Violet Speedwell is a middle-aged woman who finally leaves her family home to work a few miles away in Winchester. She moves to get away from her overbearing mother and to try to be more independent: working as a secretary and living in a boarding house with other single women. Despite her spinsterhood, her drab clothing and her lack of money Violet is a rather modern woman - she mourns her brother and fiancé, both killed in the Great War but has been known to meet strange men, who she refers to as 'sherry men', in hotel bars for brief liaisons and she successfully negotiates for better pay and conditions for herself and a colleague. Although initially surprised by a new friend's romantic involvement with another woman she is accepting of their choices and helps them in their time of need. Her own yearning for love leads to a very difficult decision and yet another rather modern choice. Violet's growing involvement with a group who are creating needlepoint kneelers and cushions for the Cathedral in Winchester is a theme throughout the whole book and it echoes the way that all the lives we see are part of a whole community, that each individual thread is entwined in a larger picture.

This is a lovely book which explores big themes of war, loss and the lives of women in a measured yet determined way. There are big changes in a society which has been torn apart by war, and then the Spanish flu, and is now trying to rebuild itself: a process Chevalier describes as a country 'put back together like the Great West Window - defiant and superficially repaired' but still, essentially damaged. Women, in particular, need to find a new place as the millions of missing mean leave more single women with the choice of working in those jobs available to them, marrying the men who remain (often either much older, much younger or, somehow, damaged by the war) or caring for their aging, and often grieving, parents. And, like so many good pieces of historical fiction, it shines light on how we deal with similar issues today.

'A Single Thread' is set between the wars & revolves around Violet, one of the thousands of 'Surplus Women' who lost their chance of a husband & family due to WWI Violet moved to Winchester to escape from her constantly complaining mother & in an attempt to make a life for herself. Even though at times she wonders how she is going to eat & pay the rent she is finding her way. By chance she discovers a service for the broderers- the ladies who are painstakingly making cushions & kneelers for the Cathedral. Once she joins this group she begins to make friends & a purpose.

Tracy Chevalier has the talent of taking the reader to different places & times & weaving a story that makes you feel you are part of it. This is not a fast moving story, but it is one that draws you in & makes you sad to leave the characters behind.

Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book.

A story set in 1930s England, where our main character, Violet Speedwell, is living a life affected by World War One and the deaths of her fiance and older brother. She has finally made the move, at the age of 38, away from her overbearing mother to live in digs and work as a typist in Winchester. A brave move for a single female in those days. She's having to scrimp and save but is enjoying her freedom. She stumbles upon the broderers' dedication service at Winchester Cathedral and decides to become one of those ladies who embroider cushions and kneelers. Like any all female group from time immemorial, we see dominant figures, ones who like to belittle other women, but also good friends who are supportive. Violet becomes friendly with Gilda HIll, a friendship which is put to the test. And she meets bellringers, Arthur and Keith who become important to her. A story with several themes: historical gender roles; how single females were treated; gender inequality; same sex relationships; affairs. A good read. #netgalley #asinglethread

One of those books you put off reading just in case you can't get into it and think how stupid that was.
Fascinating and fulfilling.

Whilst beutifully detailed this book was a struggle for me. Slow moving and never really went anywhere. I also found it difficult to relate to any of the characters.

This is an engrossing book set between the World Wars. Violet is in her late 30’s and considered to be one of the many ‘surplus’ women after her fiancée died during the First World War. She leaves behind her overbearing mother, and moves to Winchester to start a new job. While visiting the cathedral, she happens upon a service for the women who are responsible for embroidering cushions and kneelers for the cathedral and decides to join their group.

The novel looks at the difficulties faced by women of that generation as they try to overcome loss and forge new, independent lives. An informative and interesting read.

A really delightful read. I was quite surprised to be so drawn into the book. Full of interesting characters and a great love stpry

If your favoured reading material is a novel with a good sprinkling of history, gentleness and humour, then feel free to read this latest offering by Tracy Chevalier - A Single Thread.

I loved this book. I although I have only read one of Chevalier's other books, I still consider myself a bit of a fan and I knew I would thoroughly enjoy this one.

