Share for friends:

Read The Master Quilter (2005)

The Master Quilter (2005)

Online Book

Genre
Rating
4.03 of 5 Votes: 4
Your rating
ISBN
0452284686 (ISBN13: 9780452284685)
Language
English
Publisher
plume

The Master Quilter (2005) - Plot & Excerpts

Book 6 in the Elm Creek Quilter’s series shows some characters maturity. set about 5 years after Round Robin,The Master Quilter by Jennifer Chiaverini. This is mostly my confusion having read the books out of order. I mismatched my time lines. The stories though flow to each other nicely as both are focused more on the quilters who run the camp as opposed to quilters visiting or Sylvia herself and her past. Perhaps this is what makes this series enjoyable. There are many different types of stories, like any episodic TV show. There are character study books, new character’s interacting within the established setting stories and history based stories. Each allows for new quilts to be discussed, and past characters can be dropped in to keep their story flowing should you ever want to return them to the setting. This book could be referred equally as well as the Secret Quilters book, as each character is keeping secrets from the others. 5-6 Years into the story they are sharing everything with each other, but what they don’t share is what will tear them apart. Judy is ready to explore other teaching jobs when it becomes glaringly apparent how stunted her career has been by staying in Waterford. Gwen’s career is also stunted, but more by her field of specialization and the male hypocrisy regarding appropriate topics of historical research. Her decision is one that doesn’t require a change of address merely a change of priorities. Her daughter Summer has to grow up and realize that she has been holding herself back by holding on to her mom too close. Ironic that her mom wanted to raise an independent woman and did so to an extent, but also raised her to be rather dependent on her. Bonnie is the character who is forced to go through the most change. She looses her shop and her husband at the same time, but it turns out the shop was harder to loose, so perhaps the marriage wasn’t really there anymore anyway. How it occurs though is amazing. First he is missing all hours of the night, barely coming home. Then one day he does come home and starts a fight with her but refuses to leave; she departs for a friends house so that cooler head could prevail in the morning and he locks her out and drains all their joint accounts and cancels the credit cards. WOW! Talk about a kick in the arse. It of course turns out he had hidden all the money somewhere. Her friend finally realizes it was in his office furniture. He had literally spent their savings on antique furniture, and since he was such a cheap skate everyone just assumed it was old yard sale knockoffs. Donna kept up her squabble with her neighbor, and has the last laugh when she not only shows her as a short sighted, rude woman in her quilting club, but then the woman is left utterly shamed when she son burgles Bonnie’s quilting shop to get back at them for his mom and of course is caught in the end. It will be fun to read the next in the series to see how these events affect the long standing separation of the Elm Creek Quilters and the Waterford Quilter’s Guild. This book was rather interesting narrative wise as the first half is told in 6 or so parts repeating the same few months of time line over and over again from the different character’s perspective. Each repeat fills you in on different bits of the story as each of the women is trying to keep their secret only to learn that trusting in each other would make them stronger.

I didn't like this book as much as I have the rest of the series. That's not to say it isn't any good; it just isn't up to the standard I've come to expect from Chiaverini. It can be read as a standalone or as a part of the series; and for that fact I'm not going to recap the other 5 books as they are varied and irrelevant to this novel.This book starts out with the Elm Creek Quilter's deciding to make a surprise wedding quilt for Sylvia, who wed her sweetheart Andrew on Christmas Eve. They send out a bunch of letters to all her friends and past students at the Elm Creek Quilter's retreat to ask for quilt blocks that makes the creators think of Sylvia.While this is going on, each of the quilter's has some big person issues going on as well. Bonnie has to deal with her failing business and good for nothing husband, as well as consider a divorce. Summer has moved in with her boyfriend but is afraid to tell everyone and debates whether she has made the right decision. Diane thinks that her boys are up to no good and getting in trouble again. She also feuds with her neighbor who is the president of a rival quilting guild. (Geez does that make these ladies sound vicious, really, they're not.) Judy must decide whether to accept a job in a far away city and leave her fellow quilters. Agnes and Summer just find themselves helping their friends the best that they can. With everything going on, plus a robbery, it's a struggle to see if they can finish Sylvia's quilt in time.The characters in this as always are wonderful and I like hearing more about them, but I noticed in this book Chiaverini separates them as good or evil, with no shades of grey. In particular, Bonnie's husband and Diane's neighbor are just despicable horrible people. They have no redeeming qualities whatsoever and just serve as evil villains in this book. There doesn't seem to be any real motive to their horribleness.The writing is easy to understand. She doesn't seem to be as descriptive in this book as normal except when it comes to block patterns. The rest of the book just has a minimal amount of detail. The writing is unoffensive though and an easy read. Chiaverini also chose to write this book in a different style than the others. Basically she recaps the events of a couple months through six different people's eyes. While this can be a neat way to write, I just got tired of hearing essentially the same thing over and over again.I might just be a bit biased because I've come to expect a heartwarming story from Chiaverini. This book just makes me angry at some parts and didn't relax me like I was hoping. I'll still continue to read the series, but I hope they go back to being like her other books instead of this one.The Master QuilterCopyright 2004327 pages

What do You think about The Master Quilter (2005)?

