The Wishing Thread: A Novel Paperback – August 27, 2013

Truly enjoyable. Magical. Having lived all my life around New York City, I am familiar with Tarrytown. It's always cool to read about places you know and recognize on the page. I felt as if the Van Ripper sisters (love the nod to Catskill folklore there) actually lived there, and the Stitchery was a real place I could visit and ask for a spell or two.Fans of Sarah Addison Allen (of which I am one) will enjoy this book. It feels very much like it, though not like a copy, or an attempt at one. The Wishing Thread and Lisa Van Allen stand on their own.(Spoilery! If you read further, it's your own fault!)The only reason I gave The Wishing Thread a four and not a five is that I found the falling action after the big climax to be a bit off. I call shennanigans--because all these sisters who have been so resolute throughout the whole novel seem to give way without too much of a fuss. After all she did sacrificing Vic to the spell, and being so adamant about not giving back the sacrifice, Aubrey caves the minute he shows up at her door. Bitty's husband comes raging to get her with all these vows of making life hard for her only to be waylaid by a spell that was only meant to stall him, and then isn't really heard from again. Same with Meggie--four years searching for her mother and after the confession and a chat with her friend, she gives up the search.There was a little more development than that, but after building their storylines up, to have them give in comparatively easily didn't feel right. I'm GLAD they did! And I'm happy with the ending--I just wish, after all those stones thrown at her characters, Ms. Van Allen gave their eventual HEA just a little more evolution.

When Lisa Van Allen first drew my attention, it was because her work was being hyped for 'fans of Sarah Addison Allen and Alice Hoffman' and I thought "Really?". I love both of the aforementioned authors and I was surprised to find a first novel being compared to their work. In fact, the only reasons I went ahead with my purchase were: 1. I loved the title and 2. the Kindle version was $1.99.So, imagine my chagrin when the book more than lived up to the comparisons. Lisa Van Allen knows how to tell a story. She knows how to create characters that you will not only be rooting for, but will love. She knows how to write about complicated relationships in a compelling manner. In short, Lisa Van Allen knows how to write and write well.The Wishing Thread is about family--new and old. It's about the tangled threads of family history, expectations and misunderstanding. The story focuses on three sisters, Bitty, Aubrey and Meggie, who are leading very different lives when the death of their Aunt Mariah brings them back together. Over the course of the story, these women come to realize that they aren't as different as they believe and that the love they feel for each other can make each life a little better than it was before. Throw in a little magic and some knitting, and you've got an amazing story that makes the reader want to cheer out loud for each woman as she comes to realize her strengths and her importance. I won't go into the actual story as I don't want to spoil it, but this is a wonderful, wonderful story that should be read by anyone looking for a little magic in her own life.

I grew up surrounded by women that believed in the magic of the unknown. Beginning with my grandmother Ramona, who raised 11childre almost all by herself. Her husband was killed in a farm acident, working his land when the children were still pretty small. She believed in the after life and I remember her secret room,where seance 's tookPlace in a secret room where we (the granchildren) were always trying to sneak in to find out what the great mystery was. My own mother practiced herbal medicine,With moderate success. One thing in common with these matriarchs was the wonderful sense of accomplishments to make so much with so little. They wereConfident, brilliant and determined women who made the most of whatever little they had. Without batting an eye.Ms Van Allen brings those women back to me with her wonderfully written characters who love big and believe in magic. They are daughters, granddaughters,sisters, friends.They may face some setbacks, but boy oh boy, do they ever come back, better than ever. Ms Van Allen gives me the magic back. Her characters are bigger than life, but ITake them at face value, because I grew up with such women. They are magic and vulnerable and smart and consequential. They believe in themselves even when thingsGo bad. They are warriors in the best sense of the word, we need heroes like them. They are out there,we just have to look hard to find them. And believe in the magic.Thank you Lisa Van Allen for another great piece of magic.

I bought this book, paid little to nothing for it because I was impressed with some of the reviews. I didn't realize, though how much focus was on knitting, since I don't knit and don't aspire to that. Then I relaxed and I enjoyed the story. Early on, the mother and oldest sister die. The other family members - sisters and their children - visit the "homestead" for the funeral. I liked getting to know members of the family - their interests, some of their difficulties, and their hopes. The family and its wishes changed over time, which was also appealing. I was intrigued that the story focuses on the Tarrytown, NY area and Sleepy Hollow, mentioning the headless horseman. Many people in their area looked down at the Van Ripper family. Although I give this book 4 instead of 5 stars, it had some wonderfully put-together sentences. An example:"Suffering could pull a family together...drawing everyone in to a central point. Or it could scanner a family apart, centripetal forces slingshotting each person wildly away...or do both." Another amazing sentence: "The library's warm and curious nature could not be repressed by the grumpy neoclassicism of its facade."

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. I love knitting and try to knit with love when I make things for other people. I am not into spells and magic, but there is something wonderful about keeping your loved ones toes warm in knitted slippers etc. I loved the way the sisters drew together and the ending was satisfying....I won’t spoil it for you!

This is something a little different; a story of three sisters dealing with both the past and the present, while magic is interwoven with both. The magical element of the story complements the main focus rather than dominating and is excellently written by the author. A great read for a quiet day!

I really enjoyed The Wishing Thread, if you are a fan of Sarah Addison Allen, then this is a book you will love. It tells the stories of three sisters, and weaves a wonderful spell around the reader and the subjects. Highly recommended?

The idea of knitting instructions forming the structure of a novel is interesting, and I like the idea of knitting being potentially magic. However, the element of magic or fantasy must never be an excuse for a lack of credibility. The characters are shallow, the story lacks both humour and the element of surprise, and it seems that the amount of loose ends left at the end are not the result of a deliberate design.

Really enjoyed this book