Skip to main content

The Shop on Blossom Street by Debbie Macomber

The next book in the series
Publication Date: April 27th 2003
Genre: Realistic Fiction
My Goodreads Rating: 4/5
Source: Own Copy

I initially stumbled upon this book while surfing through my Goodreads Recommendations. I'm quite glad that I decided to pick it up, because while it's not one of my favorites, it's an arguably light read and an interesting perspective on friendship.
 Lydia Hoffman, a cancer survivor and ardent knitter, decides to "affirm her life" by opening a knitting shop. Knitting and her father were the two main things that helped her get through her bout of cancer, and now that her father was gone, she had decided to set up her life as a knitter. A Good Yarn would be home to knitting classes and exquisite yarns that she'd love to use herself. To her sister though, this idea seemed incomprehensible.



 Margaret, it seemed, had always blamed Lydia for stealing her parent's attention as a teen, and even for having cancer in the first place. She was purposefully stoic and regarded Lydia with the utmost contempt. Through the novel however, Macomber emphasizes on the bond between the two sisters, and seems to will their their reunion.
  Alix Townsend is a young girl with a rebellious streak who's been wronged by the justice system. She stumbles upon the knitting class, and decides to use it to fulfill her court mandated community service hours by donating her work to the Linus Project. She multitasks heavily to afford her knitting yarn and needles.
 Jacqueline Donovan, a high-class country club member, is absolutely appalled at her son's choice of bride. Her downhill marriage doesn't seem to be helping with her social status either. When informed of her daughter-in-laws pregnancy, she attempts to find a way to embrace the new family member. So she too, stumbles upon the knitting class.
 The last member of the initial knitting class is Caroline Girard. Carol is an extremely successful woman in all areas of life but one. She has not managed to bear her mother a grandchild yet. She gives up her job in an attempt to create the perfect conditions for her last IVF attempt, and in doing so, nearly bores herself to death. To keep a positive mindset, she tries to knit a baby blanket and goes to Lydia for help.
 The characters have all been woven together quite intricately, and there are chapters told from each character's point of view. Although all characters have a simplistic style, it is easy to differentiate between the characters, even if one hasn't read the heading a top the text.
Although some parts of the plot were fairly cliched, the rest of the book was really great. This is the perfect blend of light and heavy, and of friendship and family. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Hey guys! Thanks for stopping by! I'd love to hear your thoughts and suggestions, so be sure to leave a comment!

Popular posts from this blog

The Hero, by Rabindranath Tagore

 The narrative poem" The Hero" was written by Indian poet Rabindranath Tagore. Set in a young boy's imaginations this narrative has all the necessary elements and is rich in imagery. The characters, plot, setting, theme, climax and idea are all very clearly outlined.  The setting of the poem falls within the boy's imagination. It is described to have 'spiky grass' and a 'narrow broken path'. It is also mentioned that the country is 'strange and dangerous'. The rurality of the setting is further accentuated when Tagore talks of the 'cattle' and 'wide fields'.

One by Shawnee Kellie

  The poem "One" by Shawnee Kellie is a very interesting and thought-provoking piece of writing. The poem spreads the message that it is not only a large group of people that can make a change, but one idea, one thought, one human that can help make the world a better place. 

Coromandel Fishers by Sarojini Naidu

Hello! For this post I will be exploring another poem written by Sarojini Naidu, called "Coromandel Fishers". This poem can be taken as an allegory, for although it speaks to fishermen, it's metaphoric value speaks to the nation, and can be considered a wakening call for the people of our country. When I wrote about "In the Bazaars of Hyderabad", I mentioned that Sarojini Naidu was one of our freedom fighters, and believed greatly in the Swadeshi movement. Naidu reflects her passion for India in this poem.