Part of Elm Creek Quilts, book 22
First published 2025
Summer Sullivan comes back to Elm Creek Manor after two years at the University of Chicago, unable to finish her master's thesis due to writer's block. Her mother Gwen, best friend Sarah, and master quilter Sylvia welcome her home to the quilter's retreat, though they worry about her stalled academic progress. Summer throws herself into organizing an antique quilt exhibit to raise funds for renovating Union Hall, the 1863 Greek Revival building that houses the Waterford Historical Society. Her research reveals disturbing truths about the town's history of racism, economic injustice, and political corruption. Local leaders pressure Summer to sanitize the exhibit, removing references to these uncomfortable facts. As controversy builds around her work, Summer worries that pursuing historical truth might destroy the Historical Society's final opportunity to save Union Hall. She must convince the quilting community to support her vision of honest storytelling through fabric and thread.
Genres: american-fiction, historical-fiction, 21st-century, academic
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, pursuit-of-truth
Setting: Elm Creek Manor, Waterford, Union Hall
Period: 2 years ago, 1863
320 pages · Paperback · William Morrow Paperbacks
Content warnings: racism