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Overview
After the loss of her only child, Mary Baxter finds herself unable to read or write, the activities that used to be her primary source of comfort. She reluctantly joins a knitting circle as a way to fill her lonely days--not knowing it will change her life. As they teach Mary new knitting techniques, the women in the circle also reveal their own secrets of loss, love, and hope. With time, Mary is finally able to tell her own story of grief, and in so doing finds the spark of life again.
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Details
- ISBN-13: 9780393330441
- ISBN-10: 0393330443
- Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
- Publish Date: January 2008
- Dimensions: 8.32 x 5.54 x 0.85 inches
- Shipping Weight: 0.62 pounds
- Page Count: 346
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The Knitting Circle
Set in Providence, Rhode Island, Hood's poignant new novel tells the story of a grieving mother who finds comfort in an unexpected source—knitting. When Mary Baxter loses her five-year-old daughter to meningitis, she struggles to get on with her life. She and her husband, Dylan, are drifting apart, and her job as a writer at the local newspaper requires more attention than she is capable of giving. Mary's own mother, who lives in Mexico, is unable to provide support, except to suggest that Mary join a knitting group. Mary soon takes her advice, joining a circle of spirited, open-hearted knitters who offer the companionship and support she needs to cope with tragedy. Each member of the group teaches Mary a new aspect of the knitting craft, sharing with her along the way their own stories of loss. Their encouragement and care contribute to Mary's healing process, as does the therapeutic quality of knitting itself. Hood, who learned to knit after she lost her own daughter, offers a realistic depiction of grief and renewal that is moving without being overly sentimental. She writes beautifully about the art of knitting, using it throughout the novel as a symbol of regeneration. This is a sensitive and touching portrayal of one mother's struggle with loss.
A reading group guide is available online at norton.com/guides.
The Knitting Circle
Set in Providence, Rhode Island, Hood's poignant new novel tells the story of a grieving mother who finds comfort in an unexpected source—knitting. When Mary Baxter loses her five-year-old daughter to meningitis, she struggles to get on with her life. She and her husband, Dylan, are drifting apart, and her job as a writer at the local newspaper requires more attention than she is capable of giving. Mary's own mother, who lives in Mexico, is unable to provide support, except to suggest that Mary join a knitting group. Mary soon takes her advice, joining a circle of spirited, open-hearted knitters who offer the companionship and support she needs to cope with tragedy. Each member of the group teaches Mary a new aspect of the knitting craft, sharing with her along the way their own stories of loss. Their encouragement and care contribute to Mary's healing process, as does the therapeutic quality of knitting itself. Hood, who learned to knit after she lost her own daughter, offers a realistic depiction of grief and renewal that is moving without being overly sentimental. She writes beautifully about the art of knitting, using it throughout the novel as a symbol of regeneration. This is a sensitive and touching portrayal of one mother's struggle with loss.
A reading group guide is available online at norton.com/guides.