The Wishing Thread: A Novel

(Paperback)

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For fans of Jennifer Chiaverini and Sarah Addison Allen, The Wishing Thread is an enchanting novel about the bonds between sisters, the indelible pull of the past, and the transformational power of love. The Van Ripper women have been the talk of Tarrytown, New York, for centuries. Some say they're angels; some say they're crooks. In their tumbledown "Stitchery," not far from the stomping grounds of the legendary Headless Horseman, the Van Ripper sisters-Aubrey, Bitty, and Meggie-are said to knit people's most ardent wishes into beautiful scarves and mittens, granting them health, success, or even a blossoming romance. But for the magic to work, sacrifices must be made-and no one knows that better than the Van Rippers. When the Stitchery matriarch, Mariah, dies, she leaves the yarn shop to her three nieces. Aubrey, shy and reliable, has dedicated her life to weaving spells for the community, though her sisters have long stayed away. Bitty, pragmatic and persistent, has always been skeptical of magic and wants her children to have a normal, nonmagical life. Meggie, restless and free-spirited, follows her own set of rules. Now, after Mariah's death forces a reunion, the sisters must reassess the state of their lives even as they decide the fate of the Stitchery. But their relationships with one another-and their beliefs in magic-are put to the test. Will the threads hold Includes an exclusive conversation between Sarah Addison Allen and Lisa Van Allen Look for special features inside. Join the Random House Reader's Circle for author chats and more.

Reviews

Reader to reader, knitter to knitter: Youre going to love this book.Debbie Macomber

With deft needlework, a dash of folklore, and some good old-fashioned family angst, Lisa Van Allen knits together the threads of second chances, the pleasure of giving, the complications of sisterhood, and love. Theres a bit of magic in The Wishing Thread, in the words and the story as well as in the yarn.Meg Waite Clayton, author of The Wednesday Sisters

Rich in myth and mystery, The Wishing Thread explores the tangle that is being a womanfrom family and friendship to romance and community. Prepare to be ensnared, enthralled, enchanted!USA Today bestselling author Christie Ridgway

The Wishing Thread is a lyrical, emotional, finely knit portrayal of three sisters struggling with love, magic and sacrifice. This is the best book Ive read all year.Lisa Verge Higgins, author of The Proper Care and Maintenance of Friendship

An intriguing story of three sisters tied by blood and a strange inheritance, each searching for a way to belong in that place where magic and life intersect. Wonderful!Shelley Noble, author of Beach Colors

Van Allen knits together this pleasantly entertaining tale as easily as the Van Ripper women knit together the often unraveling threads of peoples lives. . . . Chick-lit cozy meets magical realism with inevitably warm and fuzzy results.Booklist

Great for fans of Sarah Addison Allen and Alice Hoffman; you know its whimsical when you learn that debut author Allen owns a pet hedgehog.Library Journal

Fans of magical realism will want to pick up this enjoyable novel, which not only weaves magic through stitchery, but also weaves a realistic story about family and sisterhood and the threads that pull us back home.RT Book Reviews

Author Bio

Lisa Van Allen's writing has been published in many literary journals and has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize. She currently lives in northern New Jersey with her husband and their pet hedgehog.