After facing tragedy and betrayal in New York, Caroline, an aspiring fashion designer escapes to her idyllic Pacific coast hometown to raise her best friend’s two young children. Caroline soon realizes that the women of Oysterville are carrying some heavy secrets. Thus begins the Oysterville Sewing Circle—where women can join forces to support each other through the troubles they keep hidden.
...Susan Wiggs tackles the painful subject of domestic violence in a life-affirming way. While Wiggs doesn’t shy away from addressing abuse in its myriad forms through the stories of the women in the sewing circle, a central theme of this novel is the healing power of family and community, and especially women supporting one another. Furthermore, as a resident of one of the Puget Sound islands, Wiggs writes with an intimate knowledge of the area, which makes her fictional town of Oysterville come alive on the page ... Wiggs has written another compelling novel that will grab readers’ hearts, hold their attention and leave them with a sense of hope.
Wiggs...writes with thoughtfulness, gentleness, and realism as she tells the stories of women affected by domestic violence. The gentle romance between two friends reconnecting never distracts from these survivor stories. A topical and excellent book for every library.
Wiggs’ latest is part revenge fantasy and part romantic fairy tale, and while some details feel too smooth...Caroline has a challenging road, and she rises to it with compassion and resilience. Timelines alternating among the present and past, both recent and long ago, add tension and depth to a complex narrative that touches on the abuse of power toward women and the extra-high stakes when the women involved are undocumented. Finally, Wiggs writes about the children’s race and immigration status with a soft touch that feels natural and easygoing but that might seem unrealistic to some readers. A lovely read—entertaining, poignant, and meaningful.
