Reading The Museum of Lost Quilts is like catching up with old friends. All of the Elm Creek Quilters were introduced and a bit of their history given in the beginning of the book. A bit like a reunion with old friends catching up where you left off a few years earlier.

I usually, read books quickly, but in this case, I am only reading a few pages to a chapter at a time, only to savor the delicious writing and stretch out my enjoyment of this book.

Though this is an installment on the series Jennifer Chiaverini masterfully introduces the cast of characters in the first couple of pages. So, if you have not read any of the other books, you have a brief introduction to all the great quilters of Elm Creek. And also, if you have not read any of the other Elm Creek Quilt books, I whole heartedly recommend you take the time and do.

Jennifer Chiaverini has written more than forty books, but she is a new-to-me author! I will definitely be on the look out for more of her titles. The Museum of Lost Quilts is a part of the large Em Creek Quilts series, but I was unaware of that until I read the author's note at the end. It worked very well as a stand-alone read. I found it enthralling. Summer Sullivan is struggling to complete her masters thesis, having lost the heart for it has brought on a bad case of writer's block. Looking for a place of peace and refuge, Summer returns to her home among the Elm Creek Quilters. Once there, she quickly gets side-tracked with a project for the local historical society, collecting quilts of historical significance and curating an exhibit of these quilts. That in itself is a great undertaking, but a local businessman is determined to make it even more difficult.

Not only did I immensely enjoy the well-written story, I was very interested in the object labels for he exhibited quilts. Their descriptions and history were intriguing. I highly recommend The Museum of Lost Quilts to readers of women's fiction, to those who have an interest in historical artifacts or quilting, and to those who enjoy stories of finding one's true self. I am grateful to have received a complimentary copy of this novel from William Morrow/Harper Collins Publishers via NetGalley without obligation. All opinions expressed here are my own. ( )

I was so happy to return to Elm Creek Quilts for this satisfying “conclusion” to the series. I enjoyed catching up with old friends, as well as learning of how the history of quilting in general, as well as of several quilts in particular, both reflected and influenced the history of the area. And although the novel is set twenty years ago, the theme of re-writing history to show only the good is dishearteningly current.

Although this novel might be more satisfying to fans of the series, it can be easily read and enjoyed by anyone who likes reading about local history, quilting, and handcrafts. Highly recommended!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. ( )

The Museum of Lost Quilts is a sequel to the author's popular Elm Creek Quilts cozy series. Jennifer Chiaverini wrote the novel in celebration of the 25th anniversary of the publication of the first book in the series. I was lucky to receive an advanced review copy from Net Galley. The book will be published at the end of the month on April 30, 2024.

The publisher's summary:

Summer Sullivan, the youngest founding member of Elm Creek Quilts, has spent the last two years pursuing a master’s degree in history at the University of Chicago. Her unexpected return home to the celebrated quilter’s retreat is met with delight but also concern from her mother, Gwen; her best friend, Sarah; master quilter Sylvia; and her other colleagues—and rightly so. Stymied by writer’s block, Summer hasn’t finished her thesis, and she can’t graduate until she does.

Elm Creek Manor offers respite while Summer struggles to meet her extended deadline. She finds welcome distraction in organizing an exhibit of antique quilts as a fundraiser to renovate Union Hall, the 1863 Greek Revival headquarters of the Waterford Historical Society. But Summer’s research uncovers startling facts about Waterford’s past, prompting unsettling questions about racism, economic injustice, and political corruption within their community, past and present.

As Summer’s work progresses, quilt lovers and history buffs praise the growing collection, but affronted local leaders demand that she remove all references to Waterford’s troubled history. As controversy threatens the exhibit’s success, Summer fears that her pursuit of the truth might cost the Waterford Historical Society their last chance to save Union Hall. Her only hope is to rally the quilting community to her cause.

The Museum of Lost Quilts is a warm and deeply moving story about the power of collective memory. With every fascinating quilt she studies, Summer finds her passion for history renewed—and discovers a promising new future for herself.

I loved this novel!!! It was an enjoyable trip down memory lane. I have read every book in the series and loved them all. The last book was published five years ago but the passage of time has not affect the quality of the writing or the plot.

In many ways this book is historical fiction. As Summer researches quilts loaned for display, she finds clues to her hometown's past. During the Civil War, the ladies of the area quilt guild made a victory quilt with the names of local soldiers stitched into each block. Summer uncovers that there was another local quilt guild that made a victory quilt for auction too. The reality that these guilds were segregated by race shocks her. The main historian for the town in the mid-1800s was a former slave who was a successful businessman. However, when the KKK found its way into Waterford, he packed up his family and moved to Colorado. As news about the quilt display spreads, Summer hears about additional quilts that the owners have lost. Her daily readings of old newspapers and diaries shed light on other area quilts such as the Sugar Camp Quilt and an Authors Album Quilt where she is unable to locate the quilt owner. As she researches these quilts, Summer uncovers more and more secrets in the area's history.

In addition, she finds examples of signature quilts (contains signatures of well known people) as well as opportunity quilts, which were made for the sole purpose of raising money to fund a worthy cause. While Summer is a long time series character, it seemed to me that her research activities mirrored those of the author. Both did research on Civil War era quilts for this novel.

Fans of the series will definitely want to read this one. If the series is new to you, I recommend starting with the first book in the series. ( )