Lydia Hoffman has settled into her new plan for her life with her yarn store, her growing relationship with her sister, and her romance with UPS driver Brad Goetz. Lydia has decided it's time to start a new knitting class and has three women of all walks of life who have joined her.

There is teenager Courtney Pulanski, about to start her senior year, who has recently moved in with her grandmother and misses her dead mother. There is Bethanne Hamlin, recently divorced, who is trying to adjust to her new life. And last is Elise Beaumont who while long divorced has never quite recovered and now her estranged former husband is back and wants to make up for lost time.

Each of the women has their own stories to tell and their own trials to face. Only through the bonds they have formed with each other will they make it through.

As I have said before, why oh why did I not discover the talent of Debbie Macomber long before now? It is so very rare to find an author who can touch my heart deeply with every single novel she writes, but Macomber has succeeded in doing just that. I always find myself crying at some point, sometimes happy tears, other times sad but each book is so very emotional.

Once again, all of the women are from different walks of life yet find a common thread in their passion for knitting. Courtney is suffering from depression after having to move to live with her grandmother when her mother dies since her father is out of the country so much for work. Courtney struggles with all the usual fears a teenager has, complicated by the fact she is a bit overweight and afraid of making a fool of herself in front of her new classmates. Knitting helps her to form strong ties to each of the women, and possibly even a new love in the form of Bethanne’s son. It also gives her a new found confidence to shine like the wonderful young woman she is.

Bethanne is struggling to adjust to her new life as a divorcee and is also trying to deal with her daughter’s rebellions resulting from her parents splitting up. Bethanne’s story is quite touching as we see her go from the depression and lack of self-confidence after the breakup of her marriage to a happy healthy young woman who has found a new lease on life and a new sense of self worth.

Elise goes through many changes as well. She’s trying to get used to living with her daughter’s family after a scam ruins her financially and is still very bitter over her divorce so many years ago. When her ex-husband, Maverick, returns, Elise goes through yet another life altering change as he tries to woo her back into his heart and home. This story broke my heart, especially when we find out the history between Elise and Maverick and his reasons for trying to reunite with Elise after so many years.

Of course we can’t forget Lydia, the heart of A Good Yarn, and her sister Margaret. Lydia’s relationship with Brad grows and changes, and she faces new hurdles when he ex-wife decides she wants to be part of his life again. Lydia has faced so many difficulties her whole life and this one just adds to the list. But as things progress with Brad, we see her continue to blossom into a vibrant woman in the prime of her life. Then there’s Margaret… Abrupt and sometimes harsh, her personality is the exact opposite of Lydia’s. Margaret has her own hurdles to overcome as well, with her husband’s career dying and the impending loss of their home as a result. Margaret is hard to get close to, but once she finally reveals her problems, we begin to see a whole new side to her.

The Knitting Series by Debbie Macomber is incredibly heartwarming and I enjoy visiting A Good Yarn and all of the people in town in each and every book. I can’t wait to visit again and see how things are going with these characters who have become beloved friends.

© Kelley A. Hartsell, June 2008. All rights reserved.