The Quilter's Apprentice by Jennifer Chiaverini

I am a quilter. I should state that at the outset. But I don't make quilts like many other people make quilts. I admire lots of tiny little pieces and stitches, but mine are...mine. They sometimes resemble something you've seen before, but sometimes they are something completely different. It depends on the fabric. Fabric is usually my starting point, not the pattern. Anyway…

I initially resisted this series but I was desperate one day for an audiobook and my library had this first in the series. What kept me listening was partly the story: it reminded me of anything by Maeve Binchy because so many of readers’ wildest desires are quilted in that we can't resist. The other reason was that the speech patterns and cadence of the reader was so similar to the speaking voice of a person I know that I listened simply to hear how she would react to situations and how she would pronounce words.

Chiaverini is really very good. I enjoyed imagining the world created here, and like every other quilter out there, would love to have opportunities like those described in this novel. It is an excellent beginning to a series which I am sure has inspired more than one quilt. Chiaverini generously shares terms, techniques, and quilt names, all of which are candy to those of us who attempt these things every day. Even describing such things to someone outside the circle is difficult, but Chiaverini manages very well. She is the teacher we all wish we had.

I love the voice of the reader for the Playaway audiobook, Christina Moore. I have tried to locate a copy of the Mp3 audio file for my friend whose voice Christina’s resembles, but have not been able to locate a digital copy outside of a library. I will continue to try to find a digital download for my friend, but encourage interested “readers” to listen to any of the series books that Christina narrrates, especially since, if you are working on a quilt, it is a wonderful story to keep you working far after you would have thought you were finished for the day.


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