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Friday Night Knitting Club #1
The Friday Night Knitting Club
Once a week, an eclectic group of women comes together at a New York City yarn shop to work on their latest projects - and share the stories of their lives...
At the center of Walker and Daughter is the shop's owner, Georgia, who is overwhelmed with juggling the store and single-handedly raising her teenage daughter. Happy to escape the demands of her life, she looks forward to her Friday Night Knitting Club, where she and her friends - Anita, Peri, Darwin, Lucie, and K.C. - exchange knitting tips, jokes, and their deepest secrets. But when the man who once broke Georgia's heart suddenly shows up, demanding a role in their daughter's life, her world is shattered.
Luckily, Georgia's friends are there for encouragement, sharing their own tales of intimacy, heartbreak, and miracle making. And when the unthinkable happens, these women will discover that what they've created isn't just a knitting club; its a sisterhood.
At the center of Walker and Daughter is the shop's owner, Georgia, who is overwhelmed with juggling the store and single-handedly raising her teenage daughter. Happy to escape the demands of her life, she looks forward to her Friday Night Knitting Club, where she and her friends - Anita, Peri, Darwin, Lucie, and K.C. - exchange knitting tips, jokes, and their deepest secrets. But when the man who once broke Georgia's heart suddenly shows up, demanding a role in their daughter's life, her world is shattered.
Luckily, Georgia's friends are there for encouragement, sharing their own tales of intimacy, heartbreak, and miracle making. And when the unthinkable happens, these women will discover that what they've created isn't just a knitting club; its a sisterhood.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2008
About the author
Kate Jacobs
7 books669 followersKate Jacobs is the New York Times-bestselling author of Comfort Food, Knit Two, and The Friday Night Knitting Club, which has over 1 million copies in print.
Kate grew up near Vancouver, British Columbia, in the scenic and delightfully named town of Hope (pop. 6,184). It’s an area filled with friends and family and Kate loves to visit. Back then, of course, it was tremendously boring, as only home can be to a teenager. As a result, Kate begged her parents to send her to boarding school in Victoria, BC. From there she traded in her navy blazer to earn a Bachelor’s degree in journalism at Carleton University in Ottawa. Next, in a fit of optimism/courage/naivete – take your pick – she followed it up with a move to bustling New York City (pop. 8,143,197).
The plan? Breaking into magazine publishing. First she received a Master’s degree at NYU and worked at a handful of unpaid internships, then got a spot as an assistant to the Books & Fiction Editor at Redbook magazine. It was here that Kate answered multiple phones, read a ton of slush (getting to know some wonderful writers- to-be), and began to experience the impact of sharing women’s stories. Around this time, Kate settled into an apartment complex that housed about as many people as her entire hometown in Canada: It seemed that she wasn’t just a small-town girl anymore.
Professionally, Kate made it a priority to explore content that resonated with women: She was an editor at Working Woman and Family Life and was later a freelance writer and editor at the website for Lifetime Television. Personally, as a newcomer to New York, she learned the power of building a surrogate family and stitching together friendship connections that will endure. Exploring the richness of women’s relationships is a key focus of her novels.
After a decade of Manhattan living, Kate moved to sunny Southern California with her husband. (And discovered that she likes suburban living just fine, thank you very much.)
She relished the idea of her very own home office but found herself setting up the laptop on the dining table, just as she’d done in New York, and writing late at night in her pajamas.
A firm believer in the creative power of free time, Kate loves to recharge by tackling knitting projects that she can finish quickly (all the better to feel that sense of accomplishment). She’s also a fan of taking naps, especially when she’s on deadline, snuggling under a favorite green-and-yellow afghan knitted by her grandmother decades ago. Her beloved liver-and-white English Springer Spaniel, Baxter, often snoozes alongside.
Kate grew up near Vancouver, British Columbia, in the scenic and delightfully named town of Hope (pop. 6,184). It’s an area filled with friends and family and Kate loves to visit. Back then, of course, it was tremendously boring, as only home can be to a teenager. As a result, Kate begged her parents to send her to boarding school in Victoria, BC. From there she traded in her navy blazer to earn a Bachelor’s degree in journalism at Carleton University in Ottawa. Next, in a fit of optimism/courage/naivete – take your pick – she followed it up with a move to bustling New York City (pop. 8,143,197).
The plan? Breaking into magazine publishing. First she received a Master’s degree at NYU and worked at a handful of unpaid internships, then got a spot as an assistant to the Books & Fiction Editor at Redbook magazine. It was here that Kate answered multiple phones, read a ton of slush (getting to know some wonderful writers- to-be), and began to experience the impact of sharing women’s stories. Around this time, Kate settled into an apartment complex that housed about as many people as her entire hometown in Canada: It seemed that she wasn’t just a small-town girl anymore.
Professionally, Kate made it a priority to explore content that resonated with women: She was an editor at Working Woman and Family Life and was later a freelance writer and editor at the website for Lifetime Television. Personally, as a newcomer to New York, she learned the power of building a surrogate family and stitching together friendship connections that will endure. Exploring the richness of women’s relationships is a key focus of her novels.
After a decade of Manhattan living, Kate moved to sunny Southern California with her husband. (And discovered that she likes suburban living just fine, thank you very much.)
She relished the idea of her very own home office but found herself setting up the laptop on the dining table, just as she’d done in New York, and writing late at night in her pajamas.
A firm believer in the creative power of free time, Kate loves to recharge by tackling knitting projects that she can finish quickly (all the better to feel that sense of accomplishment). She’s also a fan of taking naps, especially when she’s on deadline, snuggling under a favorite green-and-yellow afghan knitted by her grandmother decades ago. Her beloved liver-and-white English Springer Spaniel, Baxter, often snoozes alongside.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 9,231 reviews
December 18, 2008
Reading this book made me want to gouge my own eyes out with knitting needles. My throat got sore from all of the groaning I did page after page. Let me give you some examples of suckiness:
All the non-white characters are described as having cafe au lait skin or mocha skin.
Some of the sloppy writing and editing did turn out to be quite funny, such as when a character remembers visiting her grandmother in Scotland and they "sat by the fire wearing nothing but their socks." Since I assume granny and child don't sit naked save for their socks by the fire, it was good for a shudder and a laugh.
There's a graduate student named (wait for it) DARWIN. Oh GAD! Because she's in grad school. So she's smart. So she should be named Darwin. GAH!!!
The grandmother is a sage old woman with an answer to everything, with excellent life advice, including such gems as "Life is what you make of it." Oh. Really? OMG! I'm enlightened.
Knitting is supposed to be a central theme, but really it's just there as an excuse to call this crappy mixture of boring women's lives a "valid" book.
When one of the guys meets up with another guy for a beer, he says "I think I'm falling in love with my family." And the other guy clinks his beer bottle and says, "Congratulations, you've just become a man." Oh. Yes. Because men talk this way. When they have vaginas and are actually women. GAD!!
The main character is killed off by cancer because, you know, she was such a saintly, good character, so why not kill her to inspire some tears and create some sort of heartwarming feeling in readers? Besides, where was the story going anyway ... if she didn't die the ending would have to have been "and they lived happily ever after."
Yah, bad book, story sucked, it was too long, writing was terrible, and it was obviously published just because the author has worked in publishing for years.
Sucked.
All the non-white characters are described as having cafe au lait skin or mocha skin.
Some of the sloppy writing and editing did turn out to be quite funny, such as when a character remembers visiting her grandmother in Scotland and they "sat by the fire wearing nothing but their socks." Since I assume granny and child don't sit naked save for their socks by the fire, it was good for a shudder and a laugh.