More used to reading fast-paced, dark thrillers, this book was a soothing, calming read for me. It described a restricted life of a woman who wanted something more in a time when this caused problems. With a deftly articulated historical setting, the book was set in the early 1930's as it told the story of the main character, a woman called Violet Speedwell who moved to Winchester to start to make her own way in life, joining a group of embroiderers who were creating cushions for the cathedral. Her life was well-described and well researched and the novel had a female-centred twist. Violet was a lovely character although the book had a number of great characters, some whom were very likeable and others were a lot less personable. I was rooting for Violet and her friends and I found the embroidery aspect fascinating, although I have rather limited ability with a needle myself. This story was wonderfully understated and gentle, about a bye-gone age when societies rules and foibles were generally strictly obeyed.

Tracy Chevalier, a talented and accomplished story-teller. is certainly an author who can create a picture, a character and an atmosphere with the appearance of great skill and effortlessness. I loved the gentle humour and there were some fantastic and absurd stories, as well as moments of menace as Violet showed just how assertive and forceful she could be on occasions of threat and risk. There was unrequited love but healing too and the ending of the book was lovely, unexpected and optimistic. The writing was beautiful and the story memorable and noteworthy and I'm certain that this is one of those books that will remain with me. I recommend A Single Thread, without hesitation, to anyone who is partial to historical, contemporary or classic fiction.

I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel, at my own request, from HarperCollins UK via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion. Thank you also to Pigeonhole and Tracy Chevalier for giving me the opportunity to read this book!

Winchester in 1932 is the setting for Tracy Chevalier’s latest novel, ‘A Single Thread’. Chevalier is the most reliable novelist I know, time and again she writes books I grow to love and to re-read. She is the true example of an iceberg novelist. The depth and detail of her research is invisible, hidden below the surface of the written word, but it is there nonetheless informing every sentence so the reader is confident that the description of various embroidery stitches is accurate. Chevalier has written about fossil hunters, weavers, runaway slaves, orchardists and a famous Dutch painter. In ‘A Single Thread’ the story involves Winchester Cathedral, bell ringing and embroidery.
Violet Speedwell escapes her mother’s house in Southampton by getting a transfer to work in the Winchester office. Her mother is an emotional bully and Violet is desperate to get away, but not expecting it to be quite so difficult to survive alone on a typist’s salary. Lonely, desperate to make a success of her move, Violet looks for something to occupy her time so she does not have to sit with the other spinsters in the drawing room of her boarding house. One day she steps into the cathedral and finds her way blocked by an officious woman. Today, it is explained, is the Presentation of the Embroideries. Violet joins the broderers stitching kneelers and cushions for the hard benches, and meets two women who will be influential in her story; fellow borderer Gilda Hill, and genius embroidery designer Louisa Pesel.
Chevalier draws a picture of an English city in the years after the Great War, as families still grieve for their lost ones and women have to dance together for the shortage of male partners. And whilst the last war cannot be escaped, the shadow of fascism lurks in Europe. Violet is a surplus woman, her brother and fiancé killed in the war, but she rebels against the idea of devoting the rest of her life to caring for her bitter mother. Hence the move to Winchester. There she finds employment, friendship and, possibly, love. Both activities described in detail – the embroidery and the bell ringing – are detailed, complex and build slowly, layer on layer, each preceding stitch or note needing to be exact before the next one is attempted. This is reflected in Violet’s own life; only when she makes peace with her past, her mother’s grief for her lost son George, Violet’s own grief for her fiancé Laurence, the mind-numbing boredom of her job, can she move on to the next layer of her life.
Like all Chevalier’s novels, this is a thoughtful read about a time of great change involving women’s emancipation and independence, where women frown on other women who act against convention. If you like fast-moving stories then this may not be for you. I thought it was delightful and read it quickly, suspecting how it may end and – almost – being correct. But not quite.
Read more of my book reviews at http://www.sandradanby.com/book-reviews-a-z/

This is the story of Violet Speedwell, a "Surplus Woman" finding her place in post World War One Britain.
Despite the odds being stacked against her she strives to find her own way, moving out of her family home and away from her over bearing Mother. Life as a single women in a new town isn't as easy as she thought and she is drawn to the Cathedral, here she finds the Broderer group and in her quest to make new friends joins the group. Through her new Broderer friends she also meets members of the bell ringers group. These new friends will change her life in many ways.

