A slave underground using quilts for code, a comforter with a life-saving secret, a sewing machine that founds a peace treaty, all the short stories in this collection are themed around sewing.

Set at various times throughout history, from the Triangle Shirtwaist factory to the Salem witch trials to the modern day, and featuring forms of sewing from quilting to macrame, these are well written and extremely memorable. Many of the stories take place over long periods, reflecting on the effect that actions of the past have on the present, or with epilogues years later that tie up the story neatly.

There are a few historical liberties taken with a story set in Buckingham, which may be more obvious to British readers. The current Buckingham Manor largely dates from 1560, not Richard the First (1157-1199) while 1455, the date on the gravestone, was the Battle of St Albans, the first battle of the War of the Roses, and Edward IV and Henry VI were vying for the crown, with Richard of York (not Richard the Lionheart’s) regency set aside at the start of the year. If you aren’t historically fussy, it’s still a good read.

Well written, flowing, and with all the lead characters having distinctive voices and personalities, this is a very enjoyable read and ideal bedtime reading. While most of the leads are female, I don’t think this really affects the book’s appeal to all readers because of the writer’s skill in making sure that all the characters are characters rather than caricatures. There’s nothing two dimensional about this collection, and the stories are told with considerable skill.

I didn’t spot any typos, and the grammar and formatting are acceptable. I was so into the stories I forget to look for errors and had to flip back to the start.

This is likely to have ranging appeal, as it spans a range of genres, is well-written and would be ideal for anyone who likes short stories. Highly recommended, and a great read for lovers of short stories of almost any genre. It’s just a shame about the dates.