There's a graduate student named (wait for it) DARWIN. Oh GAD! Because she's in grad school. So she's smart. So she should be named Darwin. GAH!!!
The grandmother is a sage old woman with an answer to everything, with excellent life advice, including such gems as "Life is what you make of it." Oh. Really? OMG! I'm enlightened.
Knitting is supposed to be a central theme, but really it's just there as an excuse to call this crappy mixture of boring women's lives a "valid" book.
When one of the guys meets up with another guy for a beer, he says "I think I'm falling in love with my family." And the other guy clinks his beer bottle and says, "Congratulations, you've just become a man." Oh. Yes. Because men talk this way. When they have vaginas and are actually women. GAD!!
The main character is killed off by cancer because, you know, she was such a saintly, good character, so why not kill her to inspire some tears and create some sort of heartwarming feeling in readers? Besides, where was the story going anyway ... if she didn't die the ending would have to have been "and they lived happily ever after."
Yah, bad book, story sucked, it was too long, writing was terrible, and it was obviously published just because the author has worked in publishing for years.
Sucked.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 17, 2007
I just picked this up at the library because there was nothing else there. The reviews I've scanned give me pause, but hey, I haven't read any blatant chick-lit in quite a while...we'll see.
*****
And one week later, I can say this: I hated this book. I hated the way the author used nothing but sentence fragments. To emphasize her points. Everyone thinks and speaks in four. Word. Sentences. Can you imagine reading this writing style for an entire book?
Because it continues for the entire 300+ pages.
You would think that the phalanx of editors and advisors that she thanks at the end would have put a stop to the madness and introduced her to the concept of the semicolon. Or at the very least an em dash or two. But no.
And the melodrama! I think I read that it's being made into a movie, which doesn't surprise me at all. It's like the author wrote a book that she hoped would eventually be made into a movie. A bunch of women, one of whom becomes mortally ill ... hey, that worked for Steel Magnolias, why not for a knitting club? It'll be a hit!
So if you're in the mood for a poorly written book that tugs at your heartstrings in a very calculating way, this is the book for you.
*****
And one week later, I can say this: I hated this book. I hated the way the author used nothing but sentence fragments. To emphasize her points. Everyone thinks and speaks in four. Word. Sentences. Can you imagine reading this writing style for an entire book?
Because it continues for the entire 300+ pages.
You would think that the phalanx of editors and advisors that she thanks at the end would have put a stop to the madness and introduced her to the concept of the semicolon. Or at the very least an em dash or two. But no.
And the melodrama! I think I read that it's being made into a movie, which doesn't surprise me at all. It's like the author wrote a book that she hoped would eventually be made into a movie. A bunch of women, one of whom becomes mortally ill ... hey, that worked for Steel Magnolias, why not for a knitting club? It'll be a hit!
So if you're in the mood for a poorly written book that tugs at your heartstrings in a very calculating way, this is the book for you.
October 29, 2012
I refuse to finish this book.
Narrative Issues:
I read most of it, but even then I had to force myself through the first half. The whole Dividing The Book Into Chapters About Knitting To Symbolize A Metaphor For Life seemed too cliche.
The entire first half of the novel is told in fits & starts as the narrator gives us every single detail of background information in every character. Scenes went along the lines of:
"X walked into the kitchen. She'd always loved the kitchen and spent many years creating the perfect home. When she talked to the contractor...[insert story of building a house:]. X turned on the coffeemaker. Coffee was mother's milk to her, ever since college days [insert story of college memories & coffee:]. X sighed and looked out the window."
In a single page, only about three things happen in the present narrative line of the story. Half of it is flashback, which slows down the entire plot. I found myself saying, "Get to the point!" or "I don't care, what's going on NOW!?"
Character Issues:
Dakota is not 12. Not the way she's written, anyway. She's more of a precocious 10-year-old, still adorable. The author forced Dakota's forays into teenage attitude, as though someone reminded the author about halfway through, "Y,know, she's going to be a teenager in a few months..."
I am VERY uncomfortable with Lucie and her tricking a man into getting her pregnant. It made her extremely unlikable for me. Even if she was otherwise a gentle, sweet soul, I kept coming back to that selfish deception. I had similar issues with Darwin's selfish & obnoxious nature; it would have been nice if she grew out of it at all, but I saw no such thing by this part of the novel.
I'll tell you where I put it down...
SPOILER ....
And I'll tell you where I put it down: the instant Georgia becomes ill. Having lost my dear father to cancer, I resent anyone using it as a growth opportunity for the characters. I knew instantly that it was meant to be some sort of sentimental, binding journey for this cast of characters (a cast I didn't even like). Perhaps it's just too close to home for me, but I knew it would just become a tired platitude about life, etc (which we already had in her brilliant Knitting Is Life Metaphorical Chapters). It made me slightly sick to my stomach the moment she told Anita on the phone (an awkward, unrealistic scene, I think), and I knew exactly what was planned. Knowing that I couldn't sit through another quarter of the book of cancer-induced sentimentality, I decided to put it down.
I prefer that my characters drive the action of a story, so that I can see growth and realistic plot lines. Jacobs can't seem to decide if she wants her characters to make way for themselves or if she wants to be an all omnipotent god who weaves a fate for her people.
Narrative Issues:
I read most of it, but even then I had to force myself through the first half. The whole Dividing The Book Into Chapters About Knitting To Symbolize A Metaphor For Life seemed too cliche.
The entire first half of the novel is told in fits & starts as the narrator gives us every single detail of background information in every character. Scenes went along the lines of:
"X walked into the kitchen. She'd always loved the kitchen and spent many years creating the perfect home. When she talked to the contractor...[insert story of building a house:]. X turned on the coffeemaker. Coffee was mother's milk to her, ever since college days [insert story of college memories & coffee:]. X sighed and looked out the window."
In a single page, only about three things happen in the present narrative line of the story. Half of it is flashback, which slows down the entire plot. I found myself saying, "Get to the point!" or "I don't care, what's going on NOW!?"
Character Issues:
Dakota is not 12. Not the way she's written, anyway. She's more of a precocious 10-year-old, still adorable. The author forced Dakota's forays into teenage attitude, as though someone reminded the author about halfway through, "Y,know, she's going to be a teenager in a few months..."
I am VERY uncomfortable with Lucie and her tricking a man into getting her pregnant. It made her extremely unlikable for me. Even if she was otherwise a gentle, sweet soul, I kept coming back to that selfish deception. I had similar issues with Darwin's selfish & obnoxious nature; it would have been nice if she grew out of it at all, but I saw no such thing by this part of the novel.
I'll tell you where I put it down...
SPOILER ....
And I'll tell you where I put it down: the instant Georgia becomes ill. Having lost my dear father to cancer, I resent anyone using it as a growth opportunity for the characters. I knew instantly that it was meant to be some sort of sentimental, binding journey for this cast of characters (a cast I didn't even like). Perhaps it's just too close to home for me, but I knew it would just become a tired platitude about life, etc (which we already had in her brilliant Knitting Is Life Metaphorical Chapters). It made me slightly sick to my stomach the moment she told Anita on the phone (an awkward, unrealistic scene, I think), and I knew exactly what was planned. Knowing that I couldn't sit through another quarter of the book of cancer-induced sentimentality, I decided to put it down.
I prefer that my characters drive the action of a story, so that I can see growth and realistic plot lines. Jacobs can't seem to decide if she wants her characters to make way for themselves or if she wants to be an all omnipotent god who weaves a fate for her people.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 18, 2019
I probably would never have picked this book up if not for one of my in-town friends (thanks, Pat) who brought it over one day and suggested I read it. I’m not a knitter and know very little about it, but that didn’t hinder my enjoyment of this story of women’s friendships.