I have read other books by author Jennifer Chiaverini. I know I have read at least one other in this Elm Creek Quilts series. This one took me longer to get into. The chapters were often devoted to a different character and some of the same events were rehashed over and over. I found this confusing when a chapter about each character would go back in time and then move forward to explain how that particular character reacted to the same events. And I did think the ending was conveniently arranged. However, this was a lovely story about a group of good friends who got caught up in their daily personal lives. As was mentioned in the story line, they used to spend at least one day together quilting and would share their personal lives. They all got so busy and caught up in other issues that most of them did not share what was going on. This caused some confusion and hurt feelings among the group until they finally told each other what was happening. Whether you have followed the Elm Creek Quilts series or not; this is a good story to read.
—Terri Tinkel

The Master Quilter (Elm Creek Quilts Series #6) by Jennifer ChiaveriniAmazon.comEdition: PaperbackA Cozy Quilt On A Cold Winters Night, September 8, 2008 The Master Quilter I'm sure I skipped ahead with this book, since Sylvia is now married and I didn't see it coming. I still enjoyed jumping into this story. Quilt Camp has been established at Elm Creek Manor. Each of the quilters, from the Tangled Web Quilters, takes part in teaching classes on different aspects of quilting. Sylvia Compson, the owner of the manor, is able to share her vast knowledge of quilting, with both new and experienced quilters. Sarah and Matt McClure live year-round at the manor. Sarah is the bookkeeper, while Matt is the groundskeeper. This story is woven in with the lives of the quilters. Sylvia got married to Andrew, and the Elm Creek Quilters want to make her and her husband a wedding quilt. Sarah sends out letters to Sylvia's friends and those who have attended quilt camp at the Elm Creek Manor, so they can make a special square for the quilt. Each camper writes a story along with the square, to tell what Sylvia means to them.In this story, Gwen Sulluvan, the hippie mom, is passed over for a position at the college, where she works, for a younger colleague. Her daughter, Summer, has moved in with her boyfriend, Jeremy, without even telling her mother. Judy, who is from Viet Nam, and also a professor, is given an opportunity to teach at a larger college, but she is hesitant to let anyone in on her secret.Diane, who is sometimes mouthy, and her neighbor, Mary Beth, who is the head of the Quilter's Guild, are feuding, but their boys are best friends. The feud has gone too far, and now the boys are involved.Bonnie's quilt shop, Grandma's Attic, is losing money. Bonnie is trying to keep the business going, when her husband, Craig, secretly meets with a realtor to sell the business. Bonnie is ashamed to let her friends know her business is in trouble, not to mention her marriage. Agnes and Sylvia, who are sisters-in-law, have been estranged for many years. They are able to pick up the thread of friendship and become better friends than ever before. Will the Elm Creek Quilt Camp survive the changes in the lives of these friends? Will Bonnie ever be able to recoup her losses from Grandma's Attic and get her life back on track? Will Sarah be able to get enough squares to finish Sylvia's wedding quilt? Will the ladies be able to remain friends, with Judy moving away?Reading about the love and friendships of the Elm Creek Quilters is as cozy as a warm quilt, on a cold winters night. Jill Ammon Vanderwood author: Through the Rug Through The Rug 2: Follow That Dog (Through the Rug) Stowaway: The San Francisco Adventures of Sara, the Pineapple Cat
—Jill

I am trying to work my way through the Elm Creek Quilts series, and I have to say that is is my least favorite so far. It all centers around secret-keeping, starting with a special wedding quilt that the Quilters want to give Sylvia as a belated wedding gift. From there, each chapter focuses on a different Quilter and updates us on each of their lives. I found this to be a great thing because by now I've sort of lost track of who is who and what they're up to. I liked the continuing drama between Diane and her combative neighbor, Mary Beth. The battle escalates! I liked the different points of view.What I didn't like, however, was the repetition of telling the same story over and over again from the different points of view of the different quilters. It was very annoying having to slog through the whole thing this way. For this reason, It would have been better to write from third person in a linear fashion, in my opinion. I listened to the audio version, and I wasn't to crazy about the narrator's version of Summer. She's supposed to be this dynamic, strong-willed, go-getter, but the personification of her sounded like a bored, half-asleep dimwit. I hope her "voice" in future volumes is better.I also was annoyed with all the secret-keeping. These women are supposed to be the best of friends (and in my experience best friends tell each other EVERYTHING), but because of pride and fear of what the others will say, they all have something that they are keeping from the others. Everything could have been solved in the first chapter if they just talked to each other. I hate when the solution is so OBVIOUS, but the characters in the book are suddenly out of character and bumble along acting oblivious to the solution. Ugh! I wanted to reach out and slap all of them. Except Sylvia, who was out of the loop on this one.Again, I give points for lack of foul language and all that negative stuff. I generally very much enjoy this series, but this particular volume was pretty annoying, so I have to take off a couple of stars.
—Maria

Write Review

(Review will shown on site after approval)

Read books by author Jennifer Chiaverini

Read books in series Elm Creek Quilts

Read books in category Fiction