I loved this book. I really liked learning about every day life in that period of history. It was a really interesting and enjoyable read.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

I am pleased to thank NetGalley and the publisher for a free e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. I have yet to read a book by Tracy Chevalier that hasn't drawn me in and kept me reading past lights out. This one is no different and I loved this story of the broderers of Winchester Cathedral. Violet is a lovely character and she would have lived a life similar to that of the many elderly single women I recall from my childhood in the 1960's. Robbed of the chance of a husband by a vicious war. As a needlewoman I enjoyed the details of the stitching and the designs, and my husband is a bellringer so that resonated (sorry!) too. A well researched and well written book and highly recommended.

Set in the 1930s, A Single Thread follows the story of Violet Speedwell, one of the many “surplus women” unable to marry due to a shortage of men after the First World War. Violet is headstrong and independent, determined to forge her own path and leave her own mark on the world — however, at 38, she is considered too old by much of society. She takes a job working as a typist in Winchester and becomes involved in a group of women, the Winchester Broderers, who provided the cathedral with embroidered seat cushions and kneelers.

One of the things I enjoy about Chevalier’s novels is the blending of fact and fiction so beautifully and unobtrusively; here, there is a wealth of information slipped in about embroidery and bell-ringing, as well as larger issues such as feminism and LGBT couples. I did not find any of this too onerous to read and it all really developed the story, fleshing out characters and plot.

Sadly, one of the things I really do not enjoy is a period novel about a strong female lead who inevitably becomes pregnant as a consequence of an affair or trauma. There is more to a woman’s life than having children — though I do realise that this particular trope was a very real occurrence in this particular time period. I was enjoying the book until the arrival of the love interest, Arthur, and the events that followed. After that it became quite predictable and I read on with a sinking stomach. Ultimately the book has an upbeat ending which affirms the power and depth of female friendships, especially with the unconventional nature of the Speedwell household at this point.

Having enjoyed many of Chevalier’s novels in the past, I had high hopes for A Single Thread, but sadly it did fall short for me. The characterisation and plot are well executed and there is an evocative and sinister mood lurking below the surface of this book, indicative of the unease that lingered between the two World Wars, and this is handled beautifully. For me, not as good as At the Edge of the Orchard or The Last Runaway, Chevalier’s previous two novels, or even Falling Angels, but if you like historical fiction then this comes recommended.

I received an e-ARC from the publisher, HarperCollins UK, through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I'd read a few of Tracy Chevalier's books before and so I was expecting a well-researched, evocative and beautifully crafted historical novel. I was not disappointed.

This book is about Violet Speedwell, a single woman in her late thirties who is living in Winchester in 1932. Still mourning her losses in the Great War, Violet is trying to escape the future that society has planned for her as a 'spinster' and 'surplus woman'. Instead of settling with her mother in Southampton as everyone expects, she moves to Winchester, gets a job as a typist and becomes involved in the Broderers, a group of women embroidering items for the cathedral. Through this, she meets an interesting set of people who show her that there are other ways of living outside of society's rules.

Violet is an appealing and engaging heroine whose situation evokes sympathy in the reader; she struggles to assert her independence in a society that seems to want to thwart her every move. The setting is beautifully described, the characters are vivid and there is lots of interesting information about the embroidery techniques that Violet is learning - sewing is not my thing at all, but I did find it added to the novel.

This is a charming book that follows a lively and unconventional heroine. Although Chevalier touches on the big issues of women's rights and the rise of Nazism before the Second World War, the focus never leaves Violet, her friends and family, her struggles and successes, her hobbies and her beliefs. A lovely book and one I would wholeheartedly recommend.

I enjoyed the setting of this story, so many books are focussed on WWI or WWII so to read about the after effects of the First World War and the build up to the second was an interesting setting. I found the characters engaging and believable and really enjoyed the depth of detail of the broderers and bell ringers.

Thanks for allowing me to review this book

A beautifully written story set in 1932 following the life of Violet Speedwell, a single woman in her late thirties. Despite having ended 18 years ago, the shadow of the First World War hangs over all the characters. The story follows Violet's struggle, and that of all single women of a certain age, to try to find their place in the community and society in general, when they are largely regarded as surplus women. The historical setting is vividly portrayed with such excellent attention to detail. I loved the embroidery and bell ringing details, they added an extra layer of interest.
A poignant and heart-warming story.

