Taryn McKenna is a high school teacher in the small town of Hollings,
where she spends as much quality time as possible with her Grandma,
Jemma, and her cousin Rachel. Jemma is everything to her as her mother
passed away when she was young, and her father had never really cared
for her, resenting the fact that she existed at all.
Jemma is known for her
wonderful quilts and it is a tradition that has been in her family for
generations. Taryn agrees to help Jemma quilt an Irish Chain quilt for
Rachel and her fiancé Mark, for their upcoming wedding.
However when
Justin Callahan leaves the army and returns to town, Taryn's life is turned
upside down. Not only is he the only man she has ever loved, Taryn blames
herself deeply for chasing him away twelve years ago. She has never
forgotten what happened between them and has never forgiven herself for
what she did. Now he arrives back in time for Christmas and Taryn is so
conflicted about her feelings and what she should do. As fate would have it,
Justin is back when Taryn needs him the most.
Jemma becomes ill with a
heart condition and her house floods, ruining Rachel's wedding quilt in the
process, so Justin steps in to help Taryn in any way he can. Discovering a
section of an unused quilt hidden in the attic, Taryn and Justin decide to
make it themselves. Soon the couple are spending a lot of time together
and it becomes obvious that they still have strong feelings for each other,
but Taryn is terrified of admitting this because she has a secret that would
destroy Justin and the new friendship that they are embarking on. Living
with this guilt, Taryn believes she is unloveable, and that even God could
not love her.
When Jemma returns home from hospital she is so shocked
by the quilt they have made, that she blurts out Taryn's secret in front of
Justin. Jemma also alludes to another secret that she has been hiding from
Taryn for the last twelve years. With so many hurt feelings, will Justin be
able to forgive Taryn, but more importantly will Taryn be able to forgive
herself for decisions made when she was eighteen? This is a moving tale
of love, loss, realising your faith and forgiveness.
QUILTED BY CHRISTMAS by Jodie Bailey is a heartwarming journey of
love and forgiveness. I connected with the character of Taryn immediately
and really hoped that she would realise her own self-worth and forgive
herself for what happened when she was a teenager. I enjoyed the
relationship between Jemma and Taryn immensely, which had moments
that were truly touching. All in all, this novel is a poignant tale of youthful
mistakes, faith, and hope for the future, set against a beautiful Christmas
backdrop.
Taryn McKenna believes she’s easy to forget. Abandoned by
her parents and left behind when her high school sweetheart
joined the army, she vows to never love again and throws
herself into her love for the outdoors and the pursuit of a
college degree—something no one else in her family has ever
accomplished. Her goal, as a young teacher in the hills of
North Carolina, is to leave a legacy in the lives of the
middle-schoolers she teaches.
When Taryn’s
grandmother Jemma, the only other person who ever held her
close, has a heart attack that reveals a fatal medical
condition, Taryn is corralled into helping Grandma work on a
final project—an Irish chain quilt that tells the story of
her history and the love Jemma knows is out there for Taryn.
As the pieces of the quilt come together, Taryn begins to
see her value. Can she learn to believe that God will never
leave her behind even though others have?
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