The main character is Manhattan knitting shop owner Georgia Walker, single mother of 12-year-old Dakota. Over the course of the book a core group of 7 women plus Dakota forms the basis of the Friday Night Knitting Club that meets weekly at the shop. The women who make up this diverse group lean on each other to tackle such issues as divorce, single mom pregnancies and child rearing, lack of direction, late life love, failed careers, dilemmas involving men, to forgive or not to forgive, critical illness, and more. The threads are for the most part engaging and heartfelt. Scattered throughout the narrative, particularly between chapters, there are knitting tips combined with bits of philosophy of life. We even get a yummy muffin recipe and a little tutorial on knitting a first scarf at the end of the book.
There are some emotional moments in the last 15% of the book and a nice epilogue (I love me a nice epilogue) that provides pretty good closure. However, I have happily discovered this is the first of a trilogy and look forward to the next two books, which will afford relief from some of the darker novels I tend to read. I highly recommend The Friday Night Knitting Club to anyone looking for a sweet story highlighting the importance and sustenance of female friendship.
The main character is Manhattan knitting shop owner Georgia Walker, single mother of 12-year-old Dakota. Over the course of the book a core group of 7 women plus Dakota forms the basis of the Friday Night Knitting Club that meets weekly at the shop. The women who make up this diverse group lean on each other to tackle such issues as divorce, single mom pregnancies and child rearing, lack of direction, late life love, failed careers, dilemmas involving men, to forgive or not to forgive, critical illness, and more. The threads are for the most part engaging and heartfelt. Scattered throughout the narrative, particularly between chapters, there are knitting tips combined with bits of philosophy of life. We even get a yummy muffin recipe and a little tutorial on knitting a first scarf at the end of the book.
There are some emotional moments in the last 15% of the book and a nice epilogue (I love me a nice epilogue) that provides pretty good closure. However, I have happily discovered this is the first of a trilogy and look forward to the next two books, which will afford relief from some of the darker novels I tend to read. I highly recommend The Friday Night Knitting Club to anyone looking for a sweet story highlighting the importance and sustenance of female friendship.
August 23, 2013
Oh dear. That's several hours of my life I will never get back.
The plot: Georgia Walker owns a knitting-yarn store in New York City. Between her and her daughter, her employees, her friends, and some of her customers, they cobble together "The Friday Night Knitting Club" and gather at the store to stitch and bitch, as it were. And so we are offered some views into each woman's life. And just as Georgia's life starts to change for the better, tragedy strikes.
Well, let me tell you, this book was a tragedy.
First, the character development was just plain shoddy. You are told about these characters without there being suitable dialog or poetic descriptions of emotions to forge an emotional bond with them. And so Dakota's a spoiled, mouthy brat; Lucie is just plain stupid for deliberately getting preggers when she does not have insurance or a steady job; Cat's a useless ninny; Anita's a stereotypically saint-like senior; Darwin's just a tactless a**hole, and Georgia's just annoying. And the tragedy happens so quickly and matter-of-factly, you barely notice it. And the domestic details that make this kind of book charming and engrossing just never quite cut it.
Save your time and don't read this book. I hear the author's coming out with a second book this summer; it's gotten some good reviews, so let's hope it does better. Try the second, skip the first, and if you want domestic-women's fiction with alternating view points, try Judy Blume's Summer Sisters; Rona Jaffe's Five Women, or anything by Maeve Binchy.
The plot: Georgia Walker owns a knitting-yarn store in New York City. Between her and her daughter, her employees, her friends, and some of her customers, they cobble together "The Friday Night Knitting Club" and gather at the store to stitch and bitch, as it were. And so we are offered some views into each woman's life. And just as Georgia's life starts to change for the better, tragedy strikes.
Well, let me tell you, this book was a tragedy.
First, the character development was just plain shoddy. You are told about these characters without there being suitable dialog or poetic descriptions of emotions to forge an emotional bond with them. And so Dakota's a spoiled, mouthy brat; Lucie is just plain stupid for deliberately getting preggers when she does not have insurance or a steady job; Cat's a useless ninny; Anita's a stereotypically saint-like senior; Darwin's just a tactless a**hole, and Georgia's just annoying. And the tragedy happens so quickly and matter-of-factly, you barely notice it. And the domestic details that make this kind of book charming and engrossing just never quite cut it.
Save your time and don't read this book. I hear the author's coming out with a second book this summer; it's gotten some good reviews, so let's hope it does better. Try the second, skip the first, and if you want domestic-women's fiction with alternating view points, try Judy Blume's Summer Sisters; Rona Jaffe's Five Women, or anything by Maeve Binchy.
March 26, 2008
Knitting is a Nice Device, But . . .
The idea of a knitting group--a group of women gathering on a regular basis forming bonds of friendship and sharing life experiences--was the alluring premise of this book, and the reason I bought it. That's definitely what this book is. But is it a riveting story? Did I fall in love with the characters and turn pages with eager anticipation to see how the story would play out? No and no. I struggled turning pages of this book as much as I'd probably struggle trying to knit a sweater. This was like the waste of expensive yarn, a piece crafted with a big idea and little talent.
The writing isn't bad, but I wouldn't describe this effort as "well-written." It's average at best, lacking originality or memorable prose, and I felt it was littered with clichés and contrived dialog. As for story, it's primarily character-driven with focus on the main character, Georgia Walker, a single mother who owns a yarn shop/knitting business on the upper west side of Manhattan. The club consists of her daughter Dakota, a bi-racial 12-year-old, who flits in and out of the club with baked goods and entrepreneurial ambitions, and is as charming and annoying as any 12-year old; a widow named Anita who is Georgia's "mentor;" an "academic" named Darwin (who annoys everyone in the club as well as this reader); a 40-year-old single woman (who I believe works on a documentary about the knitting club) who fools a date into getting her pregnant; an aspiring purse designer and part-time worker in the shop; a woman in her mid-40s hoping to get into law school; and probably the most entertaining character, Georgia's childhood friend Cat (nee Cathy) who is an uptown socialite on the verge of divorce. When she's on the page, at least there's some conflict you can sink your teeth into.
Dakota's father, James, returns to Georgia's life in this tale, and is a cardboard character who fails to charm the reader as much as he seemingly charms everyone else. And Georgia's grandmother, a 90-something Scottish sage comes into play as a touchstone to...something. I think Georgia's visit abroad is supposed to be really important but it wasn't until page 260 when Georgia receives some life changing news that the question, "What IS this book ABOUT?" had an answer.
The Friday Night Knitting Club is a debut novel and I believe it has a first novel feel. It made me think, "nice effort and good for the author for getting it published;" however, I cannot recommend it. There was, however, one quote from the book I thought was rich, and this was in regard to mother-daughter relationships: ". . . what these daughters really wanted was to be able to bare their souls to the one person in the world who would love them without restraint, whose approval was priceless, who would find them and their myriad life issues endlessly fascinating." If my daughter wrote this book, I would indeed be proud of her.
The idea of a knitting group--a group of women gathering on a regular basis forming bonds of friendship and sharing life experiences--was the alluring premise of this book, and the reason I bought it. That's definitely what this book is. But is it a riveting story? Did I fall in love with the characters and turn pages with eager anticipation to see how the story would play out? No and no. I struggled turning pages of this book as much as I'd probably struggle trying to knit a sweater. This was like the waste of expensive yarn, a piece crafted with a big idea and little talent.
