I thought it was a book about regret after I read the prologue. A mother had recounted how regretul she was for her daughter. "I have never cooked a meal for her." "I should have taken her to hospital and been there with her when she mostly needed me." Those were the thoughts that came into my mind. Did I watch too much TV? I was wrong. It is a book about a sad mother's love for her lost daughter.
Stella died from minigitis when she was five. Mary was devastated when she lost her beloved daughter. Her life scattered. She could not read. She could not write. Her husband Dylan left her because he could not stand her loftiness. Mary's mother called from Mexico and suggested her to take knitting class. Mary went to Big Alice's Sit and Knit reluctantly. By constantly going to the knitting circle, she got to know some women, each had a story behind.
Scarlet was sent to France when she graduated from college. She stayed with one of his father's friend's. And there she developed an adulterous relationship with the owner of the house, Claude. Some day before they planned their elope, Claude invited Scarlet to stay in the beach house with his two daughters, Veronica and Bebe. And it was that sunny beautiful afternoon Bebe disappered without anyone noticing. Next morning Bebe was found drowned. Claude blamed Scarlet for Bebe's death. Scarlet returned to America alone.
Lulu was taking her dog for a walk one early morning. That day, following her instinct she took a left turn from her apartment instead of a right turn. No one was out on the street. Lulu enjoyed the moment being alone with this city. It's like the whole city belonged to her. And rigth there in the park she was raped by a bunch of kids on a cold Feburary morning.
Knowing that her busband had given up on their blue baby daughter, Ellen left her busband. Ellen had a daughter, Bridget, with a weak heart. Bridget would die if she was not guranteed with a new heart. The hospital put Bridge on the top donor list. Still, they waited.
Harriet lost her son Danny and daughter-in-law Liza in 911 incident. The terroist plane hit the World Trade Center,the building which Danny and Liza worked in.
Alice the knitting shop owner was originally from London. Growing up in a family with three older brothers, Alice played football with them. Her mother was upset with her girl who happened to not like dancing lessons and knitting. Alice went reluctanly to her neighbor's as her mother demanded. She learnt to knit. During the war, Alice got a job as a secretary. And she fell in love with her colleage, Beatrice. They had kept the relationship for two years until Beatrice got married to an American soldier. Before long, Alice married an American and also moved to America. Years later, Beatrice visited. She needed to find out if the feeling for Alice was real after all the years. Alice proved Beatirce right. Both of them considered leaving their husbands. While Beatrice left and asked her husband for a divorce, Alice quitely waited. But Beatrice never came.
Beth was a mother of four children. She talked about her children all the time. Mary found it annoyed and unberable. "A mother of four children! How blessed Beth was to have four children," Mary thought. It was not until she found out Beth had cancer, she immidiately felt embarrased and ashamed. Beth died in summer. A season a family was supposed to have fun.
Each time Mary went to the knitting circle, she restored her strengh a bit. Somehow by knitting together, these women regained their hope to live. It was a circle to share, to mourn, and to cry. It had never occurred to Mary that knitting was theraputic. It calmed her brain. Each stitch was like a prayer. She was sending her prayers to her daughter through all the stitches. My eyes were watery when I read this. I do not have a daughter. I am not sure if I am blessed to have one. I might have never recovered from the pain of loss if I were Mary.
I wrote a letter to Ann Hood, expressing how I enjoyed her novel. She briefly answered my mail by thanking me writing to her. (I am not sure it was Ann Hood who wrote me in person. It would be great if she wrote AND wrote more.) I have never done this before by actually writing to my favorite writers. Should I write to Jodi Picoult??
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