The Master Quilter (2004)

After two books focussing almost exclusively on Sylvia, this book turns back to the other Elm Creek Quilts members, with a chapter dedicated to individual members.

Covering roughly the same period of time, we get to see how the start of the new season affects each person. Sylvia and Andrew are now married, but without a wedding quilt, so the group band together to make one for them in secret.

Bonny, whose husband almost had an affair 5 years previously, finds out that her marriage - and the quilt shop - is coming to an end.

Mary Beth, the "arch nemesis" president of the Waterford Quilting Guild - and Diane's next door neighbour has some shocking home truths to learn about her children and the Guild.

Summer moves in with her boyfriend, and confronts the fact that she is stagnating in Waterford, in no small part because her mother has manipulated her to remain.

All members of the group end up making life changing decisions, which will have an effect not only on themselves but on the wider group

It's good to see the author changes her writing style enough to keep things interesting for the reader and moving along. It will be good to see new characters come in (and possibly some of the other characters leave or fade into the background). ( )

The Elm Creek Quilt series has been one of my favorite series up until this installment. In this particular novel, the same story is repeated through the eyes of each quilter with only the knowledge that each quilter has. It's an oft-used literary technique, but in this case, it just didn't work. The quilters are trying to surprise Sylvia with a wedding quilt. Most of the quilters are grappling with personal issues. Bonnie is having marital issues and business issues. Summer is having boyfriend troubles. Another is facing employment decisions. Some are having problems with teenage children. If this were the first installment that I had picked up in the series, I would probably have abandoned it and not tried another installment. One doesn't get the warm happy feeling that the earlier novels resonate. There's a slight glimpse of it in the final chapter, but most would never make it that far, nor is it sufficient to depict the true atmosphere of Elm Creek Manor. I'll try the next one and pray that the charm of life near Waterford returns. ( )

Ms. Chiaverini tries another technique by having the same story from the POV of the Elm Creek staff members and then throws in the POV of the enemy, Mary Beth Sullivan. I was surprised, but then realized it was necessary. At first, I was thinking she was revealing the culprit (of trashing and stealing from Grandma's Attic) too early, but then realized it would take a while for the others to find out. I loved how Agnes became a self-assigned detective, especially helping Bonnie after her split with Craig. ( )

This entry in the Elm Creek Quilts series finds the quilters soliciting quilt blocks from quilt campers to make a surprise bridal quilt for newlywed Sylvia. Personal problems arise for each of the Elm Creek staff members, distracting them from their project and, even worse, from the business/hobby that drew them together in the first place.

The first 3/4 of the book tells the story of the same weeks from the perspective of each one of the Elm Creek quilters. Each chapter contributes new elements to the story, but not without a lot of repetition. Although the secrets and misunderstandings among the quilters were resolved by the end of the book, each woman experienced conflict with family members, co-workers, or significant others that were left unresolved. The book has an unfinished feel to it. It's the weakest book I've read in this series. Regular series readers shouldn't skip it, though, because it tells about changes in the lives of some of the quilters that will affect subsequent books in the series. ( )

I love the style of the part of this book. The writing is inspirational and the characters warm and alive. Long may the Elm Creek Quilters continue. ( )