I must admit that I’m a great fan of Tracy Chevalier’s books. Every single one of them brings a different joy to my life. In this novel she brings us the story of “surplus women”, a humiliating label put on single women after the First World War who could not marry due to a shortage of eligible men. This beautifully told slow burning novel introduces us to Violet, age 38, who moves to Winchester to find a life for herself and escape the overbearing clutches of her mother. There she is introduced to a group of women who embroider for the cathedral. Through art, embroidery and friendship Violet creates a life for herself. One of the bests things about Chevalier’s books is that she mixes facts and fiction so seamlessly; there really was a group of women, called the Winchester Broderers, who embroidered cushions and kneelers for the cathedral. Whether you are a fan or not this book is a joy to read. Enjoy it.

This is a superb book which deserves to be widely read. Set in 1932, this is historical fiction with a keen eye to issues still causing difficulties today. This is a book largely in the cathedral city of Winchester, and features a woman called Violet Speedwell who has sustained great losses. Her search for independence forms a large part of this book, on the surface from her oppressive widowed mother, but in addition from the expectations of a “surplus woman” who would struggle to find love and happiness in the wake of the death of so many young men at the front. It also celebrates the cathedral and the women who worked hard on the embroidery of kneelers and cushions to beautify part of the building, and the bell ringing undertaken by men in the bell tower. It is a book of the countryside, small cities and villages. Families and friendship, skills and characters are well captured in this narrative which keeps moving, all brought together by Violet. Like some of Chevalier’s other books, there is a real person mixed into the story, Louisa Pesel, whose beautiful work and designs are still in use in the Cathedral. I really enjoyed this book, was sorry to put it down, and relished every moment of Violet’s story. The story begins with Violet wandering into the Cathedral on a whim, and discovering a special service for the dedication of kneelers becomes intrigued with the possibility of leaving her mark in the impressive building. Otherwise life is drab; she has lost her fiance; she works in an insurance company as a typist on minimal wages with two younger women. She has barely enough to cover her rent and food, but she prefers the struggle of a small room with no friends to life at home with her demanding mother who has never come to terms with her eldest son’s death in the War, or her husband’s subsequent death. Tom is the surviving brother, now married with a family. Violet discovers that she can attend a working meeting of the brodiers, and is soon involved in the stitching. She makes a friend, Gilda, who introduces her to Arthur and Keith. As the rest of her family makes alternative holiday arrangements, Violet feels able to go on a walking holiday alone. After a frightening experience, she meets an unexpected helper, and she discovers a whole new world of bell ringing. This is a vivid book of a community of women, which is shaped by their joint endeavours in a traditional skill. It is laced with some humour, especially in the demands of an older woman and her continual comments. It shows an excellent understanding of the cathedral community and running of the building, she likens it to a “machine”, needing the contributions of those who attend services. The women in the cathedral are jealous, supportive, loving and disruptive, enabling and challenging. Violet is a brilliantly drawn character, with flashes of self doubt but also inspiration, seeing beyond the situation and being loyal. It reveals attitudes to loss, different relationships, and the so called “surplus” women who had to find their own lives, looking after parents, scraping by on small wages way below mens’ wages, dealing with their own losses like Violet’s. This is a tremendous read, worth getting hold of a copy if at all possible. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical fiction with an emphasis on the situation of women in the earlier part of the twentieth century.

A Single Thread is the second novel by Tracy Chevalier that I have read. Violet Speedwell lost her brother and fiancé in WW1 and at the age of 38 is considered surplus (a spinster without prospects). During the course of this novel she finds the strength and quiet determination to live her life on her terms, and in turn finds friendship and hope in an era overshadowed by the aftermath of WW1 with its oppressive expectations of women’s roles in society and the threat of another world war gathering pace. I felt immersed in the early 1930s while I read this book. The historical detail is fascinating and blends seamlessly into every page and character.

A wonderful story of love, perseverance and strength. Set in and around Winchester, the story follows the life of Violet, a engaging character I felt so much empathy for. Using a character that was part of the Cathedral's true history was a lovely touch. A book I didn't want to put down, but didn't want to finish. 5 out of 5.

Violet Speedwell is starting a new life in Winchester - one of the surplus women, who have found themselves without marriage prospects following World War I, she leaves her overbearing mother behind and chooses to start life on her own. Money is scarce, but lost and lonely Violet finds an unexpected group of friends in Winchester cathedral broderers - a group of women embroidering kneelers and cushions for the cathedral. Violet is a heroine that embodies fears and hopes of her generation - she longs to be independent but at the same time she is bound by the societal expectations and values. She is pitied and mistrusted by married or younger women, faces prejudice from her employer, but she fights for her right to be heard and to be seen. The embroidery is for her and other a chance to leave the a small mark of their own, But it seems freedom comes with a cost and Violet will have to decide if it is worth paying it. I found Tracy Chevalier's prose beautiful and rich - she concentrates on the minutiae and ordinary, on single threads that make up a rich canvas that can be admired from afar in their full glory. She writes about breakfasts, cups of teas and heaters, about the drudgery of everyday life like about single, individual pieces of embroidery that will create bigger piece. She writes about comfort, love and pleasure found in everyday and mundane. She writes about single women, that suppose to bring comfort to others, even if that means sacrificing their own one. But her single characters, solitary lives are always a part of a bigger, richer picture - a world of past, now forever encapsulated in the history of the city and its cathedral. Arc received form Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.