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Book ReviewsThe Cross-Country Quilters: An Elm Creek Quilts Novel (G K Hall Large Print Core Series) |
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Book: The Cross-Country Quilters: An Elm Creek Quilts Novel (G K Hall Large Print Core Series)
Written by: Jennifer Chiaverini |
Publisher: G. K. Hall & Company
Average Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5
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Research Quilts but not MS?!!
Rating:
3 / 5
While I agree with the other customer reviews regarding the friendships of the quilters and becoming involved in the story, I am appalled that Ms. Chiaverini apparently did little or no research of Multiple Sclerosis.
Although the story points out that MS is not contagious and describes the unfeeling/ignorant ways people react to Grace, the story also presents and reinforces myths about MS.
Grace is described as someone under a sentence of death and is told immediately after diagnosis that her condition will deteriorate--probably quickly-and that MS is fatal. The story then reinforces by repeating that Grace has little time, and by having her body deteriorate.
MS is not fatal.
MS causes multiple areas of inflammation and scarring of the myelin in the brain and spinal cord. Myelin is the tissue that covers and protects our nerve fibers. When the myelin is inflamed or scarred, nerve "communication" is disrupted. People with MS experience varying degrees of neurological impairment and resultant symptoms depending upon the location and extent of the scarring. In other words, some people have few problems, some have many. Some people have no pain, some have a bit, some have intermittent pain... Some MS goes into remission, some progresses gradually, some progresses rapidly, some stays on a plateau.
Diagnosis of MS does not provide information of the way the disease will progress--or if it will, nor can it be known how that body will react to the various treatments.
For accessible information, read When the Road Turns..Stories by and About People with MS by Margot Russell, which contains biographies and personal accounts from people with various types of MS experiences, and/or go to www.nmss.org, www.msfacts.org, www.msneighborhood.com, www.multsclerosis.org
Friendship and Quilting
Rating:
4 / 5
The Cross Country Quilters by Jennifer Chiaverini is the third book in the Elm Creek Quilts book. As I am a stickler for reading series in the order they're written, I did find after reading this book, that it can certainly be read alone. As I said in my review of Round Robin, The Cross Country Quilters is another title which is very reminiscent of How to Make an American Quilt.
Elm Creek Manor is now a quilt camp where primarily women from all over come to spend a week learning more about their interest in quilting. Offering lessons in all sorts of techniques, for some the camp also provides bonding and camaraderie. And in this book five very different women from different parts of the country meet and learn much more than quilting as they sort through their lives and in some cases eventually make life altering changes in their lives too. Pledging to meet a year later at quilt camp these women pledge to make a block for a quilt they will piece together the following year. And the block they construct and sew will have to reflect can only be started once they begin this change.
The end, while predictable as these people's lives fall into place, is sweet and reaffirms the power of friendship. I enjoyed the first two books and look forward to read the others in this series. And now I just hear that her newest book will be published in the spring of 2005. Not only that but I just met a quilter and am thinking of trying my hand at one. This book certainly inspired me to try something new. As I always say a book is like a friend or interest, just waiting to be found. And the Elm Creek Quilts books are certainly worthwhile reads which I do recommend to all who read this review.
Happily surprised
Rating:
5 / 5
I was disappointed when I read the review of this book to find that it did not center around the original characters, but was pleasantly surprised to see how the new storyline tied in with the old. It was actually my new favorite until I read "The Runaway Quilt" (fourth in the series). I love the descriptions of the quilting in these books. They always inspire me to get back to work on my own projects! The storyline in this one made it hard to put down because I wanted to know how each quilter's dilemma was resolved. The Cross Country Quilters is a wonderful addition to this series.
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