A cast of unlikely women find themselves banding together in Kansas to save the arts. Angelina has travelled to Kansas to FINALLY finish her dissertation on Carnegie libraries - with any luck she'll finish it by the time she turns 40 - only a few months away. She is hoping she will be inspired by revisiting her grandmother's hometown. Traci has fled New York to pursue an artist residency at the New Hope cultural center. She lied on her credentials, but how else is she going to find a free place to live? Now only if she can convince these quilters and rowdy teens to get on board with her "unique" art. Last but not least is Gayle, she is suffering from PTSD since a tornado wiped out her town and her home. Travelling to the New Hope cultural Center to quilt and talk is about the only thing that keeps her going. These outsiders to town will find out that they all have a shared love of community and will go to astonishing links to preserve it. ( )

Women bond together to create communities filled with art and literature in this book. Three women tell us their stories, all of them newly transplanted to New Hope, Kansas. One is an artist from New York, a young woman looking for a new start. Another is a researcher whose Grandmother lived in New Hope who is working on a dissertation about the local Carnegie libraries and the women who had them built. Another has been uprooted from her home in the neighboring community, which was completely leveled by a tornado. As their lives intersect over quilts and discussions about the past, present and future the book explores the way that art and literature can give a community heart and meaning.
This book has so many Kansas mentions, it would be impossible to mention them all. The stories of these women and how they bond together is heartwarming. I would definitely recommend this book, especially to my fellow Kansans. ( )

To discover this novel while browsing for my next book to read, I didn't have a moment's hesitation that I had identified a treasure to read. The story is beautifully written and told by three women. The first is Angelina, traveling from Philadelphia to New Hope, Kansas to finish her dissertation about the libraries built by Andrew Carnegie to complete the last requirement for her doctorate. The second is Traci, traveling from New York to New Hope, Kansas hired for an artist-in-residence program even though she answered an ad while drunk and lied during a telephone interview. In the neighboring town of Prairie Hill, Kansas, there is Gayle, wife of Mark, mother of Vic, employee of Yesteryears, who with her family has survived a recent tornado that has demolished all in its path with the exception of the facade of the Carnegie library.

As I read, I felt the emotions of Angelina, Traci, and Gayle. It is a story of women without self-confidence due to their personal history and their experiences. Three women who meet in a small town in Kansas and through their stories the reader learns the remarkable effect of libraries brought to the Midwest through the philanthropy of Andrew Carnegie. Even more importantly, is the portrayal of the women in small towns across Kansas who were determined to create a better life for themselves, their families, and their communities. That fierce pioneer spirit undaunted by obstacles that would cause many to give up but instead inspires and challenges others to participate for a positive outcome.

It's a love letter to the philanthropy of Andrew Carnegie and a special love letter to Kansas - to the women, to the libraries, to the art centers - by a first time novelist. It reminds us of those in the past that have made life better for the next generations and inspires us to use our talents and gifts for the good of others.

Of added historical note it is noted that "The final Seal of Kansas and the state motto, Ad astra per aspera (to the stars through difficulties), were adopted through a joint resolution during the first Kansas legislative session on May 25, 1861." ( )

Tilghman wonderfully takes three women of very different backgrounds and shows how they are affected by their past experiences, and how new ones can lead them to a life they had never imagined. The details about the building of the Carnegie libraries, and of how some of them have evolved, is fascinating. The history of the library turned arts center at the heart of the book shows how the strength of those from the past can give inspiration for action in sometimes unexpected ways. The solidarity that the women in the novel ultimately find is built upon the commitment to the Kansas women of the past. ( )

If you love libraries, and you want a book that will make you smile, pick up this little gem and enjoy. ( )