A Thread of Truth

The Cobbled Court Series, Book 2

By: Marie Bostwick

Narrated by: Renée Raudman, Pam Ward

Length: 12 hrs and 16 mins

Publisher's Summary

Come home to Marie Bostwick’s poignant novel of new beginnings, old friends, and the rich, varied tapestry of lives fully lived.

At 27, having fled an abusive marriage with little more than her kids and the clothes on her back, Ivy Peterman figures she has nowhere to go but up. Quaint, historic New Bern, Connecticut, seems as good a place as any to start afresh. With a part-time job at Cobbled Court Quilts and budding friendships, Ivy feels hopeful for the first time in ages.

But when a popular television quilting show is taped at the quilt shop, Ivy’s unwitting appearance in an on-air promo alerts her ex-husband to her whereabouts. Suddenly Ivy is facing the fight of her life—one that forces her to face her deepest fears as a woman and a mother. This time, however, she’s got a sisterhood behind her: companions as complex, strong, and lasting as the quilts they stitch.

©2009 Marie Bostwick Skinner (P)2010 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic Reviews

“Stitched into the heartwarming second installment of Bostwick’s contemporary New England quilters series is an unbreakable thread of friendship and faith.” ( Publishers Weekly)

“Highly recommended.” ( Library Journal)

another great read by Marie Bostwick

This is the 2nd in the series and the 2nd Bostwick book for me. I again felt captivated with the new and returning characters from the first book. I love the way she continued developing the characters without forgetting their history from the first book. I was captivated from start to finish. Would recommend the series!

Truly one of my new favorite authors!

I never had any interest in quilting - ever! I was looking for a series with a good set of characters to replace those I had already finished and this author certainly filled that gap. The characters are endearing and when you finish the book you feel like you lost your best friends - these are the best kinds of book!!! Now, I want to learn to quilt!

"Comfort Listening"

Where does A Thread of Truth rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Top 10%

What did you like best about this story?

The characters are everyday women with real trials and triumphs.

What does Renée Raudman and Pam Ward bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

They each bring their character to life.

Any additional comments?

This book is like "comfort food", it is good for your soul. It is easy to become involved in the lives of these great characters.

Irritating narrators

The story was just okay, it could have been better with proper narration. I had to slow one character to .9 The main character’s voice was too slow and annoying; I had to speed up her voice to 1.1. Finally, I was just bored with it all and did not finish the book.

Easy listen

Characters picked right up from the previous story, which was good. I listened to the 4 stories in a row and now am going back to give the review. I did not make a mental note of any negative so that is good. I would recommend the stories series to anyone.

A well-written, touching, tidy package of inspiration

This story was developed well with excellent, identifiable and consistent characters. The story was meaty and powerful yet infused with love and hope. My only complaint about this book was the off-putting description and behaviors attributed to one of the “older” women in the book. The manner in which she was described, both physically and behaviorally, led me to believe this character was well into her 70s. And that would have been fine - but imagine my surprise when at least halfway through the book it was stated the character was 50 years old!! I found the portrayal of that character as an “elderly woman” quite annoying. I don’t know the age of the author, but I think she needs to get out a bit and get to KNOW women in their 50s instead of letting her erroneous preconceived notions get such a strong foothold in her writing.

Compassion, Comrades, Connections & Confrontation

Another great in the Cobbled Court Series, the second installment finds Ivy Peterman fleeing her abusive husband, with her two kids, Bethany and Bobby . . . running from one women's shelter to another . . . until ending up in New Bern . . . where she finally finds some roots . . . and some wonderful accepting and loving friends . . . I was pleased as punch to "meet" Abigail, who is filthy rich, quirky as all get out, and her niece, who is the only one bold enough to talk back to her . . . as generous as she is rich, Abigail takes on Ivy's cause, as does, Franklin, Abigail's attorney boyfriend . . . and the entire quilt circle comes around Ivy with love and support as her bully of a husband arrives trying to steal her kids from her and force her back home . . . hooray for Marie Bostwick for having the courage to take on the issue of domestic abuse, which is a happening in families, behind closed doors, in all walks of life and every income level . . . she did it tastefully . . . and lovingly . . . without shying away from the truth . . . and as always, she included time for quilting and laughter . . . I am enjoying this series more and more . . .

Another Good Cobbled Court Book

Any additional comments?

Cobbled Court series books are an easy read/listen. They are not especially deep or nail biters, but very pleasant and if you are a quilter or a cancer survivor as I am, there are so many thoughts, emotions and actions you can relate to. I'm assuming the same is true for abuse survivors and divorcees. I enjoy these books and will continue with the series. The characters are very believable, especially if you've been or are from the South.

Peee-eeuuu!!

What disappointed you about A Thread of Truth?

Oh, there was so much that was bad about this book that I do not know where to begin! Why do we even care about Ivy, as she is lying to everyone all the time? Stories of abuse are not what I call 'entertainment' and this one was certainly a dud. I did not even finish listening as I got so frustrated with Ivy's whining and constantly trying to run away.

What could Marie Bostwick have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

I wish she had not written this book. Her first book was more entertaining. This one is not worth the trouble.

How could the performance have been better?

The narrator for Ivy had a whining voice, which, while appropriate for the character, grated on my nerves.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

I would say I was frustrated and disappointed in this book. I had hoped to listen to it while I was in my sewing room, but I simply could not get through more than half the book before I gave it up as a waste of time.

Any additional comments?

Don't bother. It is not worth your hard-earned money!

Disappointed

Would you try another book from Marie Bostwick and/or Renée Raudman and Pam Ward ?

This was my second book after " A Single Thread" - which I enjoyed. But this just retells the same story and seemed to be a repeat of previous. So I would not choose another from her series.

What was most disappointing about Marie Bostwick’s story?

It was repeating too much. If I hadn't heard the previous book it would be ok. She added a new character- that was a very annoying single mother type. It was dragging out on a weak story.

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Renée Raudman and Pam Ward ?

Narrators were fine.