Prayers for Sale is a beautifully written story that takes place in a small Colorado mining town, Middle Swan. The town is based on the author’s hometown of Breckenridge, Colorado.
The story follows two incredibly strong women. Hennie Comfort who is in the later years of life and Nit Spindle, a very young and newly married woman. Their lives have similarities and so many differences, yet they form an incredible friendship. Nit looks to Hennie first as a friend and then as a mother figure. Nit tells Hennie “You remind me of home.”
The story is told through Hennie’s stories of the people of Middle Swan. She tells of the town’s residents, her own life and the mining. Many of the stories are told over fresh baked pies carried to each other’s cabins covered in a dish cloth. Other’s are told over the quilting frames while they quilt.
As I read this book I treasured the stories of quilting together and the fabrics the women use and why. Hennie tells Nit “A quilt’s like the family bible. It’s got everybody’s mark in it and memories of everybody’s lives.” When looking at the stitches, they are vividly described as “stitches as tiny as specks of salt.” I can picture the quilts and the perfect stitches and the bonds built over the squares being pieced together.
Quilting is a beautiful art and an art that isn’t shared like it use to be. I am a scrapbooker and have chronicled life through my scrapbooks. It is my creative outlet as I imagine quilting was to these women. I have friendships that have been built through scrapbook get togethers and I treasure those times, much as these women did.
Prayers for Sale is a book that will stick with me for a very long time. I could be friends with Nit and Hennie, they are amazing women. This is a story of friendship, hardship, community, loss and forgiveness.
Sandra Dallas is a talented author and I can’t wait to read other books she has written.
Our book club get-together was so much fun. The hostess pulled from one of the quilting events and served fried chicken, green beans and biscuits for dinner. Dessert was of course a pie.
I always love hearing everyone’s opinions on the book and finding out which characters were favorites and why. We related the quilting group to our own book club, women getting together to discuss books.
Every hostess adds her own personal touch to each event. Our hostess passed out a beautifully printed sheet for each of us to take of the different quilts and their patterns that were discussed in the book. This may seem like a small gesture, but for all of us, we loved it. We can visualize the quilts they were making and what exactly the pattern and finished quilt may look like.
I hope you put your own personal touches on your book club events.
Bee Readin’
Terri
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