The Persian Pickle Club

No ifs, ands or buts, Sandra Dallas has become one of my favorite authors. In The Persian Pickle Club she explores the special bond that women can create with each other. Set in rural Kansas during the dust bowl times of the 1930’s, the Persian Pickle Club, which is what these quilters called a paisley pattern, consists of local women who get together to “stitch and bitch”. Over the years the friendship and loyalty that these women have forged is strong, pure and constant. Protective of their weaker members, forgiving of each others short comings, once these women with such greats names as Queenie Bean, Septima Judd, and Opalina Dux, have a made a promise to one another, that promise will be kept forever.

The Persian Pickle Club show more has been flavoured with many details of the 1930’s. From the description of the dry earth that is constantly blowing, to casual references to movie stars and politicians of the day. Many men were doing back breaking work to be paid only a dollar for their days’ labour. Women struggled to keep the family fed and clothed, yet these poverty stricken people were the first to lead a hand when needed. These were hard times that would have been unbearable without community support.

I loved everything about this book from it’s authentic sound to it’s gentle rhythms of everyday rural life in the depression. The main character, Queenie, springs from the pages a fully formed real person. She and her husband, Grover are endearing, earthy and a couple that I would love to have as neighbours. But this book is far from being simply sweet, there is a dark undercurrent that runs through it’s pages and a few twists and turns along the way to keep the reader fully engrossed. A great read. show less

This was an impulse purchase at one of my local library sales, I think. It's set in 1930's Kentucky during the dust bowl years and featured friendship and quilts. How bad could it be?

Turns out not bad at all - it was excellent. AND what they don't tell you on the cover is that there's a mystery to be solved, so of course I loved it even more.

Queenie is a young farm wife and part of the quilting circle called the Persian Pickle Club. Rita is a newcomer to town and the club; a city girl who has just married a hometown boy reluctantly returned to the farm. Queenie decides to make Rita feel welcome and tries her best to fold Rita into the daily routine of life in a farming community, but Rita doesn't want to be a farmer's wife; she has show more ambitions of her own to be a journalist and in her pursuit she digs up secrets people would rather remain hidden.

The beauty of this book is that it isn't trying to be anything it isn't; it feels like an authentic snapshot of time and place (and warning: it includes some language common to the time that we consider verboten now). It doesn't make any moral judgements and the plot doesn't adhere to the strict definition of justice. And that's all I'm saying because anything else would spoil it. Let's just say I was giddy over the way it surprised me.

It's an easy read with potential to be a comfort read as well. Definitely one of the better impulse buys I've made. show less

This book is full of that rich quirkiness in people I love to read. Set in the 1930's it's The Great Depression and we meet a group of women from a small rural town who meet weekly to give comfort and support, quilt together and chat about the goings on in town. Sounds mundane? I don't have any real interest in quilting either, so why did I pick it up? Books call to you I'm sure they do! The author has created an unforgettable cast and manages to recreate that harsh time in history very well, I could almost taste the dust! I enjoyed the colloquial use of language, it made the ladies, in particular, larger than life and brought to mind the characters in Fannie Flagg's books. Surprisingly a dead body surfaces halfway through and I had to show more read quickly to discover how all the loose ends would come together. This was just what I needed in my life right now. show less

First book I read of hers. I loved the mystery, the women who were strong, and the historical element. Plus the quilting was interesting. Queenie Bean is a funny mix of naivety and practical wisdom. Like many of Ms. Dallas' books, the relationships of the women and the way they look out for each other are some of the best parts of the story.

I loved this book, I loved Queenie, the main character. Why hasn't a movie been made of this book yet? We need it. It is the Great Depression and set in the farming community of Harveyville, Kansas.

Queenie belongs to the Persian Pickle Club. A city girl, Rita comes to town with her husband, and she is definitely not cut out for farm work! I have raised chickens it made me chuckle what she thought of them and that she did not know where eggs come from. Queenie wants a friend her own age, as most of the quilters in the group are much older than she. So she invites Rita into the group of very quirky women and is really not much of future quilter. She wants to be a reporter on a newspaper. Rita kind of steps into muddy mystery of the murder show more of one of the quilters. The focus is not really on the mystery but on the situation of widow domestic life and the solidarity of the group.

There are funny moments but most important are the lessons that the characters learn and the bloom of love for each other. This is one book that I would love to read again! show less

What a wonderful book this was! I didn’t know what to expect, but this book was right up my alley. Set in Kansas in the 1930’s, and the Persian Pickle Club is a quilting group. Who knew that the Persian Pickle is another name for the material that I know as paisley. This group of six or seven ladies is wonderful—folksy and warm. Everything is going along smoothly for Queenie Bean until they get a new member in the Pickle who stirs up past secrets which forces Queenie and her friends to take a hard, long look at their precious club. This was a wonderful book to relax with.

I didn't think I would be able to relate to a novel about quilting but there was so much more to the story than that. Set amidst the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression Queenie and the members of the Persian Pickle Club pass the time helping each other and their community by quilting blankets to raise money for charity. When Rita marries a local boy and becomes part of their "quilting circle" she brings a youthful brashness that keeps everyone on their toys. She's load and brash but Queenie takes to her right away and they become fast friends helping each other through the loss of a child, the death of a friend's husband and squatters taking up on their land. Through it all quilting binds the women together and becomes the one reliable show more thing they have in such trying times. Truly a wonderful novel that beautifully illustrates the hardships endured during the great depression and women's thankless role in getting through it. Honestly I was also intrigued by the quilting parts as well, I wouldn't mind trying my hand at a small square. It sounds so fun! show less