A Silken Thread by Kim Vogel Sawyer


Laurel Millard is eighteen years old and the youngest in her family. Her father passed away when she was little and she lives with her mother. Much to Laurel's consternation, her older siblings recently reach a conclusion that she should be the caretaker of their mother as she ages.

About the same time, Laurel gets a job as a silk weaver at the Atlanta Cotton Exposition in 1895. At the exposition she meets a variety of people including a couple of perspective suitors. Laurel gets to know the girls in the silk weaving room, the security guard, Willie Sharp, and the dashing Langdon Rochester who is the heir to his father's steam-powered-engine empire. Will one of these men be willing to court Laurel knowing her mother is part of the package?

In Kim Vogel Sawyer's newest historical fiction novel, A Silken Thread, she tells a compelling story of coming of age in the late 1800s during a time of continued racial struggles in the South. I found the history of the Cotton Exposition to be interesting. As Sawyer includes racial issues between the characters, I like seeing those struggles from each character's perspective. It seemed to be true to the times.  As the book progressed, I found all of the characters to be fairly likeable. Initially, I didn't like a few of them. However, I think in this story, Sawyer helps the reader see that there is at least a little good in all of us. I found the plot to flow fairly quickly and the book was a compelling read until the end. If I have a minor complaint, it is that I would have liked a little more of the story between two of the main characters at the end--without giving anything away--as we didn't get to see much of their relationship. But don't we always want more of a good thing? At the same time, I especially liked the spiritual conclusions that each character made. Sawyer's books always have a Reader's Guide with a list of questions for the reader that are great for book clubs and A Silken Thread is no exception.

I received this book from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review.

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