Jennifer Chiaverini

Beautiful, intelligent and entrancing, young Kate Chase Sprague stepped into the role of establishing her thrice-widowed father, Salmon P. Chase, in Washington society as a Lincoln cabinet member and as a future presidential candidate. For her efforts, The Washington Star declared her """"the most brilliant woman of her day. None outshone her."""" None, that is, but Mary Todd Lincoln. Though Mrs Lincoln and her young rival held much in common, they could never be friends, for the success of one could come only at the expense of the other.

Depois do casamento de Mildred Fish, uma estudante de pós-graduação do Wisconsin, com o brilhante economista alemão, Arvid Harnack, ela acompanha-o de bom grado até à sua terra natal, onde um futuro

«Um romance revelador e detalhado sobre mulheres admiráveis... Chiaverini tece os fios que se entrelaçam na vida destas valentes mulheres-soldado, salientando o seu profundo sentido de orgulho e deve

Jennifer Chiaverini presenta una novela osada y reveladora sobre una de las grandes historias jamás contadas de la Primera Guerra Mundial: la de las mujeres del Cuerpo de Señales del Ejército de los Estados Unidos.En junio de 1917, el general John Pershing llego a Francia con el objetivo de establecer las fuerzas norteamericanas en Europa. Descubrio rapido que comunicarse con las tropas destacadas en el campo de batalla era imposible. Necesitaba operadores capaces de gestionar las conexiones con rapidez y precision, que hablaran perfectamente frances e ingles, que mantuvieran la serenidad en caso de encontrarse bajo el fuego enemigo y que fuesen totalmente discretos, puesto que las comunicaciones contenian informacion clasificada.Respondieron al anuncio mas de 7600 mujeres, entre ellas Grace Banker, que trabajaba en AT&T impartiendo cursos de manejo de centralitas; Marie Miossec, francesa y cantante de opera; y Valerie DeSmedt, de veinte años, operadora en Pacific Telephone y decidida a luchar a favor de Belgica, su pais de origen. Las tres estuvieron entre las primeras mujeres que juraron lealtad al Ejercito de los Estados Unidos. Los soldados varones a los que sustituyeron necesitaban un minuto para conectar una llamada. Las soldados de centralita lo hacian en solo diez segundos.Ridiculizadas a veces con el mote de chicas hola, las mujeres del Cuerpo de Señales del Ejercito de los Estados Unidos sirvieron con honor y jugaron un papel esencial en la consecucion de la victoria aliada. El riesgo de muerte era real trabajaban mientras llovian bombas a su alrededor, igual que la amenaza de una nueva enfermedad mortal: la gripe española. No todas las operadoras telefonicas lograrian sobrevivir.Su historia nunca habia sido el eje central de una novela hasta ahora.Una novela reveladora y detallada sobre unas mujeres admirables Chiaverini teje los hilos que se entrecruzan en la vida de estas valientes mujeres soldado, destacando su profundo sentido del orgullo y el deber.KIRKUS REVIEWS

Jennifer Chiaverini presenta una novela osada y reveladora sobre una de las grandes historias jamás contadas de la Primera Guerra Mundial: la de las mujeres del Cuerpo de Señales del Ejército de los Estados Unidos.En junio de 1917, el general John Pershing llego a Francia con el objetivo de establecer las fuerzas norteamericanas en Europa. Descubrio rapido que comunicarse con las tropas destacadas en el campo de batalla era imposible. Necesitaba operadores capaces de gestionar las conexiones con rapidez y precision, que hablaran perfectamente frances e ingles, que mantuvieran la serenidad en caso de encontrarse bajo el fuego enemigo y que fuesen totalmente discretos, puesto que las comunicaciones contenian informacion clasificada.Respondieron al anuncio mas de 7600 mujeres, entre ellas Grace Banker, que trabajaba en AT&T impartiendo cursos de manejo de centralitas; Marie Miossec, francesa y cantante de opera; y Valerie DeSmedt, de veinte años, operadora en Pacific Telephone y decidida a luchar a favor de Belgica, su pais de origen. Las tres estuvieron entre las primeras mujeres que juraron lealtad al Ejercito de los Estados Unidos. Los soldados varones a los que sustituyeron necesitaban un minuto para conectar una llamada. Las soldados de centralita lo hacian en solo diez segundos.Ridiculizadas a veces con el mote de chicas hola, las mujeres del Cuerpo de Señales del Ejercito de los Estados Unidos sirvieron con honor y jugaron un papel esencial en la consecucion de la victoria aliada. El riesgo de muerte era real trabajaban mientras llovian bombas a su alrededor, igual que la amenaza de una nueva enfermedad mortal: la gripe española. No todas las operadoras telefonicas lograrian sobrevivir.Su historia nunca habia sido el eje central de una novela hasta ahora.