The writing isn't bad, but I wouldn't describe this effort as "well-written." It's average at best, lacking originality or memorable prose, and I felt it was littered with clichés and contrived dialog. As for story, it's primarily character-driven with focus on the main character, Georgia Walker, a single mother who owns a yarn shop/knitting business on the upper west side of Manhattan. The club consists of her daughter Dakota, a bi-racial 12-year-old, who flits in and out of the club with baked goods and entrepreneurial ambitions, and is as charming and annoying as any 12-year old; a widow named Anita who is Georgia's "mentor;" an "academic" named Darwin (who annoys everyone in the club as well as this reader); a 40-year-old single woman (who I believe works on a documentary about the knitting club) who fools a date into getting her pregnant; an aspiring purse designer and part-time worker in the shop; a woman in her mid-40s hoping to get into law school; and probably the most entertaining character, Georgia's childhood friend Cat (nee Cathy) who is an uptown socialite on the verge of divorce. When she's on the page, at least there's some conflict you can sink your teeth into.
Dakota's father, James, returns to Georgia's life in this tale, and is a cardboard character who fails to charm the reader as much as he seemingly charms everyone else. And Georgia's grandmother, a 90-something Scottish sage comes into play as a touchstone to...something. I think Georgia's visit abroad is supposed to be really important but it wasn't until page 260 when Georgia receives some life changing news that the question, "What IS this book ABOUT?" had an answer.
The Friday Night Knitting Club is a debut novel and I believe it has a first novel feel. It made me think, "nice effort and good for the author for getting it published;" however, I cannot recommend it. There was, however, one quote from the book I thought was rich, and this was in regard to mother-daughter relationships: ". . . what these daughters really wanted was to be able to bare their souls to the one person in the world who would love them without restraint, whose approval was priceless, who would find them and their myriad life issues endlessly fascinating." If my daughter wrote this book, I would indeed be proud of her.
October 21, 2019
This book being about knitting, I thought it would be a bit warm and fuzzy. It definitely not what I was expecting. It was very good
March 10, 2021
The Friday Night Knitting Club is exactly what you would expect from a Women's Fiction novel written in the 2000's.
1)Cheating husband
Check
2) The return of a friend who had betrayed the main character
Check
3) Tight knit group of friends
Check
And drum roll please....
4) Cancer!
I'm not really upset about any of those things though because that's just standard old school Women's Fiction. What bothered me was that our main character Georgia who is white, had a baby Dakota with a Black man James who abandoned his child.
Of course the Black man is a deadbeat dad, because Black men always are...RIGHT?
I'm not saying that Kate Jacobs was intentionally perpetuating a racist stereotype but harm was done nevertheless. The way James is described throughout the book just really rubbed me the wrong way.
-He's smooth
-He's highly sexual
-He's irresponsible
- He's powerfully built
These things may seem innocuous but they are not. They are dangerous stereotypes that have gotten Black men killed for centuries.
As I said before I dont know if the author was aware of her language but that just makes it worse.
I don't recommend it but if you do read it just remember that stereotypes can and do kill.
1)Cheating husband
Check
2) The return of a friend who had betrayed the main character
Check
3) Tight knit group of friends
Check
And drum roll please....
4) Cancer!
I'm not really upset about any of those things though because that's just standard old school Women's Fiction. What bothered me was that our main character Georgia who is white, had a baby Dakota with a Black man James who abandoned his child.
Of course the Black man is a deadbeat dad, because Black men always are...RIGHT?
I'm not saying that Kate Jacobs was intentionally perpetuating a racist stereotype but harm was done nevertheless. The way James is described throughout the book just really rubbed me the wrong way.
-He's smooth
-He's highly sexual
-He's irresponsible
- He's powerfully built
These things may seem innocuous but they are not. They are dangerous stereotypes that have gotten Black men killed for centuries.
As I said before I dont know if the author was aware of her language but that just makes it worse.
I don't recommend it but if you do read it just remember that stereotypes can and do kill.
June 8, 2008
Wow, I really didn't like this book. I picked it up and put it down for days not getting past the first 20 pages because the style of writing was frustrating and in the beginning I really didn't like the main character. Being a knitter in NYC I wanted to like the book about the little yarn shop so I made myself keep reading.
The style of writing did not improve. It was full. Of sentence fragments. Just like this. Throughout the entire book. Distracting. In addition, there were details all over the place when they didn't enhance the story, and when a part of the story needed to be fleshed out it was summed up in 2 sentences. It's hard to focus on a story when the writing gets in the way.
Looking past the writing I still did not like the book. Some characters were alright but the rest were annoying and unlikable . For somebody who was portrayed as having such strength throughout her life, the main character did nothing but feel sorry for herself -- I hated it! How is the reader to believe she's actually the strong person she's supposed to be when it's 'woe is me' all over the place? The plot line was 95% predictable so it couldn't even keep my interest and what was supposed to be an emotional ending turned ridiculously cheesy (no more rent payments as long as I own this building!) and was wasted on me since the rest of the book was such a disappointment.
The style of writing did not improve. It was full. Of sentence fragments. Just like this. Throughout the entire book. Distracting. In addition, there were details all over the place when they didn't enhance the story, and when a part of the story needed to be fleshed out it was summed up in 2 sentences. It's hard to focus on a story when the writing gets in the way.
Looking past the writing I still did not like the book. Some characters were alright but the rest were annoying and unlikable . For somebody who was portrayed as having such strength throughout her life, the main character did nothing but feel sorry for herself -- I hated it! How is the reader to believe she's actually the strong person she's supposed to be when it's 'woe is me' all over the place? The plot line was 95% predictable so it couldn't even keep my interest and what was supposed to be an emotional ending turned ridiculously cheesy (no more rent payments as long as I own this building!) and was wasted on me since the rest of the book was such a disappointment.
June 24, 2008
This was a very moving, character driven novel. Loaded with emotion, The Friday Night Knitting Club is about women who become friends through a knitting club that was formed by accident. Walker & Daughter is a knitting store formed by single mom Georgia. With the help of her dear friend Anita, Georgia runs this NYC store with not only great knitting supplies and projects, but with some friendly guidance and advice, (not necessarily on knitting). The knitting club forms when a handful of women start coming to the store on a regular basis every Friday evening. These women come together and start to develop friendships that help get them through some stressful times in their lives. I thought the book started out with a bang. I wanted to keep reading until I finished. The second part of the book went from a thoughtful, emotional character driven style to a more story-telling narrative. This didn’t take away from the novel but it was obviously different. I couldn’t wait to get to the end to find out what happened. I probably read it way too fast. One of the interesting things about this book: The author used the craft of knitting as her introduction to each of her chapters. Excellent book! Highly recommend!
August 15, 2008
I'm sorry (why am I sorry? I guess because there's a part of me that feels guilty for completely dissing a book that someone has written. I mean, I've never written a book, so what do I know?), but this book was terrible. I'm not even sure why I finished it. I didn't even have high expectations for it--had already categorized it as chick-lit--but even still, I found every character completely stilted and unrealistic and the plot uninspired, dull, and predictable. This book will not make you want to take up knitting. It may, however, make you want to fashion a noose out of yarn to put yourself out of your misery in reading it.
