“Stitched together with love, this is a story just waiting for your favorite reading chair. With her signature style and skill, Susan Wiggs delivers an intricate patchwork of old wounds and new beginnings, romance and the healing power of friendship, wrapped in a lovely little community that’s hiding a few secrets of its own.” — Lisa Wingate, New York Times Bestselling author of Before We Were … author of Before We Were Yours
The #1 New York Times bestselling author brings us her most ambitious and provocative work yet—a searing and timely novel that explores the most volatile issue of our time—domestic violence.
At the break of dawn, Caroline Shelby rolls into Oysterville, Washington, a tiny hamlet at the edge of the raging Pacific.
She’s come home.
Home to a place she thought she’d left forever, home of her heart and memories, but not her future. Ten years ago, Caroline launched a career in the glamorous fashion world of Manhattan. But her success in New York imploded on a wave of scandal and tragedy, forcing her to flee to the only safe place she knows.
And in the backseat of Caroline’s car are two children who were orphaned in a single chilling moment—five-year-old Addie and six-year-old Flick. She’s now their legal guardian—a role she’s not sure she’s ready for.
But the Oysterville she left behind has changed. Her siblings have their own complicated lives and her aging parents are hoping to pass on their thriving seafood restaurant to the next generation. And there’s Will Jensen, a decorated Navy SEAL who’s also returned home after being wounded overseas. Will and Caroline were forever friends as children, with the promise of something more . . . until he fell in love with Sierra, Caroline’s best friend and the most beautiful girl in town. With her modeling jobs drying up, Sierra, too, is on the cusp of reinventing herself.
Caroline returns to her favorite place: the sewing shop owned by Mrs. Lindy Bloom, the woman who inspired her and taught her to sew. There she discovers that even in an idyllic beach town, there are women living with the deepest of secrets. Thus begins the Oysterville Sewing Circle—where women can join forces to support each other through the troubles they keep hidden.
Yet just as Caroline regains her creativity and fighting spirit, and the children begin to heal from their loss, an unexpected challenge tests her courage and her heart. This time, though, Caroline is not going to run away. She’s going to stand and fight for everything—and everyone—she loves.
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One of my favorite authors
I loved this book, and the topic of abuse of women by husbands, co-workers, etc.
A wonderful book! It’s a warm-hearted story of romance immersed with current events including domestic violence, hidden drug abuse, the me too movement, immigrants and biracial kids. The setting of a small community on the Long Beach peninsula in Pacific County, Washington is very special to me as I actually live in this county, and I drive by the historic courthouse described in chapter 30 every day!
An amazing read dealing with hot topics of today. Caroline, had never expected to return to her hometown of Oysterville with two kids in tow. Life changes quickly when Caroline finds herself unemployed in the fashion industry in New York and a friend of hers ends up dead, leaving two little kids to Caroline. Caroline returns home to family and friends and starts up her new business in fashion design. She hires ladies who have gone through rough patches in their life’s involving domestic abuse. That forms the Oysterville Sewing Circle, a wonderful support group. Her childhood best friend of summer vacations, Will has also returned home. Their friendship develops into much more.
An amazing read that I had a hard time putting down. The story is told in present and past, loved the friendship of Will and Caroline. The topic of domestic abuse was told in a way, that brought tears to my eyes. This is a book that I highly recommend.
Caroline never thought she would be returning to her childhood home of Oysterville and definitely not with two children that weren’t her own.
Caroline had wanted to leave as badly as any young person and head to New York City. Caroline did make it big in New York until a famous designer stole her clothing line.
Her loss and the death of her friend had Caroline returning with her friend’s two children because Caroline had no idea how to take care of a child let alone two.
Caroline had a loving, supportive family to help her and ideas on how to help women of domestic abuse since that is what took her friend who left her the two children.
We get a glimpse into Caroline’s life as a teenager as well as her life now. Her teenage years were just as full of love as her adult life with her family.
THE OYSTERVILLE SEWING CIRCLE was a sweet, beautiful read with lovable characters and a setting you will want to make your own.
If you enjoy sewing, the fashion world, being on a beach setting, learning about running a restaurant, being with loving characters, and seeing women helping other women, THE OYSTERVILLE SEWING CIRCLE will be a wonderful addition to your reading stack.
A truly cozy, heartwarming read for readers of women’s fiction. 5/5
This book was given to me by the publisher as an ARC via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
The Oysterville Sewing Circle is a story with depth and emotion that depicts the quote “life is what happens to you when you’re making other plans” perfectly. Caroline Shelby, a young up and coming New York fashion designer, wakes up one day to find herself with a destroyed career and her best friend’s two children whom she unexpectedly has to raise. With few options left, Caroline heads for home in Oysterville, Washington, a small town perched on the edge of the ocean.
Caroline is not a quitter. With inspiration and drive she begins to put her life back together with the help of family and friends. Not only does she begin to rebuild her new life, she reaches out to help other women who have been victims of harassment, abuse, and violence. Part of the rebuilding process involves dealing with Will Jensen, a close friend from her younger years. Complex and problematical, they work to find what the future will hold for them.
This novel depicts the themes of courage, survival, and trust. The story also highlights the bonds women build when they stand up and support each other during difficult times, as well as the strength of familial bonds. The characters are real and dynamic. The book is an excellent read and one of the better books I have read this summer. Don’t miss it!
This ARC copy was received from William Morrow and Netgalley.com. The above thoughts and opinions are wholly my own
#TheOystervilleSewingCIrcle #NetGalley
I received The Oysterville Sewing Circle in a Goodreads giveaway. This book was very well written, and contained issues that alot of people face in todays world. I loved the interaction between the characters in the book, from the title of the book you would never guess what the book was actually concerning. I would have like a little more substance to the custody battle toward the end of the story. It felt very rushed, but overall I would certainly recommend this book to my friends.
Caroline Shelby has had some roller coaster times in her life. But her childhood friends Will and Sierra, who fell in love and married were one of the earliest pains she hid from everyone. She let her career be the center of her life until her mentor and employer stole her design collection. Then one of her best friends overdosed and left her as guardian to her two young children. Unemployed and blackballed from the career she loved, she returned home with the two traumatized children determined to do right by them. As she talked to her family and friends about her deceased friend, she realized that her friend had been abused and that was part of the reason for her overdose. Caroline decided to do something for the mistreated women in Oysterville and with the help of her family and friends began a support group called the Oysterville Sewing Circle. Raising the children and working with this group of women changed Caroline’s life and somehow worked to bring her back to her first dreams for her life. This was a wonderful story and I was sorry to see it end.