Young newlyweds Elizabeth and Henry must find a connection between the past and the future in order to build a prosperous life on the Triumph Ranch in this Roaring Twenties tale of boom and bust. When young bride Elizabeth Bergstrom Nelson sets off with her husband, Henry, from her family home of Elm Creek Manor in Pennsylvania to start a new life in the unfamiliar terrain of southern California, they are in for quite a surprise. Expecting to assume ownership of Triumph Ranch, the couple instead learns that their deed is a fake, and that they must work for the rightful proprietors to earn their keep.Resourceful Elizabeth trades her trousseauincluding the fine quilts stitched by her Bergstrom relativesfor the practical goods the Nelsons need to survive and finds friendship with California native Rosa Diaz Barclay.When Elizabeth discovers a mysterious cache of quilts made by a member of the Diaz family that reveals a misplaced legacy of love, land, and ancestral ties, it becomes clear that only by stitching the rift between the past and the future can the inhabitants of Triumph Ranch hope to live in peace alongside history.

Readers of The Quilters Apprentice and Round Robin have been enchanted by Elm Creek Quilt Camp, where women gather each year for quilting, friendship, and fun. The third in the Elm Creek Quilts series introduces a group of far-flung friends who pledge to complete a challenge quiltsymbolic of each womans personal goalsin one years time.These five women arrive at Elm Creek Manor hoping to find in their quilt lessons an escape from the problems they left at home. Julia, an aging starlet, has pinned her hopes to a plum role in a historical epic whose director is under the mistaken impression that Julia already knows how to quilt. Megan is a successful engineer who has won prizes for her miniature quilt designs. The one challenge she has yet to master is single motherhood. Donna, a mother of two, must hasten to teach her daughter independence and self-esteemlessons she, too, must take to heart. Grace is a renowned curator of antique quilts, whose creative flair is waning for reasons she is unwilling to revealeven to her closest friends. Vinnie, the senior member of the group, is a sunny soul with a tragic past. Her overwhelming desire is to bring happiness into the lives of those she loves. Although the Cross-Country Quilters share a common creative goal, as the year goes by their bonds are tested by the demands of daily life. But despite differences in age, race, and background, the friends love for quilting and affection for one another unite them in a patchwork of caring and acceptance. The quilt they make reminds them of an everlasting truthfriends may be separated by great distance, yet the strength of their bond can transcend any obstacle.This charming, inspirational gem of literary fiction is sure to warm your heart.

From the New York Times bestselling author of Mrs. Lincolns Dressmaker and the Elm Creek Quilts series comes a moving novel following a daughters search for her mothers treasured heirlooms.When precious heirloom quilts hand-stitched by her mother turn up missing from the attic of Elm Creek Manor, Sylvia Bergstrom Compson resolves to find them. From scant resourcesjournal entries, receipts, and her own fading memoriesshe pieces together clues, then queries quilting friends from around the world. When dozens of leads arrive via the Internet, Sylvia and her fiance embark on a nationwide investigation of antique shops and quilt museums. Sylvias quest leads her to unexpected places, where offers of assistance are not always what they seem. As the search continues, revelations surface about her mother, who died when Sylvia was only a child. As Sylvia recovers some of the missing quilts and accepts others as lost forever, she reflects on the woman her mother was, and mourns the woman she never knew. For every woman who has yearned to know the untold story of her mothers life, and for every mother who has longed to be heard,The Quilters Legacy resonates with heartfelt honesty as it reveals what tenuous connections bind the generations, and celebrates the love that sustains them.

A heartwarming rendition of how Christmas traditions at Elm Creek Manor were createdand embellishedover generations.When Christmas Eve comes to Elm Creek Manor, the tenor of the holiday is far from certain. Sylvia Bergstrom Compson, the Master Quilter, has her own reasons for preferring a quiet, even subdued, Christmas. Her young friend Sarah McClure, however, takes the opposite view and decides to deck the halls brightly. As she explores the trunks packed with Bergstrom family decorations that havent been touched in more than fifty years, Sarah discovers a curious Christmas quilt. Begun in seasonal fabrics and patterns, the quilt remains unfinished.Sylvia reveals that the handiwork spans several generations and a quartet of Bergstrom quiltersher great aunt, her mother, her sister, and herself. As she examines the array of quilt blocks each family member contributed but never completed, memories of Christmases past emerge.At Elm Creek Manor, Christmas began as a celebration of simple virtuesjoy and hope buoyed by the spirit of giving. As each successive generation of Bergstroms lived through its unique trialsthe antebellum era, the Great Depression, World War IItradition offered sustenance even during the most difficult times. For Sylvia, who is coping with the modern problem of family dispersed, estranged, or even forgotten, reconciliation with her personal history may prove as elusive as piecing the Christmas Quilt.Elm Creek Manor is full of secrets, from a Christmas tree with unusual properties to the sublime Bergstrom strudel recipe. Sylvias tales at first seem to inform her family legacy but ultimately illuminate far more, from the importance of womens art to its place in commemorating our shared experience, at Christmastime and in every season.

