Patchwork: Conversation Between Generations

Patchwork: Conversations Between Generations is a sentimental story featuring a group of African-American women from 1939 through 1959 who meet periodically to patch quilts and, more importantly, to “patch” their lives back together. Ma Anna is the main character and founder of the Patchwork quilting group. Anna was a devout, God-fearing woman who believed that everything happens for a reason, and equally, that there was a scripture verse and prayer to go along with any situation. And situations there were. Take into account that the six founders are all African-American women who lived in South Carolina with slavery abolished but racism and its privileged beliefs still running rampant among the Whites.

In 1939, what started as a group of women seeking to help make quilts for a needy woman before winter turned into a life-changing experience for them all. The quilts included not only love but sorrow turned to joy through the prayers laid on each unique quilt. The situations brought to light include topics that are still problematic in today’s culture: murder, racism, physical and sexual abuse, and education. What needs remembering is that these women and their stories are all real. With the book read from that perspective, their situations are sad and unfair. What also needs remembering is that bad wasn’t the only emotion mentioned in the story, as love, relief, and comfort from knowing that their burdens won’t be so heavy on their hearts kept them coming back.

Agreeing with Ma Anna’s religious beliefs and loving her overall pleasant personality, I enjoyed reading of the kindness shown by her and, of course, the emphasis on God, which was welcome and needed then and now. Being less than one hundred pages, Patchwork is on the shorter side for books, although the reader will discover that nothing is missing from its enjoyable story. However, some of the text was hard to read, with missing quotation marks, commas missing or in the wrong places, and a few other grammatical errors. While this made the reading go somewhat slower in parts, the overall story was not lost and was still understood.

I think Patchwork is a smart idea for a book. The topics mentioned show how change is hard to find throughout history with regard to the treatment of people of any color, race, etc. Working in the mental health field, I love the idea of sharing your inner-most burdens with friends and the fact that God is so well-received among this group of women, as it should be for the entire public. Readers who enjoy learning about the past, racism, friendship, and genuine care for each other will love this book.