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Overview
In Anne Bartlett’s engaging novel, a chance meeting sparks a friendship between two very different women who share a fascination with knitting. Sandra, a rigid academic, struggles to navigate the world without her husband, whom she has recently lost to cancer. Martha—a self-taught textile artist with her own secret store of grief—spends her days knitting elaborate projects charged with personal meaning. As the two women collaborate on a new project, surprising events will help heal them both.
Synopsis
In Anne Bartlett’s engaging novel, a chance meeting sparks a friendship between two very different women who share a fascination with knitting. Sandra, a rigid academic, struggles to navigate the world without her husband, whom she has recently lost to cancer. Martha—a self-taught textile artist with her own secret store of grief—spends her days knitting elaborate projects charged with personal meaning. As the two women collaborate on a new project, surprising events will help heal them both.
Library Journal
Knitting, the hot new trend, serves as an intriguing theme in Bartlett's first novel. Set in southern Australia, the story revolves around two very different women: the recently widowed Sandra, an academic interested in the history of les and women's work, and the much younger Martha, also a widow. Martha is a gifted knitter who tried knitting for a living, but the pressures to produce on demand turned her greatest joy into a mechanical duty. Now she knits as she pleases. The two women meet one day at the mall when they are the only ones to stop and help a man who has fallen. A friendship develops, and Sandra soon creates a project to showcase Martha's knitting skills and occupy her own grieving mind. The project, an exhibition of vintage and contemporary knitting, challenges both women in more ways than they could have imagined. Bartlett has created an enthralling story about the healing power of friendship, enriched by knitting details. Highly recommended for most public libraries.-Robin Nesbitt, Columbus Metropolitan Lib., OH Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.
Editorials
From the Publisher
"A moving story about true love and haunting grief."—Adriana Trigiani, author of Big Stone Gap"A love of the handicraft in question is not a prerequisite for appreciating [Knitting] . . . The finished product has a subtle beauty." The Washington Post
"Compelling . . . There is a lot in this book for anyone who ponders the big questions of life: the nature of friendship, the need for meaningful work, the comfort of sharing grief." Bookpage
"A quiet, literary book exploring grace, loss, suffering, community, and forgiveness."—Christianity Today
"What could be better than a good story about knitting? Anne Bartlett's Knitting fits the bill."—Creative Knitting
"Well-crafted . . . thoughtful and genuine."—Australian Book Review
"A beautiful novel that is, at its heart, about forgiveness."—Book Sense Notables
"The believable, well-constructed dialogue captures the tension and tenderness of friendship. And the words the characters don't share with each other electrify the scenes." -Sydney Morning Herald
"A sweetly winning tale."—Kirkus Reviews Kirkus Reviews
"An enthralling story about the healing power of friendship." Library Journal
"I loved Knitting. It's simply magnificent. The relationships are beautifully, delicately offered and the story is as reaffirming as anything I've read in years."—Terry Kay, author of To Dance with the White Dog
"Reading Knitting is an experience as sensual and mystical as plunging your hands into skeins of wool and color . . . A joyful narrative of creating and connecting."—Sena Jeter Naslund, author of Ahab's Wife
"A wonderful tale . . . both beautiful and deeply satisfying."—Connie May Fowler, author of Before Women Had Wings
"In the tradition of Anita Brookner and Barbara Pym, Anne Bartlett has written a sly, stirring look at women's lives."—Meg Wolitzer, author of The Wife