As each holiday season approaches, some revel in welcoming the New Year ahead; others quietly mourn the passing of time gone by."We cant hold on to the past," says Master Quilter Sylvia Compson, "but we can keep the best part of Auld Lang Syne in our hearts and in our memories, and we can look forward to the future with hope and resolve." As Sylvia, a late-in-life newlywed, has discovered, love can enter our lives at any age. Yet before she can truly delight in her present happiness, she must face the sorrow hidden in her past -- her own role in the tragic circumstances that left her estranged from her sister, Claudia, until it was too late to make amends. Vowing not to repeat the mistake with her new daughter-in-law, Amy, who opposed Sylvias marriage to her father, Andrew, Sylvia must convince Amy that family is more precious than pride. As Sylvia takes up a quilt for the season, begun and abandoned over six years, she recalls the New Years Eve festivities of her youth at Elm Creek Manor as a member of the Bergstrom family. She titles the quilt "New Years Reflections," after her belief that year-end reflections precede resolutions. The quilt blocks she chooses commemorate the wisdom that no one can ever be truly alone if she keeps the memory of those she loved and those who loved her alive in her heart. The New Years Quilt is a novel to enjoy today and to treasure anew each holiday season.

In this heartwarming novel about the meaning of friendship, the Elm Creek quilters pay tribute to their beloved matriarch and the bridal quilt that will be stitched in her honor.The Elm Creek Quilters are as surprised as anyone when their beloved matriarch, Sylvia Bergstrom Compson, marries her sweetheart, Andrew, at a festive holiday gathering at her ancestral home on Christmas Eve. Eager to celebrate the union, her friends decide to create a beautiful wedding quilt to warm the newlyweds home and hearts.A secret with such good intentions, they reason, couldnt possibly do anyone harm. But although the quilting retreat established at Elm Creek Manor is a place where quilters share their creativity, their challenges, and their dreams, somehow in their haste to find a way to honor the wisdom, skill, and devotion of their favorite master quilter, they forget that sometimes secrets drive friends apart instead of drawing them closer. As financial troubles, relationship struggles, and unexpected opportunities beyond Elm Creek Quilt Camp test the bonds of friendship, the quilters must find a way to stitch together more than Sylvias Bridal Sampler to make a happy ending.

The fourth book in the popular Elm Creek Quilts series explores a question that has long captured the imagination of quilters and historians alike: Did stationmasters of the Underground Railroad use quilts to signal to fugitive slaves?In her first novel, The Quilters Apprentice, Jennifer Chiaverini wove quilting lore with tales from the World War II home front. Now, following Round Robin and The Cross-Country Quilters, Chiaverini revisits the legends of Elm Creek Manor, as Sylvia Compson discovers evidence of her ancestors courageous involvement in the Underground Railroad. Alerted to the possibility that her family had ties to the slaveholding South, Sylvia scours her attic and finds three quilts and a memoir written by Gerda, the spinster sister of clan patriarch Hans Bergstrom. The memoir describes the founding of Elm Creek Manor and how, using quilts as markers, Hans, his wife, Anneke, and Gerda came to beckon fugitive slaves to safety within its walls. When a runaway named Joanna arrives from a South Carolina plantation pregnant with her masters child, the Bergstroms shelter her through a long, dangerous winter -- imagining neither the impact of her presence nor the betrayal that awaits them. The memoir raises new questions for every one it answers, leading Sylvia ever deeper into the tangle of the Bergstrom legacy. Aided by the Elm Creek Quilters, as well as by descendants of others named in Gerdas tale, Sylvia dares to face the demons of her familys past and at the same time reaffirm her own moral center. A spellbinding fugue on the mysteries of heritage, The Runaway Quilt unfolds with all the drama and suspense of a classic in the making.

