The Sweetgum Ladies Knit for Love - Beth Pattillo

[goodreads]

Title: The Sweetgum Ladies Knit for Love
Author: Beth Pattillo
Genre: Christian fiction
Rating: 5/5
# pages: 354
Date read: June 2009, March 2014

Six very different women meet once a month to knit, talk and socialise. Each month they try out a new knitting project inspired by one of the books the group leader and master librarian, Eugenie has picked out.

This year Eugenie thought she'd try something new. Inspired by her recent marriage, she thought it would be interesting to have "Classic love stories" as the common book topic. What she hadn't stopped to think about, was that these books of love might not seem quite as easy reads to the others... Esther, who'd just lost her husband... Camille, who desperately wants to get away from Sweetgum - even now that her old beau has returned... Hannah, the 13-year-old girl Eugenie agreed to foster after her mother skipped town... Merry, who's discovering that love can be quite overwhelming... and newest member Maria, who sorely resents having to sell her family property to a new-comer and his arrogant business partner.

Still, all six women find something to relate to in the different novels, and from Shakespeare to Brontë, they find they can apply the literary experiences to their own lives, and either learn from them... or make the same mistakes themselves.

In style as well as genre Beth Pattillo's novel most of all reminded me of the Mitford series by Jan Karon with a touch of a Jane Austen thrown in (okay... sometimes more than "a touch"... it was occasionally glaringly obvious, but I love P&P, so I'll let that slide ;) - a small tranquil town, a pastor and his wife, and the coming and goings of the people around them. The atmosphere of Sweetgum appealed to me, and I enjoyed reading about the friendships that grew between the ladies of the Knit Lit society.

The Sweetgum Ladies Knit for Love is the sequel to The Sweetgum Knit Lit Society, but can easily be read on its own. I didn't feel like I missed any inside information that would have been beneficial, but will go ahead and read them in reverse order - I want to read more about these lovely ladies, even though I already know "what happens next".

Definitely one of the cosiest reads I've had so far this year. I couldn't put it down, and ended up going to bed much too late in order to finish it.

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