The Oysterville Sewing Circle: A Novel

Susan Wiggs

Aug 2019 · Sold by HarperCollins

About this ebook

“Stitched together with love, this is a story just waiting for your favorite reading chair. With her signature style and skill, Susan Wiggs delivers an intricate patchwork of old wounds and new beginnings, romance and the healing power of friendship, wrapped in a lovely little community that’s hiding a few secrets of its own.”
   — Lisa Wingate, New York Times Bestselling author of Before We Were Yours

The #1 New York Times bestselling author brings us her most ambitious and provocative work yet—a searing and timely novel that explores the most volatile issue of our time—domestic violence.

At the break of dawn, Caroline Shelby rolls into Oysterville, Washington, a tiny hamlet at the edge of the raging Pacific.

She’s come home.

Home to a place she thought she’d left forever, home of her heart and memories, but not her future. Ten years ago, Caroline launched a career in the glamorous fashion world of Manhattan. But her success in New York imploded on a wave of scandal and tragedy, forcing her to flee to the only safe place she knows.

And in the backseat of Caroline’s car are two children who were orphaned in a single chilling moment—five-year-old Addie and six-year-old Flick. She’s now their legal guardian—a role she’s not sure she’s ready for.

But the Oysterville she left behind has changed. Her siblings have their own complicated lives and her aging parents are hoping to pass on their thriving seafood restaurant to the next generation. And there’s Will Jensen, a decorated Navy SEAL who’s also returned home after being wounded overseas. Will and Caroline were forever friends as children, with the promise of something more . . . until he fell in love with Sierra, Caroline’s best friend and the most beautiful girl in town. With her modeling jobs drying up, Sierra, too, is on the cusp of reinventing herself.

Caroline returns to her favorite place: the sewing shop owned by Mrs. Lindy Bloom, the woman who inspired her and taught her to sew. There she discovers that even in an idyllic beach town, there are women living with the deepest of secrets. Thus begins the Oysterville Sewing Circle—where women can join forces to support each other through the troubles they keep hidden.

Yet just as Caroline regains her creativity and fighting spirit, and the children begin to heal from their loss, an unexpected challenge tests her courage and her heart. This time, though, Caroline is not going to run away. She’s going to stand and fight for everything—and everyone—she loves.

Ratings and reviews

An amazing read dealing with hot topics of today. Caroline, had never expected to return to her hometown of Oysterville with two kids in tow. Life changes quickly when Caroline finds herself unemployed in the fashion industry in New York and a friend of hers ends up dead, leaving two little kids to Caroline. Caroline returns home to family and friends and starts up her new business in fashion design. She hires ladies who have gone through rough patches in their life's involving domestic abuse. That forms the Oysterville Sewing Circle, a wonderful support group. Her childhood best friend of summer vacations, Will has also returned home. Their friendship develops into much more. An amazing read that I had a hard time putting down. The story is told in present and past, loved the friendship of Will and Caroline. The topic of domestic abuse was told in a way, that brought tears to my eyes. This is a book that I highly recommend.

Caroline left the small coastal town of Oysterville to chase her dreams of being a designer, and has worked in New York for several years, now the ‘design assistant’ to a much more famous man. With her sixth entry in the ‘young up and coming’ designer contest, she finally hits on a winner and is excited to make her mark. Until her ‘boss’ steals her designs and everything falls apart. Just adding to that trouble, Caroline’s best friend and model, Angelique and her two children Flick and Addie have sought refuge in her tiny apartment. Angelique won’t speak of the bruises she’s got over her body, and when she’s discovered dead from an overdose, Caroline has no choice but to head home with the children, to keep them safe and start to find a new direction for her life. Throughout the devastation, Caroline only wants answers and opportunities: answers to who killed her friend, and why so many women are killed by abusive partners, and to reclaim her confidence in her designs. With Addie and Flick traumatized and unsure, she’s first providing them some security and family love – her whole family has stepped in to welcome and care for the children and Caroline – allowing them the chance to heal and grow. Adding to that burden is the reappearance in her life of her summer-crush / soulmate now married to her best friend. She’s determined that nothing will convince her to stick around, and a relationship isn’t in her cards – it’s all about Flick and Addie and her designs. And then, discovering the extent, even in her small town, of the women who have been abused, she starts a support group – a group that is making differences in support and in the lives of the women who attend. From starting her own small design business on line to getting noticed by the ‘big guns’, Caroline is building a life in Oysterville, and helping others to reclaim their own sense of purpose and dreams – all in a safe environment. Full of stories of abuse and hope, the struggles with parenting (especially when you aren’t expecting it) and the sweetness of the children’s acceptance, their open hearts and the loving way in which the community comes to support people and business alike – this is a story of redemption, hope and opportunity – with a healthy dose of ‘how to help’ thrown in. I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

Susan Wiggs is one of my go to writers. I have read 45 or more of her books. I love this authors voice. She will take you on an unforgettable journey with solid, beautiful storytelling. What makes this story so outstanding, it isn't what readers are expecting, but it will be what they need. I was a little concerned when I say the book was about domestic violence. But as always Ms. Wiggs does a wonderful job covering a sensitive subject. You will find yourself reading late into the night. You will not want to put it down. I received a complementary copy of this beautiful book from the Publisher through Goodreads. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

About the author

Susan Wiggs is the author of more than fifty novels, including the beloved Lakeshore Chronicles series and the recent New York Times bestsellers The Lost and Found Bookshop, The Oysterville Sewing Circle, and Family Tree. Her award-winning books have been translated into two dozen languages. She lives with her husband on an island in Washington State’s Puget Sound.