The Oysterville Sewing Circle by Susan Wiggs ~ a Review

by Susan Roberts

"In the darkest hour before the breaking dawn, Caroline Shelby rolled into Oysterville, a town perched at the farthest corner of Washington State. The tiny hamlet hung at the very tip of a narrow peninsula, crooked like a beckoning finger between the placid bay and the raging Pacific. She was home,"  (p1)

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

August 2019; William Morrow;  978-0062425584
audio, ebook, print (384 pages); women's fiction

I have read most of Susan Wiggs' books and her new book is definitely my favorite. It's got everything you need for a great novel - well-written characters, a fantastic plot and a beautiful setting. There's some romance, lots of family love along with learning to overcome defeat. It's also about domestic violence that occurs in every level of society and is often hidden from other people.

As Caroline returns to Oysterville after 10 years in New York City, she's a different person than the girl who couldn't wait to get out of the small town and live in the big city. She left with big dreams of being a fashion designer but has come home in defeat. She's also different because she has two young children under her care. She never wanted children growing up and is not sure of how to parent the two children whose mother died in her apartment in New York. The first person she runs into is Matt, who she loved as a teenager and is now married to her best friend. As she settles into town, she learns that there are several women who are hiding their secret of violence in their lives. This problem makes her start the Oysterville Sewing Circle—where women can join forces to support each other through the troubles they keep hidden. The two main questions that are answered throughout the novel are: Will Caroline be able to learn to parent the two small children in her care and quit questioning herself and will she able to be successful as a clothing designer and overcome her past defeats.

My favorite characters were the two children - Flick age 7 and Addie age 5.  In a short period of time, their mom died and they were moving across the country under the guardianship of someone that they had mainly known as their mom's friend.   They were nervous are Carolkine's family and scared to start school and try to make new friends.  Life had changed completely for them and they had to struggle to accept their new normal.

This was a wonderful heartwarming story with fantastic characters that addressed several major problems that exist in our world - domestic violence and drug usage. I highly recommend it!

Buy The Oysterville Sewing Circle at Amazon

About the Author

Susan Wiggs's life is all about family, friends…and fiction. She’s been featured in the national media, including NPR’s Talk of the Nation, and is a popular speaker locally and nationally. Today, she is an international best-selling, award-winning author, with millions of copies of her books in print in numerous countries. Her recent novel, Marrying Daisy Bellamy, took the #1 spot on the New York Times Bestseller List, and The Lakeshore Chronicles have won readers’ hearts around the globe. Her books celebrate the power of love, the timeless bonds of family and the fascinating nuances of human nature.

Susan Roberts lives in North Carolina when she isn't traveling. She and her husband enjoy traveling, gardening and spending time with their family and friends. She reads almost anything (and the piles of books in her house prove that) but her favorite genres are Southern fiction, women's fiction, and thrillers. Susan is a top 1% Goodreads Reviewer. You can connect with Susan on Facebook, Goodreads, or Twitter. 

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