Seven years ago, a hidden betrayal scattered three young friends living in the shadow of Biltmore Estate. Now, when Biltmore Industries master weaver Lorna Blankenship is commissioned to create an original design for Cornelia Vanderbilt's 1924 wedding, she panics knowing she doesn't have the creativity needed. But there's an elusive artisan in the Blue Ridge Mountains who could save her--if only she can find her.
To track the mysterious weaver down, Lorna sees no other way but to seek out the relationships she abandoned in shame. As she pulls at each tangled thread from her old life, Lorna is forced to confront the wounds and regrets of long ago. She'll have to risk the job that shapes her identity as well as the hope of friendship--and love--restored.
In this seamlessly woven historical tale, award-winning Appalachian author Sarah Loudin Thomas delivers a poignant novel of friendship, artistry, restoration, and second chances.
A beautiful story that is woven together with flawed characters that have endured childhood trauma like the cloth that Vivian wove with an intentional flaw, but the beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I loved everything about this book from the way it is stitched together with three different POV’s and different years to the history of the Biltmore estates and the creativity of the weavers and woodworking. It sparked my interest into wishing I knew how to work the complexity of a loom to create beautiful cloth that inspired people. I can visualize the beauty of it and how Vivian looked over the mountains with the sunset and sunrise and used the talent within her to create her designs. The characters were each so unique and carried pain but each handled it in such different ways. I could identify with them as my mother endured childhood trauma that God used to create beauty. The Faith element is subtle but is woven in seamlessly. Some scenes are so touching that I recommend having a tissue nearby as I had tears flowing down my cheeks. This story shows that family isn’t always blood but can be stitched together in time and come out being strong with bonds that can withstand when the storms of life come. As always with this author I will place this book on my favorites shelf to revisit like an old friend especially since it mentions my hometown and the train that my grandfather was an engineer on.
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher. The honest review and opinions are my own and were not required.
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