A review by horsley123
A Single Thread by Tracy Chevalier

5.0

I very much enjoyed this book - as with many of Tracey Chevalier's tales I was educated and entertained. I knew that there was a surplus of women after WW1 but had never really put much thought into the implications of this beyond that it would have been impossible to find a husband. If you had no one to support you then you had to work, and there weren't many 'jobs for women' and those that did exist were underpaid and with no employment rights. All this lead to a rather stifled and joyless existence.

The heroine finds entertainment and support through embroidery. Now if anyone suggested that I read a book on embroidery I would usually give them a strange look. However this was about more than the practicalities of needle and thread, it showed how camaraderie and a sense of purpose can change lives.

A thoughtful and fulfilling read.