Part of Elm Creek Quilts, book 11
First published 2007
Master Quilter Sylvia Compson returns to a quilt she started and abandoned six years earlier. Now a late-in-life newlywed, she faces tension with her new daughter-in-law Amy, who opposed Sylvia's marriage to her father Andrew. The unfinished project forces Sylvia to confront painful memories of her estrangement from her sister Claudia, a rift that lasted until Claudia's death made reconciliation impossible. Sylvia names her work "New Year's Reflections" as she pieces together fabric and memories alike. She recalls New Year's Eve celebrations from her youth at Elm Creek Manor with the Bergstrom family. Each quilt block represents her growing understanding that love can arrive at any stage of life, but pride can destroy precious family bonds. Sylvia fights to prevent history from repeating itself with Amy, knowing she must bridge their divide before it becomes permanent.
Genres: literary-fiction, historical-fiction, contemporary, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family
Setting: Elm Creek Manor
Period: 6 Years Ago, Late-in-Life
223 pages · Hardcover · Simon & Schuster