Stitches and books

An update on my 52 Stitches Project -I am just about keeping up, just one behind. I like how the book is looking, but I am not sure it likes staying as a book. I have made plenty of fringes in my time, but never in stitching. Drizzle Stitch was like casting on for knitting, but on a needle - tricky. 






The Women’s Prize Shortlist - a few comments for anyone interested 

Demon Copperhead: Barbara Kingsolver

One boy’s will to survive, despite the hand he has been dealt, is for me and many others the stand out book of the list. It has been favourite to win from the beginning. It may be that, because it has won the Pulitzer Prize, the judges may go for another one, but I hope not. Kingsolver talked eloquently last night about how her aim was to highlight the current social issues around poverty and drug addiction in Appalachia, but it was only whilst staying in Broadstairs that the use of David Copperfield as a vehicle for her story came to her. I love this book, Gordon has read it, friends have read it and they have all enjoyed it too. It’s a big book, takes some getting through and is quite bleak, but the character of Demon is such that you are right  behind him throughout, willing him to be okay. It’s a brilliant book. 

Black Butterflies: Priscilla Morris  

Demon is Kingsolver’s 10th novel, this is Morris’ first. So the conversation last night was fascinating. Black Butterflies recounts the siege of Sarajevo in 1992, seen through the eyes of Zora, an artist and teacher. It is a harsh story, beautifully told. A story of disintegration, loss, but also resilience, hope, the power of art. As the world around them falls apart, Zora and her neighbours watch all they love laid to waste and they are forced to rebuild their lives - over and over - and just try to survive. One immediately gets a vivid picture of what it must be like in Ukraine at the moment, not knowing why your world is being destroyed, but just having to deal with it. A clear message is that this happened to these people, but it could happen to any one of us; the word refugee takes on a whole new meaning. It’s a book I would recommend to anyone. It is short, very readable and will make you think.