April 12, 2008
I'm giving this two stars: averaging one star for the first half and three for the second half. Through the first half of the book I kept thinking, "how are they going to make a movie of this?" It was just all these separate women and their individual stories and none seemed to have anything to do with the others. They did all come together at the end, though. The first thing that really got my attention was in Darwin's story. She was talking about how she was a good girl, but she didn't want to be a good girl. She said that she didn't want to burn money for her dead ancestors on Chinese New Year. Having grown up in Asia, I can tell you no one burns money or anything else during Chinese New Year (which lasts for 15 days). Money is burned for dead ancestors at the Feast of the Hungry Ghosts. I just hate it when authors write about something they don't know about and don't bother to check it out. She also mentioned about not wanting to go the Sunday School and skipping church. Anyone going to church likely isn't burning money for dead ancestors in any case. The part about Julia Roberts was weird, too. If the lady was so certain Ms. Roberts was going to show up at that particular yarn store on that particular, why not just hang around by the front door? If someone bought and returned the same item all day long at my store (if I had one) I'd put a stop to it. And why did she stagger in slurring something about "roooobbbeerrrs" at the end of the day? Was she drunk? Overheated? Dehydrated? Deranged? That was just kind of left dangling. I also didn't understand about the letters.
Georgia had gotten two letters from James that she never opened. Yet he was sending checks to help with Dakota's expenses and she opened all those. How is it she opened the later envelopes that contained checks but not the first two where he said he wanted to get back together? I wondered, too, about the evening gowns Georgia knitted. If she was capable of doing that, why did she wait to be asked? She could have knitted a few and sold them to some boutiques. For someone who managed to be a single parent and run her own business and do a good job at both, she seemed to be short-sighted about breaking into the fashion business. Peri got right down to business with her knitted purses and had them in store windows in no time. And my final question was about the trip to Scotland. Georgia decided Dakota could miss a little school since it was "just seventh grade". I thought they'd only be gone a week. When it was revealed they spend a month in Scotland, I figured she'd just missed the last week of school. Then they came back and Dakota had to go back to school. It doesn't matter what grade you're in, missing a month means you're going to have repeat the grade. No one can miss that much school. They'd probably withdraw your enrollment.
I wasn't too impressed with the character who tricked her date into getting her pregnant. That was just uncalled for. Who conducts themselves like that? I also could have done without the bad language. These are all college educated women, surely they didn't have to resort to four-letter words to get their points across.
It could have been a good book, but there were so many thing that just made no sense to me. I think the movie might be better, though. If they just hit the highlights it should make a good story.
Georgia had gotten two letters from James that she never opened. Yet he was sending checks to help with Dakota's expenses and she opened all those. How is it she opened the later envelopes that contained checks but not the first two where he said he wanted to get back together? I wondered, too, about the evening gowns Georgia knitted. If she was capable of doing that, why did she wait to be asked? She could have knitted a few and sold them to some boutiques. For someone who managed to be a single parent and run her own business and do a good job at both, she seemed to be short-sighted about breaking into the fashion business. Peri got right down to business with her knitted purses and had them in store windows in no time. And my final question was about the trip to Scotland. Georgia decided Dakota could miss a little school since it was "just seventh grade". I thought they'd only be gone a week. When it was revealed they spend a month in Scotland, I figured she'd just missed the last week of school. Then they came back and Dakota had to go back to school. It doesn't matter what grade you're in, missing a month means you're going to have repeat the grade. No one can miss that much school. They'd probably withdraw your enrollment.
I wasn't too impressed with the character who tricked her date into getting her pregnant. That was just uncalled for. Who conducts themselves like that? I also could have done without the bad language. These are all college educated women, surely they didn't have to resort to four-letter words to get their points across.
It could have been a good book, but there were so many thing that just made no sense to me. I think the movie might be better, though. If they just hit the highlights it should make a good story.
August 14, 2008
I have the soft cover, not the hard cover.
Oy! The best thing about this book was the cover photo. Gosh. I read this book slowly because I have very limited time for pleasure reading. I was annoyed with the overuse of the words "nosh" and "kybosh" for one thing, which grabbed my attention in the first few chapters. I decided to keep reading it because I felt that I was hyper-analyzing the book due to the slow pace with which I was getting through it. However, the other day, Persia took a three-hour nap in my arms, and I nearly finished it.
This book is awful, just awful. The author, though a professional editor, really doesn't know how to write. I kept thinking she was rushing. She told more than showed and showed where it should have been told. I think she really wants the story to be a movie and if it is one, it will be one of those rare occurences where the movie is better than the book.
I, personally, hate writing dialogue. Evidently, so does this author. In some sections of the book, she writes like she's writing a script for a movie or a play. And it just smacks of bored writer. I wonder if she had an editor or if she works for the publishing company where this book was published. This book is nothing close to Steele Magnolias, nor Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood.
The book has too many undeveloped characters. The main character is also very shallow. There are scenes that are so brief and unrelated to the story that I was left wondering what she was trying to do. It's nearly like a long outline of a book that might be good when the author finally gets around to writing it.
I found it amusing that the main character supposedly went to Harrisburg High. It was goofy how it was written, though. I'm betting the author is from Pennsylvania.
There were a few parts in the story where I did feel inspired to knit and I liked that, but overall I hated the book.
Anybody want it?
Oy! The best thing about this book was the cover photo. Gosh. I read this book slowly because I have very limited time for pleasure reading. I was annoyed with the overuse of the words "nosh" and "kybosh" for one thing, which grabbed my attention in the first few chapters. I decided to keep reading it because I felt that I was hyper-analyzing the book due to the slow pace with which I was getting through it. However, the other day, Persia took a three-hour nap in my arms, and I nearly finished it.
This book is awful, just awful. The author, though a professional editor, really doesn't know how to write. I kept thinking she was rushing. She told more than showed and showed where it should have been told. I think she really wants the story to be a movie and if it is one, it will be one of those rare occurences where the movie is better than the book.
I, personally, hate writing dialogue. Evidently, so does this author. In some sections of the book, she writes like she's writing a script for a movie or a play. And it just smacks of bored writer. I wonder if she had an editor or if she works for the publishing company where this book was published. This book is nothing close to Steele Magnolias, nor Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood.
The book has too many undeveloped characters. The main character is also very shallow. There are scenes that are so brief and unrelated to the story that I was left wondering what she was trying to do. It's nearly like a long outline of a book that might be good when the author finally gets around to writing it.
I found it amusing that the main character supposedly went to Harrisburg High. It was goofy how it was written, though. I'm betting the author is from Pennsylvania.
There were a few parts in the story where I did feel inspired to knit and I liked that, but overall I hated the book.
Anybody want it?
September 9, 2008
This was a really GREAT book! Its a story if strength, perseverance (sp), tenacity and most of all, love and how love touches and affects everything around you even when you aren't aware that it is. Is is also the story of forgiveness and the love that can come when forgiveness happens.
This is the story of Georgia Walker. And of her daughter Dakota. And the knitting shop she opened when she found herself single, pregnant and alone in a city she wasn't sure she wanted to stay in. And its the story of Anita, Georgia's "fairy godmother" who meets Georgia and helps her start her business and in doing that becomes her friend and the mother Georgia always wanted but didn't have.
And with Anita's help, Georgia opens her store, raises her daughter and makes new friends (many that are VERY interesting characters) while (reluctantly [sp]) re-connecting with old friends. And in the midst of everything is knitting and the love of that that binds them together. In ways that they all would never imagine.
At times light and funny and at times dark, thought-provoking and serious (and at times SAD!), this book was such a great read for me. It made me think and look at my own life and what I am doing (and NOT doing) with it!!!
LOVED this book!!!!