Jennifer Chiaverinis bestselling Elm Creek Quilts series began with The Quilters Apprentice and continues with Round Robinthe name for a quilt stitched by many hands in turna poignant story of friendship and loyalty.The Elm Creek Quilters have begun a Round Robin quilt, created by sewing concentric patchwork borders to a central block, as a gift for their beloved fellow quilter Sylvia Compson. But even as the quilt is passed from friend to friend, its eloquent beauty increasing with every stitch, the threads of their happiness begin to unravel. As each woman confronts a personal crisis, a painful truth, or a life-changing choice, the quilt serves as a symbol of the complex and enduring bonds between mothers and daughters, sisters and friends.

The New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Chiaverini blends danger, courage, and romance in this novel of antebellum America in the beloved Elm Creek Quilts series.Set in Creeks Crossing, Pennsylvania, in the years leading up to the Civil War, the novel follows Dorothea Grangers passage from innocence to wisdom against the harrowing backdrop of the American struggle over slavery. She discovers that a quilt she has stitched for her uncle Jacob with five unusual patterns of his own design contains hidden clues to guide runaway slaves along the Underground Railroad. The heroic journey she undertakes leads to revelations about her own courage and resourcefulnessnewfound qualities that may win her the heart of the best man she has ever known.

The Elm Creek Quilters are home for the holidays in this heartwarming, cozy Christmas story from New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Chiaverini.For the Elm Creek Quilters, the day after Thanksgiving marks the start of the quilting season, a time to gather at Elm Creek Manor and spend the day stitching holiday gifts for loved ones. This year, in keeping with the seasons spirit of gratitude, Master Quilter Sylvia Bergstrom Compson Cooper is eager to revive a cherished family tradition. A recent remodeling of the manors kitchen unearthed a cornucopia that once served as the centerpiece of the Bergstrom familys holiday table. Into it, each Bergstrom would place an object that symbolized something he or she was especially thankful for that year. On this quilters holiday, Sylvia has invited her friends to continue the tradition by sewing quilt blocks that represent their thankfulness and gratitude.While each quilter explains the significance of her carefully chosen block, stories of love and longing for family and friends emergefeelings that are also expressed in the gifts they work on throughout the day.As an early winter storm blankets Elm Creek Manor in heavy snow, the quilters find new meanings in their best-loved traditions and new reasons to be thankful. A Quilters Holiday is a story of holiday spirit in its truest, most generous senseperfect reading for a cozy evening by the fire.

Another season of Elm Creek Quilt Camp has come to a close, and Bonnie Markham faces a bleak and lonely winter ahead, with her quilt shop out of business and her divorce looming. A welcome escape comes when Claire, a beloved college friend, unexpectedly invites her to Maui to help launch an exciting new business: a quilters retreat set at a bed and breakfast amid the vibrant colors and balmy breezes of the Hawaiian Islands. Soon Bonnie finds herself looking out on sparkling waters and banyan trees, planning quilting courses, and learning the history and intricacies of Hawaiian quilting, all the while helping Claire run the inn.As Bonnies adventure unfolds, it quickly becomes clear that Claires new business isnt the only excitement in store for her. Her cheating, soon-to-be ex-husband decides he wants her stake in Elm Creek Quilts, which threatens not only her financial well-being but her dearest friendships as well. Luckily she has the artistic challenge of creating her own unique Hawaiian quilt pattern to distract herand new friends like Hinano Paoa, owner of the Na Mele Hawaii Music Shop, who introduces Bonnie to the fascinating traditions of Hawaiian culture and reminds her that love can be found when and where you least expect it.

In The Quilters Kitchen, Anna Del Maso revisits the kitchens of Elm Creek Manor, past and present. As she records beloved recipes and creates original dishes seasoned with love, she rediscovers how the gifts of the table bring friends and family closer than ever.Anna Del Maso had known that she wanted to be a chef since she was in the seventh grade. Somehow everything in my life ends up being about food, she realizes, as she begins the latest of her food-themed quilts. Her twin passions have converged in a brand-new position as head chef for Elm Creek Quilts, Waterford, Pennsylvanias popular quilting retreat.As she joins the circle of quilters at historic Elm Creek Manor, Anna is eager to preserve the manors culinary heritage, dating to 1858, while also celebrating the new favorites of their many guests. Yet as Master Quilter Sylvia Bergstrom Compson well knows, the manors kitchen, last updated in the 1940s, cant create food that compares to the state-of-the-art quilting instruction for which Elm Creek Quilts is renowned.A full renovation of the kitchen must be completed by the start of the new camp season. Though the task is daunting, Anna is assured in her belief that A kitchen is the heart of a home. As she and Sylvia begin to dismantle the old to make way for the new, Sylvias reminiscences remind them both of just how many of the manors traditions have involved food and celebrations. Whether the feast is one of the holiday menus prepared and enjoyed by generations of Bergstroms, or one of the Welcome Banquets and Farewell Breakfasts that have become hallmarks of Elm Creek Quilt Camp, there is a story for every recipe, and a recipe for every story.

