The Van Rippers were charlatans to some, saviors to others. Crooks or angels. Saints or thieves. But...uncertainty had never stopped generations of Tarrytown women from dragging themselves in desperation to the Van Rippers' doorway, begging for help.
The Wishing Thread by Lisa Van Allen is set in the small town of Tarrytown, just outside of Sleepy Hollow, New York. The Van Ripper family has owned a house in the town square since the time of the American Revolution and there has always been some mystery surrounding them. Rumor has it that if you need a little magic in your life, a Van Ripper can knit you an item containing a magic spell. It could be a sweater or mittens or a scarf, but give it to someone and watch the magic work. Or not. The Van Rippers are quick to disclose that there are no guarantees. And each spell requires a sacrifice of something valuable to the seeker- not monetarily valuable, but emotionally precious.
Aubrey is the newest guardian of the Stitchery, the house that has been passed down in the family for over two hundred years, and the place where the magic is knit. As her two sisters return after a long absence for a funeral, the women have an opportunity to repair their relationship and make a major decision about how their lives will proceed.
This book was cute, but it didn't have quite as much magic in it as I was expecting and so I was a little disappointed. I liked all the knitting references- I taught myself to knit a couple of years ago. Each chapter begins with a knitting term: Make a Knot. Drop a Stich. Slip Slip Knit. I thought that was a really cute way to incorporate knitting into the chapters beyond the magical function. There were lots of references to the actual Terrytown and its neighbor Sleepy Hollow as well as the history and myth of the area.
I liked this book, but I didn't love it. Maybe you'll like it more than I did.
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