A lovely book a book that drew me into Violets world life.The town the peopke.Violets fiancée& brother we're killed in the war.the s set in the 1930s a time where sadness lurks Violet leaves her family home and moves into town takes her place as a surplus women a title given to women of a certain age who have not married.I loved Violet her spirit her adventures this is my.favorite type of novel an English saga that involves us in the people’s lives.at a very tough time in our world this book was the perfect escape.One of my favorite books of the year.#netgalley # Harper Collinsuk

In A Single Thread, Tracy Chevalier paints a richly detailed picture of history and social change in England in the inter war years, set in the beautiful location of Winchester, with its magnificent cathedral. In a well researched character driven story, it is 1932, 38 year old Violet Speedwell is deemed to be one of the 'surplus' women, a consequence of the huge numbers of men lost in WW1, women who are both pitied and feared. She is still feeling the loss of her fiance and her brother in the war, stifled by a difficult and suffocating mother. She saves up, moving to Winchester, living an impoverished existence in a lodging house and working as a typist. On a visit to the Cathedral, there is a ceremony for the 'broderers', her interest is captured by the embroidered kneelers. She joins the group of women, that includes the real life Louise Pessel.

As she immerses her life in embroidery, she finds so much more than she could ever have expected. She discovers an inner fulfillment, support, friendship and community, along with secets, whilst feeling drawn to a married bellringer, Arthur. She becomes more aware of who she is, and what she is good at. Chevalier goes into incredible detail on the craft of embroidery and campanology, in a slow moving but involving narrative. Violet is a strong, determined, flawed woman, resilient, as despite the challenges she and other women face, she is intent on shaping her life into what she wants it to be, refusing to be defined by others. There are all the issues often associated with small communities, small minded individuals, gossip, judgementalism, and prejudice.

Amidst a horizon that hints of another world war, we are given a snapshot of this particular historical period, people and place, with beautiful descriptions of the location. The novel touches on issues of the position of women, of sexuality, of being an unmarried mother, of the importance of friendships, of identity, family, of love and art. This is not a book for those looking for a fast paced read, this is more one to savour, and engage in the characters and the Winchester Cathedral community in the 1930s. This is for those who love character driven historical fiction, particularly of this era. Many thanks to HarperCollins for an ARC.

A Single Thread by Tracy Chevalier
I almost gave up on this one but I’m really glad I didn’t! In hindsight I’d forgotten the book was set in the past so it took me a while to understand why Violet was joining the Broderers and initially was waiting for a Miss Marple type tale. This was, instead, a very interesting story of life for a single woman striving to use her intelligence and skills in life between the 2 world wars. It makes you realise how far we have advanced in achieving equality and independence. I love that there is a factual basis for the book to in Louisa Pesel and the embroidered kneelers in Winchester cathedral. A great wee tale!

This is one of those books, by one of those writers, where you can just relax from page one because you know you are in the hands of a master.

It's the story of Violet, a single woman in a world where women should be married, are held as second class citizens if they aren't - but there's a post-war shortage of men, so there are a lot of single women trying to make their way in the world. Badly paid, poorly nourished, gallantly independent, Violet emerges as a woman of great courage, who learns to stand up for herself, and ultimately to make a life that works.

Along the way, she joins an embroidery group, finds friendship, finds love - of a kind - and finds independence. It's a wonderful journey, with such delicate detailing that you feel you are reading about real people and real experiences.

I absolutely loved this book. It's a wonderful read. Thank you to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read it.

A satisfyingly immersive journey alongside Violet, one of the very many ‘surplus women’, the result of the slaughter of the sons, husbands, brothers, lovers and fiances, the soldiers of the battlefields of the Great War. A quiet but charming read, beautifully researched historical perspectives of the time between the two world wars, and a central character who certainly claimed my affection.

After the end of WW1 there was a surplus of un-married women. The men their age had been killed or were finding it difficult to life in the new reality.

This book highlights the untenable position these women were in. Looked on with pity or suspicion by their married contemporaries and yet despised if they were too friendly with their own sex.

Marred for me by the lectures on bell-ringing, church finances and the history of the swastika.
An intriguing and interesting description of social history.

I have always enjoyed Tracy Chevalier’s books but ‘A Single Thread’ didn’t quite do it for me this time. I appreciate the history of both bell ringing and embroidery but I felt that both these somewhat took over the novel. Maybe it’s because they didn’t hold any interest for me. Nevertheless I liked the modern message the story conveyed of the single woman in the 1930’s.

Girl with a Pearl Earring remains a favourite book of mine and A Single Thread joins it. Once again Tracy Chevalier takes a real life character and invents a believable story around her.

Set between two world wars when so few men returned from the fighting, A Single Thread focuses on women's survival of love and loss, sexuality and independent life. In an era when unmarried women were still expected to remain at home caring for an elderly parent,

Violet Speedwell, a typist in Winchester, takes up embroidery at the Cathedral under the supervision of real life Louisa Pesel. She has left her widowed mother and married brother behind in Salisbury, determined to be free. She is grieving the deaths of her brother and her fiance in the war as well as the recent one of her father and although she falls in love again with a bell ringer at the Cathedral, he is unavailable.

Ms Chevalier describes perfectly the longing of unrequited love especially that love between women as well as between women and men. The shame suffered by women during this era is also well drawn and 21st century feminists should see how far women have travelled in their search for independence in less than a century by reading this wonderful book. Brava Ms Chavalier. A Single Thread is a masterpiece. Many thanks to Net Galley and Viking for the opportunity to read and review it. Highly recommended.

