Patchwork: Conversation Between Generations

LOCAL AUTHOR

Patchwork was an organization founded by the author’s grandmother Anna around 1939. Ma Anna, as she was known, had a big heart and wanted to help her neighbors. For this reason, she decided to create a group that focused on making quilts. By inviting local women to her group, she aimed to provide not only material comfort from quilts but also a place for women to meet, talk, and find spiritual guidance. Ma Anna had a firm belief that God would lead the way and provide insight on how they should conduct themselves and lead their lives.

The story focuses on a group of women within the patchwork group who connect by sharing their problems in an attempt to find peace and support. They all had unique, moving, and memorable stories to tell. These stories unfold throughout the chapters until we discover just how devastating and trying some of their lives had been. Aunt Mary’s story was a particularly sad one. She disappeared without a trace from the group for many years. The group was aware that her friend Prince had disappeared after visiting her. When his body was later found, Mary didn’t seem to connect anymore. I was moved to tears by the time I got to the end of the book when Mary returned to reveal what happened years earlier.
I found Eleanor’s story also rather sad. I can’t imagine how one would feel if family members moved away without ever trying to make contact. I was glad to find out she ended up with a loving family of her own.

I loved the fact that the author included photos of the women. And the picture of Prince was especially appreciated. It made me feel like I had a special connection to all of them. But as much as I liked the overall story and what the author wanted to convey, I think it would have benefited from some editing. Sentences were sometimes long and wordy. Quotation marks were often missing or not used when necessary. And I was bothered by changes in tenses within paragraphs and sometimes within a sentence. I felt that this affected the flow for me. I also think it needed a little more development to make the meeting more vivid to the reader. Probably using the “show don’t tell” method would allow for this.

I do think that one cannot help but be moved by the circumstances these women faced. And Ma Anna must have been an amazing woman with a lot of faith in God. She always seemed to focus on the positive, even during trying times.