... a book to be dipped into. Ms. Deming skips from one topic to another and at times repeats herself. Short chapters juxtapose analyses of the camel-hair coat, lace making and stone weirs with stories about her yellow chiffon thrift-shop prom dress, expertly reshaped by her grandmother, and the sealskin coat from the 1920s Marie gave her as a present ... a moving testament to what we’ll lose if we don’t pay attention.
[An] engaging and poetic memoir ... Deming’s memoir is a tribute to all makers, whether of high-fashion dressmaking or weir construction, with a view to the losses in environment and culture of our time.
At first glance, the worlds of fashion and fishing may appear to be disparate topics, but using poetic language, childhood experiences, and knowledge of cultural history, Deming captivatingly weaves together these communities ... [A] fascinating journey ... At times, the details repeat across the essays, but this takes little away from the book’s overall high quality. A charming, heartfelt homage to the makers, past and present, who have defined lives and communities across the world.
[A] lyrical memoir ... Deming has a poet’s eye for details...but the overall collage-like assemblage can feel a bit hodgepodge. Champions of a home-crafted way of life will find much to savor here—but they’d be best served reading in small doses.
