MY
PATCHWORK LIFE
No wonder then there is always at least one woman in my sagas who enjoys sewing, while many others ‘make do and mend’ in order to keep their families warm and well-dressed during the war years. Many of these memories come from my mum, who showed me how important it was to be able to sew, knit and be creative.
In The Patchwork Girls Helen has returned home to Biggin Hill in Kent after the sudden death of her politician husband. Life in Biggin Hill is fraught with difficulties and when Helen comes across a talk arranged by the local vicar’s wife she goes along just to get away from the house. The talk is about patchwork quilts and at once Helen is attracted to the stories behind the making of quilts and intrigued by how they are made.
I’m about
to start making my own patchwork quilt, but nothing as intricate as the one
made by Helen – and I don’t have Helen’s story to stitch into the quilt either,
although the first quilt I completed perished in our house fire back in 1987.
I’m enjoying choosing colours and fabrics along with a special design –
breathing in the smell of new fabric is almost like sniffing a new paperback
book!
Wish me
luck as I set out on my own patchwork journey!
About
The Patchwork Girls:
Alone and not knowing where to turn, Helen finds
herself joining the local women’s sewing circle despite being hopeless with a
needle and thread. These resourceful women can not only make do and mend
clothes, quilts and woolly hats, but their friendship mends something deeper in
Helen too. Lizzie is a natural leader, always ready to lend a helping hand or a
listening ear. Effie has uprooted her life from London to keep her two little
girls away from the bombing raids, and the sewing circle is a welcome
distraction from worries about how to keep a roof over their heads and about
her husband too, now serving in active duty overseas.
When the reason for Helen's husband's death
comes to light, her world is turned upside down yet again. The investigating
officer on the case, Richard, will leave no stone unturned, but it’s not long
before his interest in Helen goes beyond the professional. As she pieces
together old fabrics into a beautiful quilt, will Helen patch up the rifts in
her own life?
The Patchwork Girls by Elaine Everest is a moving story about
the ties of friends and family, set during the turbulence of the Second World
War.
About
Elaine:
Elaine hails from North West Kent and grew up
listening to stories of the war years in her hometown of Erith, which features
in her bestselling Woolworths Girls series. A former journalist, author
of non-fiction books for dog owners, and qualified creative writing tutor.
Elaine has written hundreds of short stories for the women's magazine market.
When she isn't writing, Elaine runs The Write Place creative writing school in
Hextable, Kent.
Elaine is currently published by Pan Macmillan for
her Sunday Times Bestselling historical sagas including the Woolworths Girls
series and The Teashop Girls series. Her latest novel, The Patchwork Girls is
published on 14th October. She lives with her husband, Michael and
Polish Lowland Sheepdog Henry.
You can find out more about Elaine on:
Website and blog where you
can sign up for her newsletter: www.elaineeverest.com
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