The Museum of Lost Quilts by Jennifer Chiaverini Book Review

About the Book:

Summer Sullivan, the youngest founding member of Elm Creek Quilts, has spent the last two years pursuing a master’s degree in history at the University of Chicago. Her unexpected return home to the celebrated quilter’s retreat is met with delight but also concern from her mother, Gwen; her best friend, Sarah; master quilter Sylvia; and her other colleagues—and rightly so. Stymied by writer’s block, Summer hasn’t finished her thesis, and she can’t graduate until she does.

Elm Creek Manor offers respite while Summer struggles to meet her extended deadline. She finds welcome distraction in organizing an exhibit of antique quilts as a fundraiser to renovate Union Hall, the 1863 Greek Revival headquarters of the Waterford Historical Society. But Summer’s research uncovers startling facts about Waterford’s past, prompting unsettling questions about racism, economic injustice, and political corruption within their community, past and present.

As Summer’s work progresses, quilt lovers and history buffs praise the growing collection, but affronted local leaders demand that she remove all references to Waterford’s troubled history. As controversy threatens the exhibit’s success, Summer fears that her pursuit of the truth might cost the Waterford Historical Society their last chance to save Union Hall. Her only hope is to rally the quilting community to her cause.

The Museum of Lost Quilts is a warm and deeply moving story about the power of collective memory. With every fascinating quilt she studies, Summer finds her passion for history renewed—and discovers a promising new future for herself.

My Review:

I am not an aficionado of quilts but I really liked this novel. I had no idea historical quilts could be so revealing, containing a wealth of information about families and communities. They are almost like visual journals. I had no idea, for example, that victory quilts were created to raise money for the war effort.

But sometimes the information contained in quilts may be disturbing and not well received, as Summer finds out. I like that we are encouraged to learn from the past and not try to hide it.

The plot was well conceived. I learned much about quilts within the context of Summer trying to finish her master's thesis and discovering what she wanted to do in the future. There are lovely characters with interesting quilts and family histories. There is also a suitable dastardly villain.

I recommend this novel to readers who love one that is informative about a subject yet has an entertaining and engaging plot. This is the first novel I think I have read by Chiaverini. I will certainly pay attention to her releases in the future.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

About the Author:

Jennifer Chiaverini is the New York Times bestselling author of thirty-five novels, including critically acclaimed historical fiction and the beloved Elm Creek Quilts series. She, her husband, and their two sons call Madison, Wisconsin, home. Photo by Michael Chiaverini

HarperCollins Publisher, 320 pages.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.

(My star ratings: 5-I love it, 4-I like it, 3-It's OK, 2-I don't like it, 1-I hate it.)