This is the story of Georgia Walker. And of her daughter Dakota. And the knitting shop she opened when she found herself single, pregnant and alone in a city she wasn't sure she wanted to stay in. And its the story of Anita, Georgia's "fairy godmother" who meets Georgia and helps her start her business and in doing that becomes her friend and the mother Georgia always wanted but didn't have.
And with Anita's help, Georgia opens her store, raises her daughter and makes new friends (many that are VERY interesting characters) while (reluctantly [sp]) re-connecting with old friends. And in the midst of everything is knitting and the love of that that binds them together. In ways that they all would never imagine.
At times light and funny and at times dark, thought-provoking and serious (and at times SAD!), this book was such a great read for me. It made me think and look at my own life and what I am doing (and NOT doing) with it!!!
LOVED this book!!!!
August 23, 2017
Meh...
I'm sorry, but that's all that it turned out to be. Just "Meh..."
I liked the blurb of the book and expected really nice, emotional and character driven story....
The first quarter of the book was not too bad and looked like the story was going to develop and get going. But instead it went more and more downhill.
Petty rivalry, boring, flat characters, nothing really exciting.
I had to force myself to finish it. And "finish" is rather an exaggerated term. I flicked through the pages, trying to read, struggling with boredom and desire just to put this book away not to see it ever again :))
So, no, knitting is good as a hobby, but as a set up for a book, maybe not so much. Not for this book, anyway.
I'm sorry, but that's all that it turned out to be. Just "Meh..."
I liked the blurb of the book and expected really nice, emotional and character driven story....
The first quarter of the book was not too bad and looked like the story was going to develop and get going. But instead it went more and more downhill.
Petty rivalry, boring, flat characters, nothing really exciting.
I had to force myself to finish it. And "finish" is rather an exaggerated term. I flicked through the pages, trying to read, struggling with boredom and desire just to put this book away not to see it ever again :))
So, no, knitting is good as a hobby, but as a set up for a book, maybe not so much. Not for this book, anyway.
Read
December 2, 2008I don't know why I keep reading this book. The reviews on the back were good, and claimed a relationship to Steel Magnolias and How To Make An American Quilt.
Well, I think this is a sophomoric attempt to ride on the coattails of those great works. So many exclamation points! So much 6th grade sentence structure! Far too much parenthetical explanation of character - every time the author wants to add a new detail to a character's life/personality, she has to justify it in a parentheses.
The thing is not poetic at all, which it could have been. It really could have been something good - the metaphor of knitting is a powerful one - isn't that why Dickens used it in Tale of Two Cities? But Jacobs just never measures up.
I think I keep reading it because I actually paid money for it. :-)
I finally had to give it up. I just couldn't take the poor writing. I began to not care about the characters, so it was time to let go. And I am glad I did. Someone somewhere will love this book. It just wasn't me.
Well, I think this is a sophomoric attempt to ride on the coattails of those great works. So many exclamation points! So much 6th grade sentence structure! Far too much parenthetical explanation of character - every time the author wants to add a new detail to a character's life/personality, she has to justify it in a parentheses.
The thing is not poetic at all, which it could have been. It really could have been something good - the metaphor of knitting is a powerful one - isn't that why Dickens used it in Tale of Two Cities? But Jacobs just never measures up.
I think I keep reading it because I actually paid money for it. :-)
I finally had to give it up. I just couldn't take the poor writing. I began to not care about the characters, so it was time to let go. And I am glad I did. Someone somewhere will love this book. It just wasn't me.
February 20, 2008
If this weren't about knitting..I probably wouldn't have picked this up. While the premise is entertaining, the executing left something to be desired.
I found the characters to be shallow and not all that likeable, and the jumping between viewpoints to be distracting and choppy. (Maeve Binchy is a master of this art, so it can be done successfully). The overall effect was a tome that was ponderous and difficult to read.
Georgia (to be blunt) gave me a pain with her stand-offishness, and I was not at all clear as to why other women flocked around her and offered her their undying affection and admiration. And the idea of James and Cat returning to her life within a matter of weeks was WAY too coincidental.
My favorite characters were those who got the least playtime. Now that Georgia's gone, maybe we can see more of the rest of the group -- the more interesting members.
I found the characters to be shallow and not all that likeable, and the jumping between viewpoints to be distracting and choppy. (Maeve Binchy is a master of this art, so it can be done successfully). The overall effect was a tome that was ponderous and difficult to read.
Georgia (to be blunt) gave me a pain with her stand-offishness, and I was not at all clear as to why other women flocked around her and offered her their undying affection and admiration. And the idea of James and Cat returning to her life within a matter of weeks was WAY too coincidental.
My favorite characters were those who got the least playtime. Now that Georgia's gone, maybe we can see more of the rest of the group -- the more interesting members.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 9, 2019
Knit one, purl two. I have very fond memories of watching my mother knitting. She spent hours and hours in her favorite chair knitting scarves, slippers, and sweaters for her family and others. But she did not have anything like Georgia Walker’s
Friday Night Knitting Club
! Perhaps she’d have loved it. I think I might, even though I never really got the hang of knitting.
The Friday Night Knitting Club revolves around an independently owned yarn shop called Walker and Daughter. Single mom Georgia Walker and her 12-year-old daughter Dakota is the centerpiece of this warm yarn, but there are many other essential ingredients as well. Dakota is a beautiful, confident bi-racial child who has never met her father. She and her mother have a very close relationship, and Dakota takes an active role in the life of the store. When customers begin hanging out to work on projects and asking questions about their knitting, the Friday night knitting club is born. Dakota, who loves to bake, takes on the task of providing treats for the group every week.
It took me a while to settle in to this story, but once I did, I realized that was okay because, after all, that’s how we make friends in life. We slowly get to know them. We exchange small talk, stories, and complaints before we get a deeper understanding of who they are. Eventually, I came to love Darwin, Peri, Lucie, and K.C. My favorite friend was Anita, Georgia’s 72-year-old mentor. She was a mother figure, and she was the younger woman’s rock in a storm. But when Anita had questions and challenges of her own, Georgia was there for her too.
Talk about stormy weather! First, there is James. James is the father of Dakota, and Georgia has written him off for good. Hasn’t she? Well, no. Then there is Cat, Georgia’s childhood friend. Ex-friend. Without giving any details, let’s say that persistence on the part of the offenders and the wisdom of Georgia’s Scottish Granny help
Georgia to learn about forgiveness. It takes a strong person to say he/she is sorry and a strong person to forgive.
Each person in this book is on a unique journey. Without the support of the others, it seems, the road would be lonely and rocky indeed. Yes, there is some knitting done on Friday nights. Lots of snacking too. But on Friday nights, and on days not called Friday, bonds have been forged. When help is desperately needed, these women answer the call.
This book did not “wow” me, but it touched me in unexpected ways. The characters felt very real. Their fears, their loneliness, their desires, their caring for one another, their pain – all of it seem so human. I felt the bonds of friendship and love, the angst, the frustrations, the uncertainties. I laughed, I shed a few tears, and at the end, despite the sadness I felt, I knew that everyone was going to be okay.
4 stars
The Friday Night Knitting Club revolves around an independently owned yarn shop called Walker and Daughter. Single mom Georgia Walker and her 12-year-old daughter Dakota is the centerpiece of this warm yarn, but there are many other essential ingredients as well. Dakota is a beautiful, confident bi-racial child who has never met her father. She and her mother have a very close relationship, and Dakota takes an active role in the life of the store. When customers begin hanging out to work on projects and asking questions about their knitting, the Friday night knitting club is born. Dakota, who loves to bake, takes on the task of providing treats for the group every week.
