Nina O'Malley wants to be a NYC magazine editor, especially
after losing out on a promotion in her suburban publication
and breaking up with her boyfriend. When her current editor
hands her an assignment she considers to be more fluff than
meat, Nina only redoubles her efforts and determination to
get that New York job. Not much else in her life has worked
out as she would have liked so in her heart, she doesn't
expect this latest desire to either.
But before she has a chance to convince her editor to give
her something more meaty, Nina meets the local veterinarian—
who happens to be the guy who made her feel her worst in
high school—and his HIV positive daughter. Suddenly her
assignment, to cover a gala benefiting the AIDS Memorial
Quilt, is not so onerous, and it begins to seem as though
her happiness won't require moving across country.
Christa Allan is one of my favorite authors because she
imbues her storytelling with humor and a gentleness of
spirit that can make readers want to hug her characters,
even those who are less than perfect. The story flows from
the characters, from their strengths and foibles. At no
time is there a sense of Allan crafting the plot. It's as
if Allan's been given their story to tell, something she
does with decided skill.
Nina questions her faith and learns that, although she has
plans for her life, sometimes God has other plans...and His
plans often result in what we truly want and need.
THREADS OF HOPE is book five in the Quilts of Love
series.
In each story, a quilt or quilting is a focal point in the
lives of the characters. I've not read any of the others,
but I look forward to reading more of these unique stories.
Passed over for promotion and dumped by her boyfriend, Nina
O’Malley is further frustrated when her editor assigns her
one of the “soft” stories she despises—covering a gala
benefit supporting the AIDS Memorial Quilt. More determined
than ever to prove she deserves a promotion to the NY
office, Nina decides to write a series featuring a local
quilting group raising money for AIDs research.
At the event, she runs into her high school nemesis: Greg is
a widower and the adoptive father of Jazarah, an HIV
positive girl from Ethiopia. Unlike Nina, Greg has faith in
a loving God, and he trusts in God’s plan for his life.
Greg and Nina grow closer, and as Nina interviews the quilt
families, she begins to question the choices she has made
and her lack of faith. Nina suddenly finds herself facing
two possible dreams, two paths for her life.
Thanks, Patricia and Fresh Fiction for reviewing my novel. So glad you enjoyed it, as I'm sure you will the other novels in the series. (Christa Allan 1:52pm April 8, 2013)