The Wedding Quilt

September 26, 2011
This latest installment in the popular Elm Creek Quilts series proves to be a mild, unambitious addendum. In the run-up to protagonist Sarah McClure's daughter Caroline's wedding, which takes place at Elm Creek Manor, Sarah reflects on the people and quilts who have figured in her life since she herself came to the manor as a newlywed. The resulting stories recap the plots of previous books, which may bore fans of the series, while not offering enough context for first-time readers. The drama surrounding Caroline's wedding lacks vigor: whether the wedding ceremony will be rained out; whether or not the memory album quilt that Sarah wants to give her daughter will be completed; and whether or not the bride and groom are too young. Moreover, the novel's central relationshipâbetween Sarah and her daughter Carolineâfeels uninhabited, stilted, and overly formal. Only die-hard fans will be able to appreciate this lackluster novel.

October 1, 2011
This 17th installment in the Elm Creek Quilts series is a disappointing pastiche of previous novels, fleshed out to little effect. It is the year 2028, and Sarah McClure's daughter Caroline is getting married. Of course the wedding will be at Elm Creek Manor, which Sarah now owns, and all the remaining members of the Elm Creek Quilters will be in attendance. Though Chiaverini begins each chapter in the future (and trots out some futuristic gadgets for fun), most of the novel consists of flashbacks to an earlier time (that would be just about now) beginning when Caroline and her twin James were born. Elm Creek Quilt Camp is a reality, thanks to Sylvia's inheritance of the manor and Sarah's ingenuity, and now Sarah and Matt are expecting twins. Though Sarah has the help of all of her friends, she really wants Matt, who spends much of her pregnancy--and almost the birth of their children--away from home helping in his father's business. Other reveries include Jeremy and Anna's coupling (as soon as Summer was out of the picture); Bonnie's romance in Hawaii that heals her broken life; and Gwen's future career in Congress. In the midst of Sarah's daydreams guests are arriving for wedding festivities; James is having a secret affair; and the spirit of Sylvia Bergstrom and the Double Wedding Ring quilt she made almost two decades ago confer blessings on the whole occasion. Unfortunately the novel's sole concern is a rather trite epilogue for each of the beloved characters, and so the story lacks both insight and plot, focused as it is with explaining, in irrelevant detail, how it all turned out. An artless endeavor.

(COPYRIGHT (2011) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

November 1, 2011
The latest Elm Creek novel offers fans glimpses into the future as well as the past. It is the weekend of Caroline's wedding, and Elm Creek CEO Sarah reflects on her twins' lives and on those who have made an impact on her own life. James is the twin with the quilting talent, and he now helps run Elm Creek while dating the chef's daughter. Caroline is becoming a doctor and lives away. Many previous scenes and stories from the series are repeated as Sarah reminisces and supplies bittersweet answers to what has happened to beloved Elm Creek founders from a viewpoint in the future. Readers will find it easier to endure the sad parts through the veil of Sarah's current happiness. Chiaverini seamlessly intersperses quilting details and history among the stories of the diverse, vibrant characters who constitute the cornerstone of the series. Fans of this series will also enjoy titles by Anne Tyler, Virginia Ellis, and Sandra Dallas.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)