Debbie Macomber's The Shop On Blossom Street
POSTED AT 02:28 PM in Reading for substance

This novel is actually Debbie MaComber's first on her four Blossom Street Series Books, the second was A Good Yarn, followed by Back On Blossom Street and then the latest was Twenty Wishes.

I admit the book's colorful cover was what attracted me to the book. I'm not much of a MaComber fan but I daren't say I'm not giving her my time as well. She seemed to be a well-loved author and critics actually admire her passion and flair for clearly putting a person's emotions in words. So I said, why not? I could use a good cry (and a good laugh as well) right now so I can forget my own worries.

When I finished the book, I actually felt good. Who wouldn't be? Debbie just weaved a good story of love, life, death and acceptance. Even if there are pages which I can say, really worth my tears, I seem to feel released and relieved. I guessed you know what I'm talking about, I'm sure even just for once in your life, you felt great about a movie, a story, or a book. Oh well, I felt just like that.

So, what was really in the story that made me feel alive and more positive about life? Yarn! No, I'm not joking, it all started with a yarn! LOL! Well, actually it all started with a cancer, a deadly disease, but I'd rather focus on the positive side...

Debbie MaComber in real life really knows how to knit you know, in fact, she loves that hobby. She even joked that with her yarn stash, she could knit garments to clothe a third world country. Hmmm.. like Philippines maybe? I don't think she's being discriminating on that statement, I mean, there really exists third-world countries... Anyways, I didn't mind, as long as those yarns led her to write books of life and love that center around a yarn store.

Well, I don't really know how to knit (I'm fairly patient with my cross-stitching though) but it doesn't stop me from buying and reading the book. I even realized I wanted to knit while reading the book, it seems to be a purposely-driven hobby....

Oh well, let's focus on the story. The novel features A Good Yarn, a fictional little yarn and knitting shop on Blossom Street in Seattle. This is also the setting for forming lasting and friendships among totally different individuals. The shop is actually owned by Lydia Hoffman, representing her vision of a new life, free from cancer and the realization of death. A life that will offer her more than just survival but a chance at love.

"The yarn forms the stitches, the knitting forges the friendships, the craft links the generations."

- Karen Alfke,
 "Unpattern" designer and knitting instructor

Lydia started the shop not just for monetary reasons but also for her passion in knitting. She also taught knitting to beginners, with a Baby Blanket as her first lesson. Three women joined her class for different reasons. Jacqueline, a rather snob and aristocratic wife and mother, will soon become a grandma. She wanted to learn to knit so she can knit something for her grandchild as an indication of reconciliation with her daughter-in-law. Carol, a childless yet career-oriented woman felt that the baby blanket class is a message of hope as she and her husband were on their third and final attempt to conceive. Alix, a happy-go-lucky woman, wanted to learn to knit a blanket for a court-ordered community service project.

Four very distinctive women, with clashing beliefs and attitudes, brought together by an age-old craft, are on their path to unexpected yet pleasant discoveries, not just about themselves, but also about each other, and about everybody and everything that surrounds them and affects their existence.

Well, the story did combine two of my most favorite things these days: acceptance of life and baby stuff. So it's expected that I go gaga over it... Why not try reading yourself? You might discover you like knitting as well, or that you may want to renew your vision of love and romance, or just like me, you wanted to know more about babies and of course, you may need a good laugh and a good cry as well. The Shop On Blossom Street can give you all that.

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