The Runaway Quilt by Jennifer Chiaverini (reviewed by Samantha_kathy)

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The Runaway Quilt by Jennifer Chiaverini (reviewed by Samantha_kathy)

Dette emne er markeret som "i hvile"—det seneste indlæg er mere end 90 dage gammel. Du kan vække emnet til live ved at poste et indlæg.

1Samantha_kathy
dec 7, 2010, 12:56 pm

Hi all! I'm new here and thought I'd dip my toes in the water by posting a review for review :).

I always start a review with a summary of the book, often taken from the author's site. On my blog, that part is posted in italics, but since I don't know how to do italics in a message here, I've marked the beginning and end of the italic section with *

My review:

*Alerted to the possibility that her family had ties to the slaveholding South, Sylvia scours her attic and finds three quilts and a memoir written by Gerda, the spinster sister of clan patriarch Hans Bergstrom. The memoir describes the founding of Elm Creek Manor and how, using quilts as markers, Hans, his wife, Anneke, and Gerda came to beckon fugitive slaves to safety within its walls. When a runaway named Joanna arrives from a South Carolina plantation pregnant with her master's child, the Bergstroms shelter her through a long, dangerous winter -- imagining neither the impact of her presence nor the betrayal that awaits them.

The memoir raises new questions for every one it answers, leading Sylvia ever deeper into the tangle of the Bergstrom legacy. Aided by the Elm Creek Quilters, as well as by descendants of others named in Gerda's tale, Sylvia dares to face the demons of her family's past and at the same time reaffirm her own moral center.*

Family secrets yet to be uncovered, and also the warm flow of words that make up the Runaway Quilt make it a really good book It was a pleasure to read. It combines history, a good story and quilting, what more can I want? The only detraction is the fact that the biggest mystery is not solved! Realistic though this was, it’s frustrating for me as a reader not to know. Still, it is highly recommended!

2jseger9000
Redigeret: dec 10, 2010, 1:29 am

Hello Samantha. Welcome to the group.

To do italics on LibraryThing, use the 'greater than' sign, an 'i' and the 'less than' sign. I don't know how to type it out here without italics kicking in. To close italics, use 'greater than' '/i' and the 'less than' sign.

The Runaway Quilt. I'd recommend touchstoning the book you are reviewing in your first post. Sometimes it helps if we check out various info on the work page. I discovered your book is the fourth in the Elm Creek Quilt series for instance.

Since this book is part of a series, before the synopsis I'd recommend some mention of that. Also, since we are talking about a family with ties to the slaveholding South, you might want mention what state the book takes place in. You could combine all that into two quick sentences or so right at the beginning of your review.

As for what you do have, I think you can drop the comma after his wife since its presence makes me think 'his wife' is one character and 'Anneke' is some other character.

Also, I think you should swap the order of imagining neither to neither imagining. I'm not sure that reads any better though. Maybe someone else can give advise on that.

In the next paragraph, you need a period after really good book. You could combine that sentence with the one after it: ...the warm flow of words that make up the Runaway Quilt make it a pleasure to read. I'm only suggesting that because the sentence It was a pleasure to read. feels a little like a straggler.

I think you did a very good job on your synopsis. You gave me enough info to get a feel for the book, but if I were to read it I don't feel like I already know half the story.

I'd like a little more of your opinion of the book, but that's coming from someone who turns his reviews into theses. Your short review is probably just fine as is.

3Samantha_kathy
dec 11, 2010, 11:43 am

Changed the review a bit, taking your recommendations into account.

My review:

The Runaway Quilt by Jennifer Chiaverini is the fourth book in the Elm Creek Quilts series and with it, the series focus returns to Silvia Bergstrom and her family, and the roots they have in Pennsylvania.

Alerted to the possibility that her family had ties to the slaveholding South, Sylvia scours her attic and finds three quilts and a memoir written by Gerda, the spinster sister of clan patriarch Hans Bergstrom. The memoir describes the founding of Elm Creek Manor and how, using quilts as markers, Hans, his wife Anneke, and Gerda came to beckon fugitive slaves to safety within its walls. When a runaway named Joanna arrives from a South Carolina plantation pregnant with her master's child, the Bergstroms shelter her through a long, dangerous winter – neither imagining the impact of her presence nor the betrayal that awaits them.

The memoir raises new questions for every one it answers, leading Sylvia ever deeper into the tangle of the Bergstrom legacy. Aided by the Elm Creek Quilters, as well as by descendants of others named in Gerda's tale, Sylvia dares to face the demons of her family's past and at the same time reaffirm her own moral center.


Family secrets yet to be uncovered, and also the warm flow of words that make up the Runaway Quilt make it a pleasure to read. It combines history, a good story and quilting, what more can I want?

I cared just as much about the new characters of Hans, Anneke and Gerda, as I did about Sylvia, who is of course very familiar from the previous books. The story switched from the present to the past through the diary of Gerda and never does going from one time period to another feel jarring. Both stories are woven together with beauty and precision and the ending of the books brings both timelines together in a believable and satisfying way.

The only detraction is the fact that the biggest mystery is not solved! Realistic though this was, it’s frustrating for me as a reader not to know. Still, the book is a very good read and highly recommended!

4jseger9000
dec 11, 2010, 12:15 pm

I like it. The extensions at the end really add to the review.

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