"A Quilt for Christmas" by Melody Carlson

A Quilt for Christmas (Sept. 6, 2022) by Melody Carlson.*

*This is a standalone novella.*

The approaching holiday season doesn’t find Vera Swanson (age 68) full of Christmas cheer. A widow who relocated to Fairview, Oregon, five months before to be near her daughter and her daughter’s family (and they’ve since moved to California), Vera is alone in her condo-for-one, a far cry from her Craftsman home in Western Oregon. With no family in town and no friends made, she isn’t feeling merry and bright, but life takes a turn when four-year-old Fiona Albright knocks on her door. Her mom, Kerry, is sick and needs help getting to the hospital. With the dad, Josh, away during the week for work, Vera helps care for Fiona and her older siblings, Maureen (8) and Nolan (11). When Fiona notices Vera’s Nordic Star patchwork quilt, she is in awe and asks Vera to make “a big patchwork quilt” for her mom in time for Christmas, which is only a few weeks away! Vera knows she can’t make such a large quilt that quickly on her own, so she hangs up flyers and gains volunteers Tasha Ellison (a 35-year-old artist who works in her aunt’s floral shop), Beverly Clark (a delightful 58-year-old woman who loves baking at the holidays) and Eleanor Rasmussen (a 67-year-old newly retired therapist). This colorful group of women are banding together to make Christmas brighter for a family that doesn’t have much. Vera right away likes social Beverly and free-spirited Tasha, but aloof, judgmental Eleanor is a challenge. How will Eleanor handle it when it appears that her son and only child, Evan, hits it off with Tasha, a divorcee who never attended college?

            Jesus is the reason for the season, but Vera’s fallen away from faith since her husband passed. Seeing how He brought Fiona and the Albright family into her life, along with her new friends in the quilt club, readers get to watch as Vera’s faith returns, bringing extra warm fuzzies to a wholesome Christmas novella. The story places emphasis on generosity and connection, showcasing that one can connect with others of any age and a multitude of personalities, knowing that the dynamic will be that much richer for their differences. Young Fiona is energetic, sweet and intelligent, and the quick friendship she forms with Vera is adorable. But for me, what’s most moving is Eleanor’s transformation. This standalone is as delectable as any of Beverly’s treats. For fans of holiday stories and a smidge of burgeoning romance, this cozy tale works well for reading by the fire on a cold night or on the beach on a toasty summer day.

* Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Revell Books. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions are expressly my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”