wilderness. She has her Aunt Amelia, Tilly and Faye to help her that are staying nearby, as well as the loyalty of a dog named Vaughn.

    In her frail state, she is constantly finding herself falling and waking up back in bed, thanks to the kindness of family or strangers that find her and care for her. Even though she promises to not wander off alone from the cabin, she falls off the porch. Knowing that they are recently married and wanting that initial time alone I can understand why she doesn't have someone living with her at first. I do find it interesting that with so many of her family members knowing her of her illness, she wouldn't have someone living with them to take care of her while Will is working. They do happen by from time to time and I feel that is where I find the disconnect in the novel with wanting to care about Florence and Will. It's only after she wakes one morning and finds a note left behind from Will, telling her that he will be back soon, she has her Aunt Amelia move in to help her.

    She passes the time working on a quilt of her own that with each stitch sown offers another prayer for Will's safe return before the birth of their child as well as her own health. It also helps with her health issues as she can stay safe in the cabin and create something that she can show him when he returns. Will has a secret he hadn't shared with Florence before they got married and his disappearance is the result of trying to clear up his past.

    I received A Stitch and A Prayer by Eva Gibson compliments of Christian Fiction Blog Alliance and Abingdon Press for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation for a favorable review and the opinions expressed are strictly my own. This is the 18th novel in the Quilts of Love Series and for me personally, I just couldn't connect with this one. The story was simply too broad and too fast that you couldn't connect with either Florence or Will. The author did use the account of her grandparent's lives as the background for this novel but I think it missed the intent she might have been trying to achieve. It simply toggles back and forth between daily tasks to quick and doesn't allow time enough for the reader to truly care about the characters. I am a huge fan of historical romances, but this one just didn't work for me. I would rate this one a 3 out of 5 stars.
Displaying items 6-8 of 8
Page 2 of 2