A Good Yarn

Lydia Hoffman opens a knitting shop where she also holds knitting classes. Participants include Eloise, a retired librarian, Courtney, a lonely teenager, and Bethanne, a single mother. Narrator Linda Emond imbues this audio with a sense of realism as her carefully modulated pitch changes reflect the various characters and their range of emotions. Emond provides each character with a distinctive voice, including those of Lydia's boyfriend, Brad, with his mellifluous tone, and Eloise's ex-husband, Maverick, who exudes charm with every word. Emond's expert storytelling highlights each character's ability to reinvent him or herself. The narrator's smooth, well-tempered pacing establishes this audio as an experience to be savored. S.M. 2006 Audie Award Finalist (c) AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine

April 11, 2005
Macomber revisits the cozy Seattle yarn store of 2004's The Shop on Blossom Street
in another heartfelt tale of crafts and camaraderie. After a slow beginning, this sequel clips along satisfyingly, as shop owner Lydia, a cancer survivor, and her no-nonsense sister, Margaret, meet three new and conveniently quite different friends and bond over the complications of life. Overweight, depressed teenager Courtney Pulanski has found herself plopped into a new town for her senior year, living with her grandma while her dad works in Brazil. Bethanne Hamlin, a recent divorcée, and Elise Beaumont, who's been single for years, are both still suffering from their broken marriages. Serving as sounding boards and sources of endless support for each other, the women find friendship and, of course, resolution for their problems (the latter a little too easily). Readers will miss The Shop on Blossom Street
's spirited Jacqueline, who plays a minor role here, and a few things—like the character of Elise's ex-husband, Maverick—strain credibility. But the author's trademark warm treatment of the lives of women will satisfy her readers. Despite occasional draughts of treacle and a too-easy denouement, this should be another Macomber bestseller.