THE FORGOTTEN SEAMSTRESS was one of the most addicting reads for me in a long while. The author, Liz Trenow, takes converging life stories of an unlikely mix of people and pieces them together into sort of patchwork story. With delicate needles and thread of strong and beautiful silk, she stitches characters whose lives become part of the pattern in this book.

Among the cast of colorful characters is Maria, the creator of a mystifying quilt that contains contrasting designs and fabrics. Stitched side by side with the coarser fabrics are quilt pieces made of fabric woven for the sole use of the royal family in the early 20th century. How did these silver-threaded fabrics find their way into a lowly quilt made by the inmate of a hospital for the insane? What are the meanings of all the contrasting designs and motifs?

The quilt, which is a character in the book as much as any living person, has a story to tell. It is the focal point of the book. Will anyone ever be able to piece all the life stories together and understand how they are bound together into one greater story? Will the truth that has been cut away ever be rejoined into a cohesive whole?

Caroline, an interior designer who inherits the quilt from her grandmother, finds the colors and values in the quilt inspirational in her personal life and in her profession. She knows that her grandmother treasured the quilt, but doesn't know why or even who made the quilt. The tie to Buckingham Palace seems unlikely. Caroline has become the ideal person to unravel all the mysteries. As she looks deeper into the layers of the quilt, she discovers much about herself, her family, but most of all about the enduring power of mother-love.

THE FORGOTTEN SEAMSTRESS will resonate with women of all ages. It's not one of those read and forget books; it will stay with me for a long time. I look forward to reading more by Liz Trenow.