Twenty-eight-year-old struggling San Francisco artist Anne McFarland is determined to get a one-woman show, even though no one, including herself, believes she can do it. But when she buys a coat at a thrift shop with a key in its pocket, strange, even magical, occurrences begin to unfold, and she is inspired to create her best work ever. Fifty years earlier, it’s 1963, and the coat’s original … coat’s original owner, young heiress Sylvia Van Dam, is headed toward a disastrous marriage with a scoundrel. In a split-second reaction she does the unimaginable, which propels her on a trip of self-discovery to nature-filled Northern Arizona. When Anne and Sylvia’s lives intersect, they are both forced to face their fears―and, in the process, realize their true potential.
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Mystery, suspense, and romance rolled up and tied neatly in this well-written book, bringing the past to the present through the magic of a vintage coat and the tale of its previous owner.
This is one of the best books I have read in a long time. I could not put this book down.
Author Jill G. Hall enchants her readers with two separate storylines — one from the 1960s, the other, present day. They intersect after a critical truth is learned — “Bright starts on a clear night, sharing what you have with the community, and time with the ones you love” — culminating in an incredibly satisfying outcome.
Loved this book. Loved both main characters and loved the plot. Now I want the coat!
An entertaining read. I like books that go back and forth in time. This definitely did that.
Ann McFarland is a struggling San Francisco artist who is refusing to allow herself to be so down on her luck that she will give in to move back home to Michigan. She needs inspiration to get ideas to start flowing. She has done pieces but often no art dealer with show her work. She is a nobody and has no credance anywhere at this point. But this is her passion, how could she give it all up?
While thrifting, she comes across a black velvet jacket, that she just cannot pass up. Granted she now may not afford groceries and will be short on her rent, once again, but it’s almost calling to her. She cannot leave the store without it. She finds a key in the one pocket and odd things start to happen. She swears she can smell odd scents an on more than one occasion the key appears to have been warm and glowed.
The coat also came with a snowflake pin, a bonus of sorts. This stimulates her creativity and she decides to research this jackets. It is a name brand jacket and where did it come from after all. She stumbles across some new articles of a women and man who went missing the night of their engagement party and it appears the woman is wearing this same jacket, and is that a snowflake pin as well? Can’t be!
Ann has now gone down a rabbit hole of inspiration and wanting to know more. What happened to this couple? Who is the woman? How did this jacket end up in a thrift store decades later, and with a key in the pocket?
Her creativity and inspiration are kicked into high gear, and Ann finds encouragement as she does everything she can to find out who this mystery woman is that is inspiring her work, and once appeared to have worn this very jacket.
A very well written story, told through Ann as well as Sylvia Van Dam, the original owner of the jacket and how things turned out to be. I highly enjoyed this novel and had to run to my book shelf for the next one, The Silver Shoes.
Interesting story, rather unique. Quick read.
A real surprise
This was a wonderful read! Very engaging and beautiful loved it!
Non-traditional, very intriguing and readable, I deserted the other book I was reading to just see what happened in this one. I loved it.
Enjoyable read.
Couldn’t put the book down once I started it. It was different and entertaining. I will definitely read more books by this Author.
A wonderful twist, two stories a generation apart weaving together. Super!
Really enjoyed the book – it tells the stories of two women, both of them finding themselves – walking their own paths. I enjoyed it.
Enjoyed this book ! I really liked the way it went back to an earlier time and than to the present.
I love antiqueing and finding old linens and clothing wonering what their story was.
Loved this book! Stayed up way past my bedtime to finish it because I wanted to see what the author was going to do. Not sorry I did stay up! The Black Velvet Coat is an easy read, but it’s not without its depth. The interconnected lives of two similar yet distinct women weave together and make up the story line. There’s mystery, some magic, murder, remorse, redemption, and self renewal. What’s not to love!
loved this book. Turns and twists intrigue me.
Thought the book was really good with just the right amount of intrigue.
Some of my favorite books are tie-ins from the past to the present, then coming full circle—and this story did just that. San Francisco artist Anne McFarland sees a coat with a snowflake pin she cannot resist in a thrift shop and feels a strong connection to it. When she finds a photo from the 1960s of a young woman wearing what looks like that exact same coat, she does more digging to discover the owner of the coat was a socialite named Sylvia—but she runs into a dead end. Sylvia’s story is told in alternating chapters—a socialite who needed to leave home for fear the police would capture her—I won’t spoil it by telling why. But Anne’s and Sylvia’s lives come full circle towards the end when they actually meet. Having thoroughly enjoyed the premise and the story, I’ll be happy to read more of the Anne McFarland series.