Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Ever wondered about dog food before canned dog food was invented? Me neither. But now I do. It’s funny how a book can prompt odd questions. It’s not something I expected from Maybelle in Stitches.
Maybelle in Stitches has nothing to do with dog food actually. It’s the story of a woman whose husband is in WWII. Like many women, she works in the factory welding & building ships for the war. She lives with her mother and a male roommate until her mother dies. Later, she receives word that her hubby is MIA. As she clears out her mothers things to make way for some roommates, she finds a crazy quilt started.
Her best friend convinces her to finish it as a way to get through her days without worrying about her husband. Despite her lack of (any) domestic skills, several women help her work on the quilt and this is their story.
Maybelle in Stitches is an interesting book in terms of setting. I’ve read WWII books before, but they had never concentrated so much on aspects of home life. AUTHOR went into great detail about roommates, the practical aspects of rationing and how scarce things were. That’s where the whole dog food thing came into play. Every time she described meals, she also mentioned what the dog ate. I think a character sideways mentions that they should make dog food in a can. Future story perhaps?
This was also a unique story in that Maybelle is a domestic failure. I could be Maybelle, except I like to cook. There are rumblings of woman’s lib (outside jobs, no kids), which was a little unusual for that period, though not entirely or the 60’s couldn’t have happened :).
On the whole, I would say Maybelle in Stitches was an okay book. It ended a little abruptly for me and while it was a fun journey, there wasn’t a ton in the way of plot line or emotional struggles. It was very much about setting and waiting for the hubby. The characters didn’t have a ton of depth, but they were nice enough. I just wasn’t able to get that excited about it.
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Don’t miss the newest Quilts of Love book, Maybelle in Stitches, by Joyce Magnin. 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.
Joyce is celebrating the release with a $200 Modcloth giveaway. Enter today for a chance to spruce up your spring wardrobe!
One winner will receive:
- A $200 ModCloth.com gift card
- Scraps of Evidence by Barbara Cameron
- A Sky Without Stars by Linda S. Clare
- Maybelle in Stitches by Joyce Magnin
Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on April 19th. Winner will be announced on April 21st on the Quilts of Love blog!
Spread the word—tell your friends about the giveaway via FACEBOOK or TWITTER.
Good luck!
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