The Sweetgum Knit Lit Society: A Novel

I purchased a copy listed as being in "very good" condition. However, the book is stained in multiple places and the pages are dotted and lined with faint traces of something I can't identify.

The Sweetgum Knit Lit Society by Beth Pattillo is one of those books that you can't put down. I read the book in 2 sittings and put it down only to have it picked up by my sister and read just as quickly. It gripped you from the first page! Every character has a complete and compelling story. It was a real page turner. This wonderful author has prompted me to order her previous books "Heavens To Betsy" and "Earth To Betsy". I eargerly look forward to reading these books and I highly recommend The Sweetgum Knit Lit Society and any book from this fabulous and very talented author!

The Sweetgum Knit Lit Society meets once a month. They each knit something that goes with their monthly book choice - for instance, when they read Jane Eyre they all made a shawl for her. There are 5 women in the group until Eugenie (the town librarian) brings a ragged looking juvenile to the meeting. She caught Hannah taking some pages out of a beginner's knitting book. Eugenie gives her jobs at the library to do to pay for the book and brings her to the meeting to try to rehabilitate her. And this turns out to be a very hard task as Hannah is very hostile and is trying to deal with some very real problems at home. Plus each of the women in the group is struggling with a crisis of her own. They simply don't have the energy to give much notice to a difficult teenager. Eugenie is in danger of being forced out of her job. Merry has 3 children, a distant husband and a secret which will change her life. Camille is the youngest of the group and is taking care of her dying mother. Ruth and Esther are sisters. Esther is very controlling. She even has Ruth do her knitting for her. And Ruth is about to make a decision which will take everyone by surprise. One of the interesting parts of the book is that with Hannah in the group they reread the children's classics. Their discussions of "Little Women", "The Little Princess" (Do you believe there's a princess in every girl?"), "Pollyanna" and "Heidi" made me want to go back and reread them myself. I hope this is the start of a series. These people are very likeable. I'd like to visit them again.

A Book Review by Audrey Hebbert: The Sweetgum Knit Lit Society By Beth Pattillo Waterbrook Press February 2008 ISBN-978-1-4000-7394-8 Trade $15.99 This sweet story, set in sleepy Sweetgum, Tennessee, knits together the lives of five typical smalltown residents and one angry teenager named Hannah. They meet the third Friday of the month to discuss the book of the month and display the knitting project assigned by librarian Eugenie. In the meantime each character wrestles with her own issues, and puzzles out a conclusion for her life. Along with their own issues comes a realization of Hannah's huge problems, and a conclusion for her, too. Part of the conflict is a long-held secret between the two sisters, Ruth and Esther, and the satisfactory conclusion. Shadows from Eugenie's past haunt the controlled order of her life and she meets new challenges with unusual courage. Merry's perfect little life meets major roadblocks. Camille is held by strong ties of love to the town she longs to leave. In her fourth novel, Pattillo skillfully ties all the threads together at the end, pouring in forgiveness, true love and a takeaway for the reader's life. I cheered long and hard for Hannah, the one "impossible" thread, that tucks itself into the knot at the end. Nothing surprising here, but a comfortable read that inspires the reader to be more kind and generous to those we don't fully understand. No high tension either, but a satisfying, challenging ending that any reader needs to encounter. Sometimes we become too complacent with our own lives and forget to consider strangers who may need us.

"The Sweetgum Knit Lit Society" by Beth Pattillo is a heart warming read about five ladies who meet once a month to discuss books and knit. When one of the ladies, Eugenie, brings troubled teenager, Hannah, to the group, she changes the reading list to incorporate wonderful classic titles for the young girl. As the ladies revisit these classics from their own childhoods, they are confronted by the life issues that they have left unresolved. This charming, heartfelt novel showcases the value of friendship, love and the grace of God. It is laugh-out loud funny and a good, cathartic cry all rolled into one! This novel helped to remind me that angry young people are frequently hiding pain and that it only takes one person to take an interest and truly make a difference in their lives. There is even a shawl pattern included for knitting. This would be a great selection for your book club.