Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Review: The Goodbye Quilt” by Susan Wiggs

Linda Davis’s only child, Molly, has earned a full scholarship to the college of her choice, located across the country. Linda and Molly decide to drive there just the two of them, leaving Dan, Linda’s husband, and the elderly dog behind. An avid quilter with a love for the local fabric shop, Linda decides to finish the quilt that she is making for her daughter’s dorm room during the long journey. As Linda stitches together pieces from the past along with words of encouragement for her daughter, she reflects on her journey through motherhood and wonders who she will be as a person now that motherhood will not be her primary focus.

The Goodbye Quilt is a quiet, reflective story. Linda says goodbye to her daughter as they travel through the country and she come to realize that her identity has been so wrapped up in being a mother that she has no idea who she is as a person. Molly has been her everything for so long that she can’t imagine how she will now fill her vacant hours. The Goodbye Quilt is also a reflection of how quickly time passes you by. One moment you have a squalling newborn in your arms, and the next moment your little girl is eighteen and headed off to college on her own.

The Goodbye Quilt is a must-read for anyone who is facing the reality of sending their children off to college for the first time, or for anyone who has already been though the process of saying goodbye to their child’s final moments of childhood.

Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5
Challenges: 2011 100+ Reading Challenge
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4 comments:

  1. JennieMay 26, 2011 at 7:22 PM

    I'm not sure I could handle reading this one - I'm already feeling how fast time goes with my 2 year old, I'm not ready to see 18! :)

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  2. TheBookGirlMay 28, 2011 at 10:23 AM

    Having sent my daughter off to college as a freshman this past fall, I'm afraid I would spend the entire book dabbing at my eyes, lol.

    It just astonishes me how fast the time goes...

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  3. Not available.May 29, 2011 at 9:41 AM

    This sounds like a fascinating book. I love road trip stories and the concept of rediscovering an identity while coming to terms with having an adult child is one that has enormous potential. Thanks for the review.

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  4. kay - Infinite ShelfMay 30, 2011 at 9:19 AM

    This sounds interesting. As I'm not a mother yet, I would read it as a way to imagine how my own mom felt when I left home, even if that was over ten years ago. I know I have been her everything for so long, and it was really hard on her.

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