A Single Thread covers the many prejudices against women that still exist today.

The story is well told in a simple way so it is a very easy read, and maybe the ending is a bit too happy ever after - but we all need a bit of happiness in our lives.

A gentle and moving novel. Well researched and well written with engaging characters. I would definitely recommend it.

This is one of those books that when you have read it you will carry it with you in your mind for a very long time ‘
A gentle love story set in the aftermath of the Great War and its repercussions for the women left behind who had lost the menfolk that they had loved.
It is a social history lesson on women’s place in society at that time and what was expected of them. Woven into this is the story of the Winchester broderers whose wonderful needlepoint brought Winchester Cathedral alive and gave those women a chance to make a mark in society.

I loved this story which followed the lives of single women in the 1920s. A generation faced with a lack of suitable husbands, a society that wasn’t ready for career women and the expectation that single women would give up their lives to care for elderly relatives. I enjoyed seeing Violet’s growing independence which culminated in a massive life choice at the end of the novel. The exploration of Lesbian relationships was good too. This was a well written and well researched novel, I loved the descriptions of Winchester and the accounts of the bell ringing. A great book.

Historical fiction is one of my favourite genres to read therefore when I came across this book, I knew I had to read it. Honestly, I have somewhat mixed feelings on this one, there are parts of the books which are very immersive and atmospheric but there are also parts which felt like a drag at times but at the end I suppose this is quite a decent read with minimilastic plot but great characterisation.

Set in 1930's A Single Thread is a story of Violet Speedwell, a 37 year old woman, whose fiance died during ww1 and she never married. Many young men died during the great war which left several young woman of the genration without a husband giving them the title of "surplus woman". Voilet who thinks of herself as one of the surplus woman has stayed with her uptight mother all her life but recently she has decided to move to new town against the wishes of her mother in order to feel a sembelence of independence. Thereafter, the plot revolves around Voilet as she tries to adjust with life in a new town, making friends, joining a church group devoted to make Kneelers and basically trying to find her niche as a single woman in this very rigid era.

Tracy Chevalier writing is gorgeous and beautiful. She brought the English countryside to life with her captivating prose and attention to detail. In fact, I feel that the author did a brilliant job in showcasing the life of British people and the society in general during that era and how much all of their lives were affected in the aftermath of WW1. I also really admired Voilet's spirit and her friendships with the fellow women in the church. I think A Single Thread brought out a sense of women empowerment in its own way.

On the downside though, its a very slow book and as I have already mentioned above the plot isn't very dynamic. As someone who likes to read books with interesting plots, there were times when I got bored and had to put the book down but I really think that if you are someone who likes a deeply character driven / soceity driven story, this is definetly the book to check out.

This Tracy Chevalier novel is set in the early 1930s and featured Violet Speedwell as she tries to create a viable and meaningful life for herself as a single woman in a new town. The novel is an interesting commentary on the difficulties faced by women in the interwar period, after the loss of so many men in WW1. It explores the tensions of the period, and its slowly shifting social norms, very effectively. It is also quite a scholarly novel demonstrating a depth of knowledge not only of the period and the setting but also of the intricacies of tapestry and bell ringing, both of which hobbies Violet explores as she builds her new life in Winchester. It was not a heavy read but i did find the pace a little turgid at some points, not being interested particularly in either tapestry or bell-ringing. Character-wise it is a mixed success, Violet and Arthur are rather enjoyably elusive and Violet's embittered old mother is drawn beautifully. But i had a major gripe with the character of Jack Wells who was incredibly one-dimensional and appeared to be thrown into the narrative at random intervals whenever the pace was slackening. Not sure this would draw me to more of Chevalier's work, but i did reasonably enjoy it.

I would like to thank netgalley and Harper Collins for a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

An interesting look into the inter war period in Britain, especially from a women's pov. I loved the history of the broderers.

