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I just loved this book. I loved it. I had noticed it on the bestseller list for months and wondered, "What is it with that knitting book?" Sometimes I'll do that, notice a book on the bestseller list for years before I finally give in and give it a try. I figure there must be something to a book that stays on the list that long.
And with this one, that was so true. I know some readers thought it was schmaltzy and amateurish. (It is the author's first novel.) But I didn't find it either of those things. I found it warm and comforting, cozy and embracing. I loved the characters, strong interesting women who are brought together by the craft of their mothers and grandmothers - knitting. Some of the women are older and have knitted all their lives. Some are younger and initially look down their noses at spending their time doing something so old-fashioned. And some of the women never actually learn to knit - they just come for the comfort of being together.
Yes, the book ties itself up a little too neatly at the end. Yes, some of the resolutions seem a little simplistic, a little soap opera. But I enjoyed this book, even with its short-comings, and I can honestly recommend it. I give a big thumb's up for the long-time bestseller, The Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs.
