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.

What a wonderful book. On the surface a novel about needlepoint and campanology set in the 1930s would not be of much interest to me, but the characters were so confidently and compellingly drawn and the story so well written that I quickly became interested and the final third of the book just flew by, despite my tears in a couple of places.
Full of loss and hope with no easy answers especially at the end - a very rewarding read.

I've had a mixed response to Chevalier, loving some of her books, hating others (her ill-judged take on Othello, switching it to a story of pre-teen kids is in the latter category) - so I'm delighted to say that this one worked admirably for me. It's a quiet story set amongst the women embroiderers of Winchester cathedral during the 1930s and explores themes of friendship, kindness, and selfhood. Chevalier captures some of the petty small-mindedness of small communities and also offers up a gentle romance. This isn't a book for anyone looking for drama and high emotion but I liked the story of a 'surplus woman' creating a life for herself, albeit in blighted, straitened circumstances. There are times where the plotting becomes a little contrived in order to get the message across, but I liked the research and the evocation time and place.

Oh I loved this book!

Violet Speedwell, in her late 30s, unmarried and likely to remain so in the aftermath of WW1, escapes the confines of the stuffy Southampton home she shares with her complaining mother, and sets out to create a new independent life in Winchester.

The greatest change to Violet comes when she joins the Broderers at the cathedral, learning the art of canvas embroidery to create kneelers and cushions. Through this group she makes new friends, and encounters the boundaries of society in ways she has never before known.

Violet is an endearing, feisty and independent character, a thrill at such a time when women were there to look after the home, the children, and ageing parents.

The character of Louisa Pesel, the chief designer among the Broderers, was also remarkably strong, and I did not realise until finishing the book that she was a real person.

Highly recommended, a real insight into a fascinating topic.

Set in 1930s England, this is a gentle , unassuming novel which has hidden depths - like the embroidery theme which runs throughout, a wrong stitch or tangled thread can be hidden away at the back of the piece but it’s still there. The story pulls you into the lives of the generation of women affected by the losses of WW1 and the morals and expectations of the time. Tracy Chevalier developes her characters expertly - you will be willing them on to their small triumphs or sympathising with their disappointments but most of all, enjoying every page of this excellent novel.

In 1932 Violet Speedwell, a spinster after the loss of her fiancé in WW1, escapes her sad and embittered mother and moves to Winchester to work as a typist. She ekes out a lonely and impoverished existence yet relishes her newfound freedom. At Winchester Cathedral she comes across a society of broderers, women who - in a centuries long tradition - embroider kneelers for the Cathedral worshippers. And there she finds a place to belong that not only gives her a sense of usefulness, self-worth and an outlet for her creativity but also where she makes unlikely friends and allies. And through which she finds new hope and direction for her future.
A Single Thread is a superbly crafted captivating book with its engrossing story of Violet and the depiction of the fate for many thousands of unmarried women whose lives were changed when their fiancés died in WW1. This was a time when the role of women was relative only to men (fiancée, wife, daughter, mother), so when those options were gone, then what was left for these women? Violet refuses to accept a diminished life as her mother’s live-in helper and carer and bravely carves out her own path. Beautifully written, Tracy Chevalier carries the readers along, we share Violet’s fight and root for her and cheer her on. I was left bereft when the book finished and felt as if a friend had suddenly gone away. I hope that Tracey Chevalier might at some time write a sequel so that I can meet up with Violet and find out where life next took her. I have no doubt it would be another fascinating story that - once again - I would not be able to put down.

I very much enjoyed this book - as with many of Tracey Chevalier's tales I was educated and entertained. I knew that there was a surplus of women after WW1 but had never really put much thought into the implications of this beyond that it would have been impossible to find a husband. If you had no one to support you then you had to work, and there weren't many 'jobs for women' and those that did exist were underpaid and with no employment rights. All this lead to a rather stifled and joyless existence.

The heroine finds entertainment and support through embroidery. Now if anyone suggested that I read a book on embroidery I would usually give them a strange look. However this was about more than the practicalities of needle and thread, it showed how camaraderie and a sense of purpose can change lives.

A thoughtful and fulfilling read.

Violet Speedwell has lost her brother and her fiancé in WW1 and like many other women finds herself without a role in life. She escapes her domineering mother to live in Winchester and secures a role as a typist. One day she happens across a group of Broderers in Winchester Cathedral who needlepoint kneelers for the church. She is accepted into the group and here her journey into her new found confidence begins. The Cathedral also has a group of male bell ringers who add another interesting facet to her story. Through friendship and community Violet gradually finds her voice in an era of surplus women and eventually overcomes hers grief and loss. This is a heartwarming story, beautifully written by Tracy Chevalier. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

This is such a beautifully written book with a strong sense of place and time. The characters are all interesting and finely drawn. The plot is not overly dramatic but is sufficient to draw in the reader.
A sensitive, gentle book which is a delight to read.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC

IF you’d told me that a book about embroidery and needlepoint of tapestries and prayer stools set in and around Winchester Cathedral would be intriguing then I might have given you a funny look and doubted your judgement. When it’s the subject of a Tracy Chevalier novel however, it’s so much more than the sum of its parts and manages to weave its own kind of magic.

