Die Wünsche Meiner Schwestern (2013) - Plot & Excerpts
Format: ARC e-bookHow I got the book: I received this book as an Advanced Readers Copy from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.Favorite Quote: "Oh, I read all kinds of books," she told him. But I guess I like the soft kind the best. The ones that, when you close them, leave your heart feeling like your stomach of you just ate a big meal."That is probably a good description of how I felt after reading The Wishing Thread.What I liked:The best summary of what I liked about this book is probably the blurb from Meg Waite Clayton, author of The Wednesday Sisters: ���With deft needlework, a dash of folklore, and some good old-fashioned family angst, Lisa Van Allen knits together the threads of second chances, the pleasure of giving, the complications of sisterhood, and love. There���s a bit of magic in The Wishing Thread, in the words and the story as well as in the yarn.���This book is a wonderful chance to escape into a place so like our own but subtly magical. First, I am totally into a book that uses knitting as an integral part of the plot development. It just makes me yearn to pick up those needles, even though I am not nearly as good as my mother or my great-aunt, who both patiently taught the "leftie" how to knit. The idea that someone could have the capability to knit spells into the garment seemed natural to me, right along with love, compassion and happy thoughts for the recipient.The sisters themselves seemed very real and fleshed out. I really enjoyed the intertwined, complex pattern of the relationships and growth of each sister, independently and together. The impact of decisions on the family and the community were well done. I felt that all three sisters were real and relate-able.. I expected this to be about Aubrey but found myself caring and cheering for each sister. I especially liked the development of Nessa, Aubrey's niece and Bitty's adolescent daughter.And, finally, I loved how the story kept weaving and changing.. There was no clear pattern until the story was complete and blocked into a satisfying ending. I loved the interplay of the of Tarrytown and its history and folklore played against very modern and real questions of urban renewal and gentrification This was a good book for escape from our daily lives for a few hours and to want to visit The Stitchery and Tarrytown again.What I didn't like: I felt the story was a little tough to get into. Rather than falling I felt I was fighting the language. It felt like the writer was stuck in a creative writing class with a thesaurus. However, I stuck with it, and by the third chapter or so, the pretension fell away and the story got legs. So stick with it for about 10 minutes or so and feel the book.The Chapter Titles are commonly used knitting instructions. I kept looking for a pattern there but I could never find it.Additional thoughts: I LOVED The Great Book in the Hall and all the wisdom it had to offer.This book is an escape and I do like to escape into "Happily Ever After."I would compare this to books by Debbie Macomber or Sarah Addison Allen. In fact, my copy had an conversation of Sarah asking Lisa questions about the book and her writing process.That was an unexpected treat. I was disappointed by this book, though I didn't really know what to expect. It was just bland. I felt like I was being told everything and the characters were ones I've read before. There was the shy sister, the wild sister, the sister that refuses to believe in magic. It was like watching one of those bad TV movies. There's a little romance, sister feuding and bonding, people trying to destroy the town. When I read where the setting of the story was, I got excited but the description wasn't there and it felt like it was just any small town. Lost opportunity. Then it was just small mentions of the headless horseman and what makes this town different then other places.I'm more then half way and NOTHING has happened, well nothing interesting.I'll finish this review when I finish the book if possible at this point I just want to give up and stop reading it.
What do You think about Die Wünsche Meiner Schwestern (2013)?
The Book is Magical.....near Sleepy Hollow,during October, great Fall read!
—Jos
A good story. A little magic, a little knitting, a little family drama.
—MiCr
Totally enjoyed this story! Almost made me want to learn to knit!
—KasiXoxo
Nice light reading with some knitting magic.
—Calypso