It took me a while to settle in to this story, but once I did, I realized that was okay because, after all, that’s how we make friends in life. We slowly get to know them. We exchange small talk, stories, and complaints before we get a deeper understanding of who they are. Eventually, I came to love Darwin, Peri, Lucie, and K.C. My favorite friend was Anita, Georgia’s 72-year-old mentor. She was a mother figure, and she was the younger woman’s rock in a storm. But when Anita had questions and challenges of her own, Georgia was there for her too.
Talk about stormy weather! First, there is James. James is the father of Dakota, and Georgia has written him off for good. Hasn’t she? Well, no. Then there is Cat, Georgia’s childhood friend. Ex-friend. Without giving any details, let’s say that persistence on the part of the offenders and the wisdom of Georgia’s Scottish Granny help
Georgia to learn about forgiveness. It takes a strong person to say he/she is sorry and a strong person to forgive.
Each person in this book is on a unique journey. Without the support of the others, it seems, the road would be lonely and rocky indeed. Yes, there is some knitting done on Friday nights. Lots of snacking too. But on Friday nights, and on days not called Friday, bonds have been forged. When help is desperately needed, these women answer the call.
This book did not “wow” me, but it touched me in unexpected ways. The characters felt very real. Their fears, their loneliness, their desires, their caring for one another, their pain – all of it seem so human. I felt the bonds of friendship and love, the angst, the frustrations, the uncertainties. I laughed, I shed a few tears, and at the end, despite the sadness I felt, I knew that everyone was going to be okay.
4 stars
January 23, 2009
While I agree with Anna that this is not a great book, I did come away with two passages from the book that I really liked:
When Dakota, Georgia and Cat went to Scotland to visit Gran, I liked what Gran said to Dakota:
"But just so you know, that we are, each one of us--even poor Cat--held together by the invisible threads of our histories" (page 228 in the paperback)
and when Darwin finally got her thesis started I enjoyed what she had written:
"Knitting.
Does this skill have validity for the modern woman?
Yes.
There is tremendous power when women hold on to, or reclaim, in the case of many young women today, the traditional skills of women who went before us. In the developed world, knitting is at once a reminder and a connection to the struggles of our collective past, when warm clothing was a necessity that could be made only by hand, and a joyous celebration of the ingenuity and creativity of our mothers and grandmothers."
(page 355 in the paperback)
When Dakota, Georgia and Cat went to Scotland to visit Gran, I liked what Gran said to Dakota:
"But just so you know, that we are, each one of us--even poor Cat--held together by the invisible threads of our histories" (page 228 in the paperback)
and when Darwin finally got her thesis started I enjoyed what she had written:
"Knitting.
Does this skill have validity for the modern woman?
Yes.
There is tremendous power when women hold on to, or reclaim, in the case of many young women today, the traditional skills of women who went before us. In the developed world, knitting is at once a reminder and a connection to the struggles of our collective past, when warm clothing was a necessity that could be made only by hand, and a joyous celebration of the ingenuity and creativity of our mothers and grandmothers."
(page 355 in the paperback)
June 21, 2017
This book has an unexpected kind of Karmic wheel ending, but the whole books is well written and well spoken (I listened to the audio version from Audible.com). It starts out in a way that, I think, most of find ourselves in at some point in life: doing fine and not able to see how life could be better. In this case, our heroine's life does get better when she opens her heart and her life to other people: old and new friends. The setting is the Walker and Daughter Knitting shop in New York City. I like this setting, because of the camaraderie I feel with other knitters, quiltmakers, crochet-mavens, etc. There is something special about a group of people who get together on a regular basis (daily, weekly, monthly) and make stuff. There is so much more to such a group that that simple statement. Craft groups share their lives, their trials and tribulations, successes and confidences. Craft groups become part of extended families. This book includes the evolution of such a group and how the various women change who belong - not necessarily solely because of the group, but...as a result of it. I really enjoyed this book and it made me want to pick up knitting needles again.
2017: I think everything I wrote in my 2008 review is still true. This time I focused my listening (audio version again) on the relationship between Georgia and Dakota. We only hear about it from Georgia's point of view, but we get a sense of the change coming as Dakota grows up and changes. I would like to see a book from Dakota's point of view. Perhaps this same book, but from her point of view?
I also like the various mother-daughter relationships in the book. Georgia and Dakota, of course, but also Anita and Georgia. We all need a kind of mother-mentor.
I have the second and third installments ready to read as well.
2017: I think everything I wrote in my 2008 review is still true. This time I focused my listening (audio version again) on the relationship between Georgia and Dakota. We only hear about it from Georgia's point of view, but we get a sense of the change coming as Dakota grows up and changes. I would like to see a book from Dakota's point of view. Perhaps this same book, but from her point of view?
I also like the various mother-daughter relationships in the book. Georgia and Dakota, of course, but also Anita and Georgia. We all need a kind of mother-mentor.
I have the second and third installments ready to read as well.
December 3, 2017
This is not the type of book I usually read. I tend to stay away from both bestsellers and chick lit. But my Mom has taken up knitting again recently and when I saw this book at the library sale shelves I thought it might be fun to give it a go and then let Mom have it. Besides, at fifty cents, the price was right!
The front cover had a line that said the book was like Steel Magnolias only set in Manhattan. So I was prepared for someone to die and someone to be born and at least one quick-witted, sassy woman in the bunch.
That's basically what I found, but the book was not on the same level as Steel Magnolias. I cared about all the characters there. Here I liked a few, but most of the ladies who gradually formed their knitting club and became somewhat reluctant friends did not seem real to me. The worst part was that I did not like or understand the main character. She never seemed to be as wonderful as other people thought she was. I mean that reading pages where she was in the center of the action, she seemed to be a ghost, sort of there but not alive. Only when anyone else talked about her, she sounded like Super Woman. I kept asking myself what are these people seeing that I am not?
Yes, she raised her daughter by herself. Yes, she ran a fancy yarn shop. But did she live and breathe on the page? Was she interesting as a personality? No, not in my opinion. I simply never cared what happened to her.
Steel Magnolias made me cry. This book did not. Enough said.
The front cover had a line that said the book was like Steel Magnolias only set in Manhattan. So I was prepared for someone to die and someone to be born and at least one quick-witted, sassy woman in the bunch.
That's basically what I found, but the book was not on the same level as Steel Magnolias. I cared about all the characters there. Here I liked a few, but most of the ladies who gradually formed their knitting club and became somewhat reluctant friends did not seem real to me. The worst part was that I did not like or understand the main character. She never seemed to be as wonderful as other people thought she was. I mean that reading pages where she was in the center of the action, she seemed to be a ghost, sort of there but not alive. Only when anyone else talked about her, she sounded like Super Woman. I kept asking myself what are these people seeing that I am not?
Yes, she raised her daughter by herself. Yes, she ran a fancy yarn shop. But did she live and breathe on the page? Was she interesting as a personality? No, not in my opinion. I simply never cared what happened to her.
Steel Magnolias made me cry. This book did not. Enough said.
February 16, 2009
An interesting portrayal of an assortment of women living in Manhattan and drawn together in various ways to a small, privately-owned yarn shop which seems to spontaneously spawn a Friday Night Knitting Club. Every character is unconventional. Is this because it's New York, a novel or because there are no more 'ordinary'* families left in America? One wonders...
The language and situations leave something to be desired. Also, whereas previous generations of women ran into each other at the well, river, ‘Red Tent’, church social, mall or most recently the work-out studio, now young women have to worry about seeing their friends and neighbors at Planned Parenthood—and for a variety of different reasons. Well at least they do in The Friday Night Knitting Club. Times change.