A gentle paced novel giving a well researched insight to being a single woman in the days between the first and second world wars. Violet lost her brother and fiancé in the war and having reached the age of 38 decides it is time to flee the dysfunctional family home and make a life for herself. An indication of the mettle of Violet going against social norms of the time. She moves to Winchester where her paltry wage as a typist hardly suffices . It is there that she discovers embroidery in making kneeler for the cathedral. She sees this as a way of leaving for posterity a little of herself as she is unlikely to have a family. Bell ringing also enters her life when she has a crush on an older man.
If you are looking for a fast paced drama this is not the book to read but it is a good insight into the social history of the period and Chevalier has gone to great depths to explore the world of campanology and church embroidery

Violet is one of those women who got left behind after the [Great] war. The male population heavily defeated and the loss of her fiancé has meant that she finds herself in her 30s and well into spinsterhood. It is 1932. With a criticing, uncompromising and compassionless mother stifling her every whim, Violet decides to move out and try living independently only to discover she is financially challenged more than she even thought. Life is rather a disappointment. However, Chevalier doesn’t leave our protagonist simpering and weak, she takes Violet on a journey of self discovery that brings her into a three dimensional character for the reader, and glorious technicolour in her own universe. Set against the backdrop of a country recovering from a Great War and plunging itself shortly into another, Violet becomes someone who can love her new friends, her new hobby as part of the Broderers’ and mostly, herself.

“A single thread can make quite a difference”

Tracy Chevalier never fails to bring a good story with depth and meaning, making the reader reflect on it and then go forwards with that reflection.

I completely engaged with Violet Speedwell in this book - she was so well portrayed as was her situation in the years after the First World War. A fascinating picture of what life was like for a single woman in that time - the expectations on her and the constrictions imposed. The secondary characters were also so well portrayed and believable. So much information about embroidered kneelers and bell-ringing. A joy to read.
Many thanks to Netgalley/Tracy Chevalier/Harper Collins for a digital copy of this title. All opinions expressed are my own.

In this quiet, understated tale we are gradually introduced to the life of Violet Speedwell. It is 1932, she is 38, and has recently moved from Southampton where she lived with her mother to Winchester to work. Struggling with the constraints of matching a middle class lifestyle with her female salary in the post war recession she will be trying to rebuild her life with a new circle of friends and activities.
This is where the story melds with true life – in this year a group of women – the Cathedral Broderers” prepare to produce a series of kneelers, seat covers and other hangings for Winchester Cathedral – a collective creative project that should not just enhance the building, but last for generations. Violet will be drawn into this group learning to sew and meet the women who make up the group. Women married, single, widowed; older, younger, mostly middle class and all guided by a superb designer – who has linked her designs to the artworks of the medieval building.
The novel while using this group to introduce Violet (and the readers) to the wider community will explore this great project. But forming the backdrop of the whole novel will be the Cathedral itself – obviously well known and appreciated by Chevalier – its Christian life and rituals, its meaning, monuments and people all of which are described in such detail that the cathedral becomes a character in itself. One lesser thread of tale will concentrate on the medieval bells and the traditions of the bell ringers.
Remember too that this is 1932-3. Violet is presented as one of a huge swathe of women of the “lost generation”, those whose male contemporaries were killed or maimed in the war. They have lost the opportunity for marriage and children. Raised in the expectation that they would be wives and mothers there will be the issue of how they can support themselves as single women on the lesser female salaries. A lifestyle that will not necessarily improve as the years go by, but become harder both physically and mentally as the women gradually become regarded as oddities or nuisances.
The novel will explore something that is largely forgotten now – the sheer number of people, many who never fought, who carried the impact of the losses of the war on their lifelong mental health and happiness. Something that their families (if they had them) and their communities would have to try and deal with. , in spite of their own grief, the losses, compromises and damage will ripple out further. In the course of the novel Violet will finally come to terms with her single state, move from her post war stasis and start to build a wider life. She will take risks, large and small. Things might not lead where she wants.
So this tale is one of the quiet courage it takes to carry on living a life that is not following one’s original plans or trajectory. How one compromises with the repeated loss of people you love around you – and of course coping with living beside others who have achieved your aims, quietly, with dignity and the minimum of fuss. Not a novel of a “great hero” but one of quiet achievement of normality on a day to day basis. Chevalier writes her novels so well, giving you people and places you recognise as true even if you haven’t been there. They reflect the personal life because that is what we live and is ultimately so important to us. Melding the historical and the personal should make this a popular book group read.