Novels which take a real person or persons and fictionalize their story whilst bringing in the historical aspects, political intrigue and battle of thje sexes of times gone by are fascinating to me. It’s that idea of seeing an historical object or something old like a picture, prayer stool or wooden seat and imagining the fingerprints of time dotted across it just waiting to be discovered. This gives me all the feels and it’s like stepping back into a time machine and seeing history come alive.

The writing is also sublime as always. Tracy sets this story in the 1930s, the fall out of the First World War. She integrates herself into the lifes of the women who learn needlepoint to be able to join the broderers group who work in the cathedral. Louisa Pesel was the head of this group and was a real life person!

It’s from then on that we are totally and utterly immersed in the lives of these women. Women who were expected to behave, to stay in their place, to expect the mundane and accept their lot in life. Women at that time largely outnumbered men after the devastation of war, but women were still not considered vital in many ways. This is explored in the novel and it’s sobering to read so many years later.

Despite the depression and the rumbles of another war, these women show amazing and admirable resilience. That is the story here and what a story it is.

Tracy writes at the end how the needlepoint seats are still there in Winchester Cathedral and there is also a chance to see work elsewhere. After reading this novel I’m going to try and go there if only to mentally shake hands with these women and their resilience when the world was as dark as it’s ever been.

I suppose that it is my own fault for imagining that a book about embroidery would be nonstop entertainment, but admittedly I was interested in the historical aspects. Put simply I found this book to be a little boring. The author is very detailed even about trivial events and sometimes I felt that I was simply reading Wikipedia vomited up on the page, some of the conversations are just overtly used for this purpose so don't flow naturally at all. Violet is a low-key feminist that I want to cheer for but she's written in a very unlikeable way so I never much enjoyed her inner voice or decision making. For whatever reason on the whole this book was just too nebulous for me and I really got no sense that this was a story that needed telling as it seemed more like several stitched together ideas.

This book is set in 1932. Violet Speedwell is still mourning the loss of her fiancé and brother in the Great War, and has become one of the thousands of ‘surplus’ women, following the deaths of a whole generation of men. She lives at home with her domineering mother with little hope of either love or affection. Violet braves a move to Winchester, finding a job and lodgings but struggles to do more than exist. She chances on the Broderers,, a group of ladies who have been tasked with embroidering kneeler for the Cathedral.

I wasn’t sure this book was for me at first, as it felt a bit of a slow starter. However, it was so obviously well and skilfully researched that it did draw me in. I empathised with Violet but also the other characters too, even the mother, which I didn’t expect. However I wasn’t sure about the inclusion of Violets stalker. There is a gentle humour and honesty that I really enjoyed, and I was really pleased to read at the end that Louisa Pesel was a real person. I haven’t read anything by this author before, but will definitely try her other titles. Thanks to NetGalley and The Borough Press for letting me read this.

Now, I'm not the target audience for this book. This book is set in the early 1930's about an unmarried thirty something woman who has suffered great losses, who is a typist and the book heavily features cathedrals, embroidery, bell ringing and holidays. I am a gay married man with a child, who likes eating twix chocolate bars and playing Mario games. Hey, we're the same age at least.



But. Having never read a Tracy Chevalier book I wasn't aware that her writing could wash away my scepticism within mere pages. She makes Violet come alive, she is flawed but strong, and her struggle to be free and independent is something you really root for.



I genuinely never thought stitching a kneeler for church could be such a well of emotion and drama, but I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Also impressive was the firm sense of place and time. Despite the obligatory Nazi foreshadowing (surprisingly the least interesting part of the book), this is a vivid picture of a society on the cusp of change when it comes to feminism, LGBT issues and emancipation.



I expected to leaf through a standard romance, but I ended up avidly reading a charming, involving, relatable story.

The gentle, understated style of this book reflects the period and the subject matter, but this belies the rich warmth of the writing and the absorbing nature of the gradually blossoming story of Violet, a late thirties spinster in a society built around the norms of marriage and family life between the two world wars. The author carefully prepares the canvas for her first stitches, setting her character within a suffocating war-torn family where duty and convention are more valued than independence. The desperation to escape cannot ease the entry into a much lonelier, financially insecure existence of a woman living alone in the 1930s but slowly she learns new skills and forges a fresh life for herself.
Tracy Chevalier masterfully pulls the threads surrounding Violet and her new-found friends into a beautifully crafted tapestry of sadness, determination and love which touches and inspires. Although so different from her other works, 'A Single Thread' bears the Chevalier stamp of convincing and thoughtful narrative which takes us into the mind of an often overlooked and certainly undervalued slice of mid-wars society with empathy and understanding. A lovely book!