"Quilts Galore" by Gini Athey

"Outside of Green Bay, the rain stopped, but clouds still hung heavy in the sky. Setting my bags and coat aside, I quickly put the kettle on for tea. I couldn’t calm down or start and finish one thought without new ones intruding. William and I had always made decisions together, from the mundane choices about what to do for the holidays or whether we wanted a flagstone or concrete patio…"

— From Quilts Galore by Gini Athey

When I was in Wisconsin in June, I visited a Green Bay quilt store that carried a local author's books that caught my eye. First in the series was Quilts Galore by Gini Athey, and I enjoyed it so much that I wanted to share it with you here.

Marianna Spencer is just beginning to find her way in life again following the death of her husband, William, two years ago. The two of them used to visit Wolf Creek, a small town near Green Bay, and Marianna decides to visit Wolf Creek by herself one day. There, she finds the quilt store she always liked to visit is for sale, and she impulsively decides to buy the shop for herself. When Marianna moves to Wolf Creek and lives above her newly purchased quilt shop, we as readers soon get acquainted with her neighbors and neighbor businesses, including a jewelry store, a coffee shop, an inn with fine dining, a garden shop, a clothing boutique, and a book store.

Meanwhile, there's quite an unexpected turn on the home front. Marianna was William's second wife, and he and his first wife had an adopted daughter from whom he had become estranged. Marianna had never even met the child, but one day, the teenage Rachel shows up at Marianna's door—with a baby—and confesses her mom has kicked her out and she and the baby have been living in a shelter. The messiness of this whole situation has the ring of truth, and I found myself pondering what I would do if such a teenager showed up needing my help yet I had no blood ties to her. I hope I would do as Marianna did and try to help the young woman and her infant son. I like that the author did not make this a rosy, life-is-perfect fairy tale but instead a heartwarming story with the bumps and bruises that are, in fact, part and parcel of life.

This book also inspired me to turn my attention back to quilting, or perhaps it's merely coincidence that I pieced more quilt blocks last month than I did in the entire year prior. Of course, I also loved the fact that Marianna, Rachel, and others seem to sip many cups of tea. I know that some of you would enjoy this lovely book as much as I did. Now I can't wait to start the next one in the series!