I was thrilled to discover this book – another novel in my new favorite genre of magic realism. Anyone who has enjoyed Sarah Addison Allen’s books will enjoy this book. The Wishing Thread is the story of three sisters. Bitty, the oldest, has been practical with her life and married rich. Now she’s discovering that planning logically doesn’t always work out. Meggie, the youngest, follows her own unique path in life, although she’s hoping it overlaps with the path of their mother, who left them. And Aubrey, the middle sister, is in charge of the Stitchery. That’s where the magic comes in.
I honestly think I would have gotten more out of this if I were a knitter, but it’s not at all essential to be a knitter to enjoy the story. Van Allen has created so many lovable characters. You end up cheering for each and every character in this story, even the grumpy ones. She follows each of the sisters’ paths of discovery so believably. And she keeps you guessing on the happy ending to the very end. The Wishing Thread knits together all the parts necessary for a story that stays with you far beyond the last page.
I honestly think I would have gotten more out of this if I were a knitter, but it’s not at all essential to be a knitter to enjoy the story. Van Allen has created so many lovable characters. You end up cheering for each and every character in this story, even the grumpy ones. She follows each of the sisters’ paths of discovery so believably. And she keeps you guessing on the happy ending to the very end. The Wishing Thread knits together all the parts necessary for a story that stays with you far beyond the last page.
| Characters Atmosphere |
I had heard so much about this book that I just had to read it. (It didn’t hurt that the main character was a writer. Those sorts of books just draw me in.) Wren and Cath are twins and freshmen in college. This means that a whole bunch of change is coming their way. Wren is ready to be independent, wholeheartedly embracing the stereotypical party life. Cath is ready to go back home. New people and new adventures aren’t really her thing. Instead, she throws herself into a world she knows – writing fanfiction about the Simon Snow series (think Harry Potter). There are a few things I wish I had known about this book before I dived in – the swearing for one, and the homosexual relationship between Simon and Baz. Neither of those were necessary in my opinion, and are sadly keeping me from buying a copy of this book. But everything else about this book I loved – the characters were so real, their experiences so genuine. That is what made this book. You could walk onto any college campus and find Wren and Cath, Reagan and Levi. And oh, how I wish I could! I’ll just have to settle for adding them to my long list of fictional friends.
| Characters |
If you like character-driven novels, then this book is for you. Honestly, the entire plot more or less takes place in the first ten pages. The town of Clarence, Minnesota, is home to a psychopharmaceutical factory. A factory accident spills a chemical called deletrium into the air, which makes the residents of the town remember in vivid detail anything that had ever happened to them. There’s a wide range of characters to follow – everyone from the widowed psychology professor to his eight-year-old daughter to the residents of a nearby senior citizen home. Plenty of story lines to keep a reader interested, and plenty of unique characters to keep a reader hooked. This is one of those books that I was often reluctant to pick up because I cared so much about the characters, and it was hard and often sad for them to relive all their memories. This is not a light read, but it is a good one. It makes you think about your own life and the nature of memory.
If you’re looking for an action story about a chemical spill, this is not it. However, if you’re looking for a book with characters that will live in your thoughts weeks after you finish reading, then this is the book for you.
If you’re looking for an action story about a chemical spill, this is not it. However, if you’re looking for a book with characters that will live in your thoughts weeks after you finish reading, then this is the book for you.
| Characters |
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