Parts of TFNKC touched me deeply, especially the character of Anita. The description of her mourning her beloved spouse, Stan, dead ten years had me in tears and reaching over to touch my own dear husband. Another particularly moving scene was when Georgia's mother unexpectedly came to visit her in the hospital; they had a long history of a strained and difficult relationship which it took Georgia a long time to realise she had partially caused.
Other parts of the book which dealt with more dramatic situations, however, failed to move me in the same way. Although life and death issues were an undercurrent of the book, God was most frequently a word of exclamation and not a person, force nor meaningful part of any of the character's lives. I suppose this may be true for groups of women in New York (and elsewhere) who come together, love and support each other in true altruism and goodness, but I have trouble believing it.
Clever "knitting" together of crafting techniques with relationship themes. Entertaining.
* Or 'typical' or whatever politically correct word is appropriate these days.
The language and situations leave something to be desired. Also, whereas previous generations of women ran into each other at the well, river, ‘Red Tent’, church social, mall or most recently the work-out studio, now young women have to worry about seeing their friends and neighbors at Planned Parenthood—and for a variety of different reasons. Well at least they do in The Friday Night Knitting Club. Times change.
Parts of TFNKC touched me deeply, especially the character of Anita. The description of her mourning her beloved spouse, Stan, dead ten years had me in tears and reaching over to touch my own dear husband. Another particularly moving scene was when Georgia's mother unexpectedly came to visit her in the hospital; they had a long history of a strained and difficult relationship which it took Georgia a long time to realise she had partially caused.
Other parts of the book which dealt with more dramatic situations, however, failed to move me in the same way. Although life and death issues were an undercurrent of the book, God was most frequently a word of exclamation and not a person, force nor meaningful part of any of the character's lives. I suppose this may be true for groups of women in New York (and elsewhere) who come together, love and support each other in true altruism and goodness, but I have trouble believing it.
Clever "knitting" together of crafting techniques with relationship themes. Entertaining.
* Or 'typical' or whatever politically correct word is appropriate these days.
October 1, 2007
post-read: so, now i'm finished. this book was basically chick-lit. i felt the story wasn't too shabby, but writing style/tone made me feel like i was reading a high schooler's creative writing assignment. SO prosaic and cliche. in another author's hands, it could have been much better. the ending, as jeni said, was surprising, and i think the author used it to separate it from its chick-lit sistren, but it didn't work. it did make me tear up a LITTLE, and i was entertained, and the characters were likeable, but all this wasn't enough to pull it into a 3 star rating. i put it a little higher than the shopaholic books sophie kinsella and a little lower than jennifer weiner books jennifer weiner.
i got this for a dollar at borders. it's not like i was super pumped to read it, friends giving it only a medium rating. i'm really just too tired at home to read anything too taxing. i think it's related to how much brain power i use at work. i'm still pretty busy and doing big, new projects, so my ability to read novels that do more than skim the surface is lacking. but the pendulum will swing the other way soon, i'm sure.
i got this for a dollar at borders. it's not like i was super pumped to read it, friends giving it only a medium rating. i'm really just too tired at home to read anything too taxing. i think it's related to how much brain power i use at work. i'm still pretty busy and doing big, new projects, so my ability to read novels that do more than skim the surface is lacking. but the pendulum will swing the other way soon, i'm sure.
April 8, 2011
I'm reading this for book club. So far it's very, very girlly, but I kind of like it for some reason.
Things wrap up a bit too easily though. I kind of wish that was the case and it's making me want to knit.
Later
That's it. This has been a TERRIBLE YEAR FOR BOOKS. I'm so mad at books. Music has been excellent and awesome, leading me to Iamamiwhoami/Jonna Lee, Poets of the Fall and lovely Apocalyptica songs. But books! Not so much.
I'm so through with adult books and young adult books.
I hate chick lit. I hate all of the stupid chick lit cliches this writer used. I was liking this book, liking the characters and then, THIS PLOT SHIFT! AUGH! WHY!?
It had be cussing in rage and frustration. It's like those stupid girl movies when just as the female lead finds love and contently BOOM. She dies of cancer. WHY DO THAT?!?!? I know it happens in reality, but this is just an irritating as heck plot point, is what it is. It's an irritating device designed to drive me out of my mind.
That is it. I'm going to read children's books instead.
Things wrap up a bit too easily though. I kind of wish that was the case and it's making me want to knit.
Later
That's it. This has been a TERRIBLE YEAR FOR BOOKS. I'm so mad at books. Music has been excellent and awesome, leading me to Iamamiwhoami/Jonna Lee, Poets of the Fall and lovely Apocalyptica songs. But books! Not so much.
I'm so through with adult books and young adult books.
I hate chick lit. I hate all of the stupid chick lit cliches this writer used. I was liking this book, liking the characters and then, THIS PLOT SHIFT! AUGH! WHY!?
It had be cussing in rage and frustration. It's like those stupid girl movies when just as the female lead finds love and contently BOOM. She dies of cancer. WHY DO THAT?!?!? I know it happens in reality, but this is just an irritating as heck plot point, is what it is. It's an irritating device designed to drive me out of my mind.
That is it. I'm going to read children's books instead.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 3, 2008
My mother recommended this book so I picked it up at the airport on my way home from New Years. Since I'm trying to pick the hobby of knitting back up, I thought it was appropriate. At first I wasn't a fan of the book, Jacob's writing initially choppy and unsophisticated, I almost put it down. Since I was stuck on a plane, I didn't, and I'm so glad. I quickly fell in love with the characters, suddenly they became my own little hodge-podge group of friends and I was jealous of their "Friday Night Knitting Club" ritual. This is an excellent portrait of women's courage, compassion, and friendship. Emotional too, I'm not going to lie, I cried a little bit. If you don't knit, you'd wish you did. If you do, you wish you had a place to go like this.
August 26, 2016
Fome, fome, fome. Me lo llevé a un viaje y NO PUDE seguirlo. Fue una pena porque viajaba sola y estaba en un lugar muy remoto y no había otro libro más. Al final decidí dejarlo y encontrarme conmigo misma, jaja. Lo abandoné, cual buen samaritana, en el lugar donde me alojaba, para otro viajero. O mala samaritana, si era como yo, jeje.
A favor del libro, también lo leyeron mi mamá y unas amigas y les gustó. Pero a mí me dio entre frustración y somnolencia. Me hacía enojar. Eran todas las cosas obvias del mundo reunidas. Me sentí atrapada en un laberinto de sinsentidos.
Exagerado, sí, pero, buéh. Al final me bajé del taxi a medio andar.
A favor del libro, también lo leyeron mi mamá y unas amigas y les gustó. Pero a mí me dio entre frustración y somnolencia. Me hacía enojar. Eran todas las cosas obvias del mundo reunidas. Me sentí atrapada en un laberinto de sinsentidos.
Exagerado, sí, pero, buéh. Al final me bajé del taxi a medio andar.
April 3, 2009
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I loved the little nuggets of wisdom throughout, the concept of creating things to bring completeness to life and relationships, the friendship, the sisterhood. I need to go knit something now.
May 30, 2018
I decided to read this book because it combined knitting and New York; two of my favorite things but this was disappointing.
January 5, 2009
I really enjoyed this one. Even got a little teary at the end. There is one sequence in Scotland I felt dragged but overall an entertaining read.
December 1, 2022
Not my type of book, but I enjoyed this much more because I read it with a friend. It’s hallmark type of scenarios and outcomes so if you are a fan of those you will love this. It was entertaining and silly and an over all good time.
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