I think this is the fifth of Tracy Chevalier's books which I have read and it is as good as the rest. All her books are different and interesting in their own right. This tale is set in Winchester and Southampton, with an important location being the Cathedral in the former city. We meet some of the 'family' who keep the cathedral functioning and make it a pleasant place for visitors, congregations and staff.

The story is set in the 1930s, when there was an excess of women due to WW1 but it was still difficult for women to have meaningful jobs as the men who did come back were given priority. A woman's role was in the home, looking after children and/or aged parents. Violet fights against the norm, and very nearly gives up.

This book has a lovely old-fashioned feel to it but covers a number of the moral issues of the time. Recommended.

Set in 1932,this tells the story of Violet Speedwell,who was left single following the death of her fiancé in the Great War,and at the age of 38 decides to take a job as a typist in Winchester in order to escape life with her overbearing mother.One day she passes through the Cathedral when a service is taking place to present embroidered kneelers ,and as a result she becomes one of the Cathedral Broderers,led by the redoubtable Louisa Pesen.Through this involvement she begins to make friends and gets to know Arthur Knight, a much older married man who is one of the cathedral bell ringers.
I really enjoyed the book,mainly because of the wonderful characters and dialogue, as well as the descriptions of the sewing process and also the bell ringing .It really highlighted the constraints faced by unmarried women at the time and the unreasonable expectations placed on them ,all of which Violet fights against.There are wonderful descriptions of the countryside,but also moments of menace .
Definitely recommended.Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC in return for an honest review which reflects my own opinions.

I loved this book. I am a huge Tracy Chevalier fan, and if you enjoyed any of her previous books you will enjoy this one. It is similar to Beautiful Creatures, her story of Mary Anning, in that it describes a life circumscribed by a woman who wants something more from life in a time when this causes problems, with a deftly described historical setting. The book is set in the early 1930s and tells the story of a spinster called Violet who moves to Winchester and begins to make her own way in life, joining a group of embroiderers who are creating cushions for the cathedral. Her life is well-described and well researched. It reminded me slightly of George Orwell's 1930s novels in the details of everyday difficulties, but with a female-centred twist. I was rooting for Violet and her friends, and satisfied with the ending which was happy but unexpected. Recommended!

A truly enchanting book set in much simpler times when a chop for dinner was a treat! This tale really takes you back to the early 1930s when the country was still trying to build itself up from the losses of the Great War and the worry of further unrest to come. The work of the broderers of Winchester Cathedral brought a peaceful feeling to the whole story and the bell ringers added a little more fantastic history. Lovely characters throughout the book made this story extremely enjoyable.

This book spins a story concerning Violet Speedwell, a 38 year old spinster who moves from her family home living with mother to a set of digs in Winchester where she works as a typist struggling to make ends meet. Her new life centres around The Broiderers, a group of women embroidering new kneelers and cushions for the cathedral. Tracy Chevalier, as ever, makes the reader feel in touch with the era and its prejudices over people’s private lives as Violet’s life unfolds in unexpected directions. Her writing is a fluent as ever and the book maintains the reader’s interest. Recommended.

THE SLENDER THREAD – TRACY CHEVALIER

This is a book I read through NetGalley in return for an honest opinion. And honestly? My opinion is divided.

The setting is pre-war, the main character is Violet, a meek and mild spinster who escapes living with a domineering mother by moving to Winchester. She works there as a typist, trying to scrape a living to afford a solitary room in a boarding house. Times back then were hard.

A chance meeting in the cathedral provides the impetus that changes her life: she meets the various ladies who embroider and who teach her the intricate stitches, and a married bell ringer called Arthur, with whom she has a liaison.

The detail is fabulously well researched. I’d forgotten about Plummers, for example, an older version of Debenhams. We learn about every stitch the ladies create, over chapters; every door and chapel and carving in the cathedral; every field or street she passes on a journey. The author’s research is phenomenal, as detailed at the end of the book, from which you discover that some of the characters depicted were real. And if you are into embroidery, or bell ringing, or Winchester cathedral, then this level of detail would be a gift to be treasured.

But, for me, it is this excessive detail that gets in the way of the characters and bogs down the story. It is as though the author discovered so many interesting facts that she wanted to cram them all in. (In reality, I bet she would argue that she has left out as much as she put in: she would be an extremely interesting lady to meet.)

Having made those comments, I enjoyed Violet’s story which, for me, came to a very satisfactory conclusion. Both she and the other characters were well-drawn and came across as real people that you cared about and of that period, in their attitudes and aspirations. The story and its construction and the writing were, as you’d expect from a skilled author, uniformly excellent. Such is her skill that, not knowing anything about the author before I read the book, I imagined her to be the daughter of someone who lived through that period. Praise indeed.