Set in a picturesque Maine beach town, bestselling author Holly Chamberlin's heartwarming and insightful novel delves into the choices and changes faced by two families over the course of one eventful summer. . .
Everyone in Yorktide, Maine, knows sixteen-year-old Sarah Bauer. She's a good student and a dutiful daughter, as well as a beloved best friend to Cordelia Kane. So it's a surprise to all when sensible Sarah reveals that she is pregnant.
Though shocked, Sarah's family is supportive. But while Sarah reconciles herself to a new and different future, the consequences ripple in all directions. Her father--a proud, old-time Mainer--tries to find more work to defray expenses. Her younger sister grapples with a secret she can't share. Cordelia feels abandoned, and Cordelia's mother faces the repercussions of a long-ago decision. As Sarah's mother, Cindy, frets about how she'll juggle childcare with her job at the local quilting store, she seizes on an idea: to band together and make a baby quilt. Piece by piece, a beautiful design emerges. And as it progresses, reflecting the hopes and cares of the women who create it, each will find strength in the friendship and love that sustains them, in hardship and in joy. . .
My Review
A special thank you to Kensington Publishing Corporation and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Having read a number of Holly Chamberlain’s books and a long- time fan, THE BEACH QUILT, an insightful novel, set in the picturesque coastal town of Maine explores questions about the meaning of home and family dynamics— can love and friendship sustain us through the hard times?
A novel of secrets and choices, faced by two families over the course of one eventful summer-- What brings them together, and what factors could them apart—from multi-generational viewpoints – each has a story.
Cordelia, smart but not the most focused student, passes with solid B's and a sprinkling of As. While she regularly ignores extra credit assignments (unlike her best friend Sarah, who actually likes doing extra work). Cordelia’s father, Jack is the principal at her high school and her mom, Adelaide has owned a successful quilt shop called The Busy Bee for the last ten years.
Cindy (Sarah’s mother), age thirty eight, also works at the quilt shop and married to Joe (turning forty-two), a contractor and wonderful father, deeply devoted to his wife and children.
Sarah is smart, unlike her boyfriend Justin; good looking, but happy living paycheck to paycheck. Cordelia could only hope Sarah would dump him so they could go back to spending time together as BFFs.
However, when Sarah turns up pregnant at age sixteen (the good student and perfect daughter), how does this news affect others- Adelaide, Cordelia, Cindy, and Stevie? Does she have the baby, or give it up for adoption? Each woman and girl, has a story and possesses secrets of their own.
When faced with hard choices, will these women have the courage and strength to make the right decision, and will their friends and family be able to accept their choices?
As these women piece together a baby quilt and it comes to life, a parallel, as it relates to the lives of these women----the fears, losses, hopes, and dreams- can they survive for a happy ending? Will they find the strength through their friendship and loved ones, to sustain them through their challenges? What sacrifices have led them to their final decisions?
A heartwarming novel, ideal for teens and women of all ages –one of love, loss, tragedy, and triumphant. (nice discussion questions at the end for book clubs).
