Legacy: The Story of Talula Gilbert Bottoms and Her Quilts

A great combination of quilts and the lives of the quilters that made them. The book shows the hard times and lives of these ladies and how quilting worked into their daily lives. A great read in between your own quilting projects. And a great gift for a quilter friend too.

THIS IS FOR SURE A 5 STAR BOOK. I am so glad I found this wonderful book, what an education, so much to be learned from people from this time.

I took this family history for what it was , , , one account of both the trials and joys in the life of a one woman and her family. That these happened to begin in the south post Civil War era was part of that story. And, the historical view points where that of the south during that time. For those who are disturbed by these and would like a pure factual account of this period in our country's history, I suggest that you watch the PBS series,"The Civil War" produced by Ken Burns. This book is not the place to look for those facts. This is a book of "Remembrances". I loved this book. Talula's outlook on life was uniquely her own. Not all women during that period of history could have adjusted to her circumstances. In fact, her older sister had a much more difficult time. The south was totally economically destroyed. And many times it fell on the shoulders of the women to carry on after their husbands left them alone with children to feed and care for. Take note of Talula's personal philosophy: "Whatever happens, I will not worry. If a thing can be helped, I will help it: if not, I will make the best of it." She makes mention of her "fingers itching to get to her quilting." Her love of her family, of God and of making her quilts sustained her through the most horrible circumstances one could imagine. That she managed to make by hand between 200 - 300 quilts during her lifetime while looking after her family through sickness and death, sorrow and personal loss while maintaining a lifeline in her letters to family members was beyond my comprehension. If only for the pictures of Talula's quilts, I would recommend this book - the story is the icing on the cake! And I would certainly describe it as a love story . . . love between a husband and wife, a woman and her family, and of the quilts she lovingly made for them.

This book is wonderfully written, and had me deeply interested in its subjects even without the fascinating quilting history. I felt maybe ten times, though, while reading it, that there were imposed tones of near-racism from the author. Hers is the classic tone of those from the South who don't want to admit - ever - that there were wrongs committed. The simple, wonderful ancestors of the author taught lessons in their own story, which she told very well, but her attempt to restate all the lessons as defenses of the South in general seemed out of place in the simple environment of her grandmother. Without these few interjections, and an unnecessary afterword to that effect, this is a marvelous book.

This book will inspire quilters to endeavor to produce more quilts as well as improve quality. The hardships experienced by Tallulah are written in a way that causes our hearts to emotionally bond with her.