Song Stuck on the Brain: Smile by Chris Rice
MY TAKE:
I may not be as bad at sewing as Maybelle - but I'm not much better either! What a great hook for a story about quilting. A woman who can't quilt. :)
Maybelle is living in an era when women are meant to be homemakers, mothers and caregivers. None of which she excels at. The world is changing drastically, though. With WWII in full swing and all the healthy young men overseas, the women are stepping up to do jobs no one ever thought them capable of. Building war ships being one of them. Maybelle might not excel in domestic skills but she can weld a seam with the best of them. Something she's happy to do while waiting for her husband Holden to return.
Maybelle's struggles with hope and faith are universal. I may not have a loved one away at war, but I can understand her frustration and her human weakness to ask God, "Why? Why me?" We all come to that point at sometime in out lives. Experiencing her journey as well as the other war women in the same situation is touching.
I've always been rather taken with this time period and the author did a great job with her research. From the big details of the Sun Shipbuilding company in PA to the little details like the most popular color of nail polish being "Off Duty Red". The book is full of interesting little tidbits. Every one contributing to the authentic feel of the book. Even the vernacular used for the place and era was fitting. There were moments I had visions of Lucy and Ethel chatting in my mind.
I really enjoyed the story and found time zipped by while reading it. I had it done in no time because I didn't want to step out of their world.
Enjoy!
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Maybelle can’t sew. But when she finds an unfinished quilt in the attic of her mother’s house, she gets the crazy idea to complete it. At first, it’s just a way to fill the lonely nights while her husband, staff sergeant Holden Kanzinzki, is away fighting in World War II.
Yet when Maybelle discovers that the quilt is made from scraps of material that can be traced back through her family heritage, the project is suddenly much more important. Then word comes that Holden is missing in action, and with little else to do, Maybelle clings to the quilt as much as to the hope that her husband is still alive. As neighborhood friends gather around Maybelle to help her through the unknown days and nights ahead, it is the quilt that becomes a symbol of her unflagging belief that Holden will return—to her, to their home, and to their quilt-covered bed.
If you would like to read the first chapter of Maybelle In Stitches, go HERE.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
A word from the Author:
I am the author of seven novels. Five adult novels and two middle grade readers. I never wanted to do anything else but write and every day I wake up astonished that I get to do what I always dreamed about. My days are filled with words and images along with the usual family stuff. I have three children, Rebekah who is married to Joshua. They have three of the most adorable boys on the planet, Lemuel, Cedar and Soren. My daughter Emily Kate is a lovely young woman anthropologist and my son Adam is fourteen and a student--he's a genius who loves frogs and lizards and fish and plants. He amazes me.
I have never eaten a scallop. I love cream soda. Drink way too much coffee. I do not like elevators but I do enjoy needle arts and of course books. I prefer jazz over country (no offense), milk chocolate over dark, but not roller coasters although my life has often resembled a roller coaster ride.
One of my life's desires is to meet Amy Grant so I can tell her she saved my life.
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