About this Event
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Jennifer Chiaverini returns to the well-loved circle of Elm Creek Quilters to illuminate a nearly forgotten jubilant moment in women’s history during the trying years of the Great Depression. In chapters alternating between 2004 and 1933, THE WORLD’S FAIR QUILT: An Elm Creek Quilts Novel (William Morrow: On sale: April 1, 2025) stitches together a story of sisterhood and sibling rivalry, guilt and resentment, forgiveness and peace.
In her eighth decade, Sylvia Bergstrom Compson is content to be back at Elm Creek Manor—the home she fled, in grief and despair, after her first husband and younger brother were killed in World War II, followed by an irreparable falling-out with her elder sister, Claudia. Her fifty years’ absence has made each day at her ancestral estate in rural Pennsylvania all the more precious, especially since she is surrounded by her new family—her husband, Andrew, and kindred quilters. Thanks to dedicated, gifted faculty and the business acumen of Sarah McClure, the Elm Creek Quilt Camp has blossomed into a perennially popular quilter’s retreat. Sylvia often marvels at how, in her golden years, she has forged cherished friendships, founded a thriving business, rediscovered the artist within herself, fallen in love with a long-lost childhood friend—and still feels as if the best is yet to come. All would be well—if not for new, unexpected financial worries. Restoring the woefully neglected estate she inherited after her spendthrift sister’s death was no easy feat, and now the roof needs replacing. Perhaps the launch of Elm Creek Orchards, a venture spearheaded by Sarah’s husband, will spare Sylvia from having to raise the price of sessions for campers—or worse, seeking a loan or a benefactor. A child of the Great Depression, Sylvia abhors the thought of both debt and bankruptcy.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Jennifer Chiaverini is the New York Times bestselling author of more than thirty novels, including critically acclaimed historical fiction and the beloved Elm Creeks Quilt series, which she began in 1999 to capture everything she loves about quilting—the artistry, tradition, folklore, and, above all, wonderful community. Her works of nonfiction include seven collections of quilt patterns and original designs featured in Country Woman, Quiltmaker, Quilt, and other magazines. In 2020, Jennifer received an Outstanding Achievement Award from the Wisconsin Library Association for her novel Resistance Women. In 2023, the WLA awarded her the honor of Notable Wisconsin Author
for her significant contributions to the state's literary heritage. Jennifer graduated from the University of Notre Dame and earned her MA from the University of Chicago. She, her husband, and their two sons call Madison, Wisconsin, home.
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Mystery to Me, 1863 Monroe Street, Madison, United States
USD 0.00