The ninth book in Jennifer Chiaverinis bestselling series is a beautifully crafted patchwork of friendship, romance, and suspensewhen two of Elm Creek Quilts founding members decide to leave the fold, who can possibly take their place in the circle of quilters? When Elm Creek Quilts announces openings for two new teachers, quilters everywhere are vying to land the prestigious post. The impending departure of two founding members means untold changes for the Elm Creek Quilters. As they begin the interview process, a single question emerges: who can possibly take the place of beloved colleagues and friends? We must evaluate all of the applicants qualities, advises Master Quilter Sylvia Compson. Our choice will say as much about us as it says about who we decide to hire. But who merits a place among the circle of quilters? Will it be Maggie, whose love of history shines through in all her projects; Anna, whose food-themed quilts are wonderfully innovative; Russ, the male quilter with a completely original style; Karen, a novice teacher whose gifts for language complement her deep understanding of the quilters mission; or Gretchen, the soulful veteran whose craft is inspired by quilting tradition?As the members make careful deliberations, cherished memories resurface and inspiring visions for the future take shape. Only by understanding the meaning of what their own labors have wrought can they select the ones who have earned a place among the Circleof Quilters.

Jennifer Chiaverinis bestselling Elm Creek Quilts series continues with The Winding Ways Quilt, in which the arrival of newcomers into the circle of quilters heralds unexpected journeys down pathways near and far.Quilters have flocked to Elm Creek Manor to learn from Master Quilter Sylvia Compson and her expert colleagues. Theres Sarah, Sylvias onetime apprentice whos paired her quilting accomplishments with a mind for running the business of Elm Creek Quilts; Agnes, who has a gift for applique; Gwen, who stitches innovative art quilts; Diane, a whiz at the technicalities of quick-piecing; and Bonnie, with her encyclopedic knowledge of folk art patterns. But with Judy and Summer, two other founding members of the Elm Creek Quilters, departing to pursue other opportunities, will the new teachers be able to fill in the gaps created by the loss of their expertiseand more important, their friendship?"When I think of all the different paths I could have followed in my life, all the twists and turns that could have led me anywhere," muses incoming teacher Gretchen, "its something of a miracle that I ended up here, surrounded by loving friends."But what of friends departed? As Sylvia contemplates a tribute to the partnership of the Elm Creek Quilters, she is reminded of a traditional quilt pattern whose curved pieces symbolize a journey. Winding Ways, a mosaic of overlapping circles and intertwining curves, would capture the spirit of their friendship at the moment of its transformation.Will Sylvias choice inspire the founding members to remember that each is a unique part of a magnificent whole? Will the newcomers find ways to contribute, and to earn their place? The Winding Ways Quilt considers the complicated, often hidden meanings of presence and absence, and what change can mean for those who have come to rely upon one another.

Jennifer Chiaverinis bestselling Elm Creek Quilts series starts with The Quilters Apprentice, a timeless tale of family, friendship, and forgiveness as two women weave the disparate pieces of their lives into a bountiful and harmonious whole, and begin the legacy of the Elm Street Quilters.When Sarah McClure and her husband, Matt, move to Waterford, Pennsylvania, she hopes to make a fresh start in the small college town. Unable to find a job both practical and fulfilling, she takes a temporary position at Elm Creek Manor helping its reclusive owner Sylvia Compson prepare her family estate for sale and after the death of her estranged sister. Sylvia is also a master quilter and, as part of Sarahs compensation, offers to share the secrets of her creative gifts with the younger woman.During their lessons, the intricate, varied threads of Sylvias life begin to emerge. It is the story of a young wife living through the hardships and agonies of the World War II home front; of a family torn apart by jealousy and betrayal; of misunderstanding, loss, and a tragedy that can never be undone. As the bond between them deepens, Sarah resolves to help Sylvia free herself from remembered sorrows and restore her lifeand her hometo its former glory. In the process, she confronts painful truths about her own family, even as she creates new dreams for the future.Just as the darker sections of a quilt can enhance the brighter ones, the mistakes of the past can strengthen understanding and lead the way to new beginnings. A powerful debut by a gifted storyteller, The Quilters Apprentice tells a timeless tale of family, friendship, and forgiveness as two women weave the disparate pieces of their lives into a bountiful and harmonious whole.