A Single Thread    by Marie Bostwick Order:  USA  Can Kensington, 2008 (2008) Softcover, e-Book Read an Excerpt      Reviewed by Joan Burton Evelyn Dixon's marriage has ended, and at fifty years of age she is devastated. Her life centered around her husband Rob and her only child Garrett. Garrett is now living on the west coast working as a computer programmer. When her husband made the announcement he was leaving her for a younger woman, Evelyn felt foolish that she didn't see it coming. After grieving for a life that no longer exists, Evelyn realizes she will have to pick herself up and move forward to create a new life. One day Evelyn decides to take a drive and leaves Fort Worth Texas. She heads east, where she always wanted to see the beautiful colours of Fall foliage. Three days later Evelyn stops in New Bern, Connecticut and decides to make this quaint New England town home. Evelyn has always dreamed of opening a quilt shop and she decides that now is the time to pursue her dream. Being a quilter herself, she finds it both relaxing and satisfying to create a quilt with her own hands. She loves the colours and textures of all the fabrics and threads to choose from. She immediately goes to work with the help of a local realtor, and finds a location for her shop. Once an old warehouse, now sitting empty, it needs work but has the added feature of an apartment upstairs where Evelyn can live. After months of hard work, Evelyn's dream finally materializes. Her shop opens for business and Evelyn settles in to the community. She's made friends with other business owners in town and decides to teach quilting classes for beginners, so that women could build friendships with each other while quilting. Margot Matthews and Liz and Abigail Burgess are the first to sign up for classes. Margot, a young single woman in her thirties, is out of a job due to a company's downsizing. She wants to keep busy and learn something new. Liza is an angry, troubled teenager trying to cope with the death of her mother Susan, Abigail's sister. Abigail is a wealthy citizen of New Bern, but keeps people at a distance, preferring to be alone. All three women have unresolved issues in their lives but they slowly build a friendship with each other and with Evelyn. They help her operate the quilt shop when she faces the biggest challenge of her life. A Single Thread is a beautiful story of women, friendships, and starting life over. This is Marie Bostwick's first contemporary novel and it is a winner. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Contemporary books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews