JENNIFER CHIAVERINI is the author of the "New York Times "bestselling Elm Creek Quilts series, as well as five collections of quilt projects inspired by the novels. Her original quilt designs have been featured in "Country Woman," "Quiltmaker," and "Quilt," and her short stories have appeared in "Quiltmaker" and "Quilters Newsletter." A graduate of the University of Notre Dame and the University of Chicago, she lives with her husband and two sons in Madison, Wisconsin.
Praise for "Sonoma Rose"
"Chiaverini does an excellent job of describing the lush landscapes
of California wine country, while simultaneously painting a
touching portrait of the difficulties faced by farming families who
must tend to one another, as well as the earth."
--"Publishers Weekly
""Chiaverini has an impressive ability to bring a time and place
alive, showcasing the effects of Prohibition on farmers in Sonoma
Valley."
--"Romantic Times Book Review
"
"Together the two set out to make a new future for themselves in
the wine country of Sonoma Valley in Chiaverini's emotionally
compellingtale."
--"Chicago Tribune"
Praise for Jennifer Chiaverini:
"Chiaverini has once again written an intense and beautiful
book--so much so that readers will almost hear the hollow echo of
the fife and drum as they immerse themselves in every compelling
page...Truly unforgettable."
--"BookPage"
"Jennifer Chiaverini's strength is not only writing strong female
characters, but also placing them in interesting lives and
times."
--"New York Journal of Books"
Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style
Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name: "Table
Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow: yes; mso-style-parent: ""; mso-padding-alt:0in
5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:
.0001pt; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt;
font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language: #0400;
mso-fareast-language: #0400; mso-bidi-language: #0400;} Normal 0
false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions
*/ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name: "Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow: yes; mso-style-parent: ""; mso-padding-alt:0in
5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:
.0001pt; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt;
font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language: #0400;
mso-fareast-language: #0400; mso-bidi-language: #0400;} "Chiaverini
has once again written an intense and beautiful book--so much so
that readers will almost hear the hollow echo of the fife and drum
as they immerse themselves in every compelling page...Truly
unforgettable."
--BookPage
Elizabeth "Lizzy" Keckley, a freed slave in Washington, D.C., right before the start of the Civil War, gains fame as a dressmaker for Northerners and Southerners alike, but when Lincoln is elected and the Southerners secede, she chooses to remain in Washington. She becomes the modiste for Mary Todd Lincoln and is privy to the innermost workings of the Lincoln White House, Mary Todd's reckless spending, President Lincoln's death, and his widow's subsequent penury. When Lizzy writes a memoir about her experiences, she's denigrated by the public (which derides it as "Kitchen and Bed-Chamber Literature") for betraying the Lincoln confidences even though she casts Mary Todd in a favorable light. Chiaverini's characterization of the relationship between Mary Todd and Lizzy, a real historical figure, is nuanced, revealing a friendship that is at times unstable and fraught with class distinctions but also warm and protective. Though not without its problems (characters are insulated from the worst of the war; Lizzy is curiously passive; the pacing can be slow), Chiaverini deviates from her usual focus on quilting (found in the Elm Creek Quilts series) to create a welcome historical. Agent: Maria Massie, Lippincott Massie McQuilkin. (Jan.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Elizabeth Keckley, born a slave who later purchased her freedom, lived a life that was charmed in many ways. Her talents as a seamstress gained her entree into the dressing rooms of the wives of the political elite in Washington. By far her most famous and long-lasting association was with Mary Todd Lincoln, wife then widow of the 16th President. Chiaverini steps away from her popular "Elms Creek Quilt" series to explore this relationship in this absorbing stand-alone historical novel. Verdict Taking readers through times of war and peace as seen through the eyes of an extraordinary woman, the author brings Civil War Washington to vivid life through her meticulously researched authentic detail. Chiaverini's characters are compelling and accurate; the reader truly feels drawn into the intimate scenes at the White House. Historical fiction fans will enjoy this one, while Chiaverini's devoted readers may be adventurous enough to try something new. [See Prepub Alert, 8/16/12.]-Pam O'Sullivan, SUNY Coll. at Brockport Lib. (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
 |
Ask a Question About this Product More... |
|
