Threads of Hope

Threads of Hope by Leslie Gould is the third book in the Plain Patterns series. Each book can be read as a standalone, but they are wonderful to read as a whole. We return to Plain Patterns owned by Jane Berger where they have the bi-weekly quilting group meeting. Tally Smucker and her mother, Regina attend the meetings when her mother's health allows. Tally has been her mother's caregiver since she was eighteen when her mother suffered a stroke. The Smucker's have a new neighbor, Danielle and her daughter, Maggie. Danielle grew up Amish but left at eighteen to join the Army to get away from her strict parents. Danielle is a widow who is suffering from PTSD. She is managing her symptoms by self-medicating. Danielle's brother, Kenan is worried about Danielle and Maggie. He asks Tally to call him if there are any problems. Tally befriends Danielle and Maggie. Regina, Tally's mother, invites them to the quilting group. The pair soon begin spending more time at the Smucker household. At the quilting group, Jane Berger is restoring an old family quilt. She also acquired some family letters dating back to World War I. She begins telling the story of Katie and Amos which resonates with Tally and Danielle. I enjoyed reading this dual timeline story. I found myself captivated and did not want to stop reading. I like Leslie Gould's writing style. It is engaging and draws the reader into the story. I can tell the author did her research for the historical timeline. She brought the earlier storyline to life with the historical details. We get to see how the Spanish Influenza devastated the world in 1918, how conscientious objectors were treated, and how the Amish were against the war, but they profited from it (vegetable prices skyrocketed). Danielle could relate to Amos' plight as Tally could relate to Katie's. The characters are developed, realistic, and likeable. I like how the author addresses real life issues (PTSD, addiction, harassment, and depression). We get to see our characters deal with their problems and grow as individuals. They must learn to lean of God for help to experience the healing balm of God's love. Faith is an integral part of the story which I thought was beautifully incorporated. I like how we get to see the parallels between what happened in the past and events in the present. Despite the span of over a hundred years, some things never change (disease, war, family drama, war trauma). Threads of Hope is an emotional story with themes of family, friends, and faith. I am glad that we also got updates on the characters from the other two novels in the series. I hope that this is not the last book in the Plain Patterns series. Threads of Hope is a poignant tale with whacked caregivers, extensive influenza epidemic, war trauma, conscientious objectors, farm struggles, life lessons, and His healing balm.