I got about a third of the was through and gave up. Whilst the writing was lovely there was not enough going on to maintain my interest.

This is the story of Violet Speedwell, one of the generation of women who lost their fiancés in the First World War, and had to make a life as a single woman, looked down on by those who had husbands.
She is a typist in Winchester, just about surviving on her meagre wages, when she becomes involved with the Broderers of Winchester Cathedral, which gives her life more purpose, and opens new horizons and friendships.

The description of family life in the 1930 was extremely well drawn, the claustrophobia, expectations, what women were deemed capable of, and how they were expected to behave.
As a needlewoman I found the descriptions of the work of the Broderers very interesting.
I also learnt about bellringing, the history of the swastika in religious art, the history of Winchester and its cathedral.

I enjoyed some of the characters, Gilda and Dorothy, and how they made the system work for them, Mrs Harvey, the landlady, even Violet’s irascible mother.

But I couldn’t believe in Violet, she was far too passive, her relationship with Arthur, and the idea of her maybe stalker didn’t make any sense.

Thanks to HarperCollins and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book.

Like the embroidery that is such an integral part of the story, this novel brings together the delicate threads that connect us to others. An examination of life 13 years after the end of the first world war and the consequences of that war still influencing many lives. Two million women in Britain were left never to marry, raise a family, to live the “normal” life most had grown up to expect. Violet is one of the “surplus women” losing her beloved fiancé Laurence, as well as her older brother George. Her father dead and her mother broken-hearted from her losses, they exist in unhappiness. By age of 38, Violet makes her escape. She moves to nearby Winchester and becomes involved in making tapestries for the famous cathedral.
Well researched, full of history and heart, this is a novel to savor.
Thank you to netgalley and HarperCollins.

Oh my I loved this book... such a change from my usual psychological thrillers. I have read books by this author before but for me this one has been the best! Violet was such a strong lady and I instantly warmed to her. She fought for what she believed it.. something I strongly believe in and made good friends along the way. I really hoped she would end up with Arthur as they obviously loved each other, but the she got the next best thing so a lovely outcome.

Tracy Chevalier’s latest book A Single Thread is a testament to the author’s unstinting flair for research - in this instance embroidery and bell-ringing. On the face of it these subjects pose little interest for me but she balances this book, set in the 1930s,, by her tremendous characterisation. Violet Speedwell, a woman in her late 30s who lost her fiancé at Passchendaele, is leading a lacklustre life blighted by her embittered mother while she works as a typist for an insurance company. Encouraged by her brother Tom she asks for a job transfer from Southampton to Winchester where she encounters the Broderers and bell ringers in the cathedral. This a very gentle book which will appeal to anyone yearning for some relief from the stresses of everyday life. It covers a lot of issues such as the early rise of Hitler, lesbianism and, not least, the expectation that single women in the 1930s should put family responsibilities before their own lives. I confess that I found this book a little parochial and became bogged down by the embroidery and bell-ringing explanations but I have to admire the meticulous research and the interweaving of history with fiction. Thanks to HarperCollins for the ARC.

We all know about the 'lost' generation of young men after the First World War, and the consequent despair of their families and loved ones, but I never realised before how the unmarried women ('spinsters') left alone in their communities were almost derided in their loneliness and 'single-ness', or at best noticeably pitied by others. How cruel - these women grew older in a very male-orientated world where even their going to a pub was frowned upon. They couldn't even speak about their condition- at least they were alive, unlike their men, beaus, siblings.
This wonderful story written with Chevalier's smooth acuity is a delight; gently educative, entertaining and with such a sense of constriction preventing the main character from progression in her life due to traditional expectancies, you root for her at every point. It's very nostalgic - you feel the 'shell shock' of all the survivors who lost so much and were scrambling to find a settled, normal existence again - often to the cost of these forgotten women. Relationships formed that were frowned upon - you feel the pain of these women who were ostracised from their communities for trying to find love in less traditional relationships - the 'happy, settled' ones couldn't even forgive them this.
All this around the activities of embroidery and bell ringing - wonderful, nostalgic activities of the time, enabling people to come together. You ache for the advancement both emotionally and economically of Violet and her singleton friends. Charming, nostalgic but with a message about acceptance, empathy (and lack thereof) of the time. Highly recommended.

A few years ago I used to impatiently wait for every new Tracy Chevalier book, reading them as soon as they came out. After missing some of her newest releases I jumped at the chance to read her newest book when I saw it was up for request. Sadly, I didn’t love it as much as I wanted to.

Set in the 1930s, A single thread tells the story of Violet Speedwell, a 38 years old woman who after losing her brother and her fiancé in the Great War, decides to move to Winchester to start a new life and try to leave her mark in the world. This is definitely a character driven/slice of life novel so don’t go in waiting to find lots of action. Though the writing is beautiful and most of the characters are three dimensional and well-drawn, the lack of plot is my main issue with it. The first half is super slow-paced and the endless descriptions of embroidery, embroidery techniques and bellringing don’t help. If you’re interested in those topics maybe you can appreciate them but I was a little bored every single time they came up. The second half picks up a little and I really enjoyed one of the subplots involving a LGBQT+ relationship. The ending includes one of my least favorite tropes ever so, though I appreciate what the author was trying to do, I was not a fan.

Things I liked:
Violet, some secondary characters, writing, setting, LGBQT+ representation.

Things I didn’t like:
Info dumping on embroidery and bellringing, love interest/plot, lack of plot.

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.