‘A Quilt Club For Christmas’: ‘Pickle Club’ prequel worth the wait for Dallas fans

It's been 20 years since author Sandra Dallas wrote The Persian Pickle Club, and fans have been hoping for a sequel ever since. Dallas has done one better with her latest book, A Quilt for Christmas (St. Martin's Press, $17.99), a Civil-War era story following the lives of the Persian Pickle club members' grandmothers, proving once again that good things come to those who wait.

Set in Wabaunsee County, Kansas, the novel follows the life of Eliza Spooner, a hardworking farm wife and mother whose husband has enlisted to defend the Union. Eliza is comforted by her monthly quilting sessions with her four closest friends, but the women grow frustrated with their small role in supporting the war effort. When an escaped slave comes to the area and needs a place to hide, the women know they have an opportunity to take action. But will they be brave enough to turn against their proslavery neighbors?

While this storyline is suspenseful, it's just the beginning. Rather than structure the novel around one main plot, Dallas tell the story of one full year in the life of Eliza Spooner, giving readers a true sense of just how quickly life moved on the farm. 'It struck Eliza then that life didn't stop …. Birth and death were God's way, she told herself. Joy and sorrow were joined together.”

Framing the novel this way is a wonderful move, as the focus becomes more on the ways Eliza and her friends grow and change, rather than just one event in their lives. And, just like in our own lives today, Eliza and her friends face a number of hardships; they surprise themselves with their action - and inaction; but they move through these trials together, reminding us of the importance of friendship, no matter our age - or time period.