The Aloha Quilt: An Elm Creek Quilts Novel [Hardcover] Review

Hawaii is about as far away from Pennsylvania as you can get.And in this book, that's exactly where Elm Creek quilter Bonnie Markham is headed.(Avid readers will recognize Bonnie as the one-time owner of the Grandma's Attic quilt shop, as well as being one of the founders of the Elm Creek quilt camps.)Bonnie and her husband Craig are in the middle of a contentious and stressful divorce.When Claire, Bonnie's old Penn State roommate, invites her to spend the winter on the island of Maui in order to help establish an Aloha Quilt Camp, Bonnie takes her up on the offer.Why not exchange a few months of Northeastern snow for a warm and sandy beach in Paradise?

Bonnie soon finds herself in the unique position of being perched in a vacation destination, where she is neither tourist nor resident.With her friends Claire and Eric, she explores some of the tropical landscape.But at the same time, she and Claire must hunker down and do all of the planning for creating a brand-new quilt camp, based in Claire's large, restored inn.Claire's savvy native assistant Midori introduces Bonnie to the intricacies of crafting Hawaiian-style quilts.Midori's nephew, Hinano, serves as a native guide and historical expert for Bonnie as well, even though the two of them often end up arguing about something.One question continues to linger throughout the storyline:Will Bonnie really return to Elm Creek Manor when her consultation duties are done?Or will she instead decide to relocate to Maui and teach full-time at the Aloha Quilt Camp?

The best fiction is enlightening as well as entertaining.Purists scoff whenever Ms. Chiaverini dares to move her plots away from the safe cocoon of Elm Creek Manor in central Pennsylvania, either geographically or historically.But that's exactly the way Life works.Rarely does a group of individuals remain static.Its members have obligations far and beyond their affiliations with one another.Following those threads away from the center gives these characters (and us) a chance to learn more about their personalities.It also helps us discover the various traditions of quilts in other places and at other times.Kudos to Ms. Chiaverini for once again providing another interesting insight into the universal heritage of intricate stitchery.

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Product Description:
Another season of Elm Creek Quilt Camp has come to a close, and Bonnie Markham faces a bleak and lonely winter ahead, with her quilt shop out of business and her divorce looming. A welcome escape comes when Claire, a beloved college friend, unexpectedly invites her to Maui to help launch an exciting new business: a quilter's retreat set at a bed and breakfast amid the vibrant colors and balmy breezes of the Hawaiian Islands. Soon Bonnie finds herself looking out on sparkling waters and banyan trees, planning quilting courses, and learning the history and intricacies of Hawaiian quilting, all the while helping Claire run the inn.
As Bonnie's adventure unfolds, it quickly becomes clear that Claire's new business isn't the only excitement in store for her. Her cheating, soon-to-be ex-husband decides he wants her stake in Elm Creek Quilts, which threatens not only her financial well-being but her dearest friendships as well. Luckily she has the artistic challenge of creating her own unique Hawaiian quilt pattern to distract her-and new friends like Hinano Paoa, owner of the Nä Mele Hawai‘i Music Shop, who introduces Bonnie to the fascinating traditions of Hawaiian culture and reminds her that love can be found when and where you least expect it.

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