Birds in the Air by Frances O'Roark Dowell is my first quilting novel. I enjoyed the small mountain town of Sweet Anne's Gap and new resident Emma Byrd's journey of trying to fit in. Happy Reading!

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Birds in the Air is a comforting and charming story about finding your place in new community, that will make you want to start quilting right away!

Emma Byrd moves into a house of her dreams together with her family. Living in a small town proves to be quite different but Emma is determined to adapt to it and make friends. Finding an old quilt in the attic of their house, encourages her to reach out to her neighbours and local quilting community. But not everyone is willing to accept people from outside and the fact that Emma tries to fit into the community so much, doesn't necessarily sit well with them...

I was really looking forward to this book, because the plot summary sounded truly interesting and I wasn't disappointed! The main character Emma is very likeable. She loves books and simply wants to become a part of the small town they moved to. The atmosphere created by the author was truly heart-warming, yet very realistic. She wasn't afraid to show all small town antics and both its good and not so good side. I really enjoyed the themes of family, troubled past, fitting in and obviously quilting! :)

I adore doing all kind of crafty things, so the story with quilting at heart was truly wonderful for me. I haven't tried quilting yet, but Birds in the Air definitely made me want to. I loved all the details about different quilt patterns and the process of quilting itself. I also found the writing really good, it was smooth and made for a real page-turner.

All in all, Birds in the Air by Frances O'Roark Dowell is a sweet story that should appeal not only to all craft lovers, but also to those of you who are looking for a warm, feel-good book.

I loved this sweet book! I found myself wanting to become a quilter and move to this small North Carolina Appalachian town. I wanted to be friends with the characters. It was just a charming, satisfying read! The book is about finding yourself and your passions, finding friendships, building community and discovering new gifts. It genuinely is one of the sweetest books I've read this year, if not in even longer than that and highly recommend you give it a chance!

Ok, the book was an easy read but there was really no substance. For the most part almost everything gets wrapped up in a pretty bow at the end. No connection to any character, the characters didn't even have a connection to their own family. It's a "quilting" book but only talks about the numerous types of quilts but I didn't really get the descriptions of what those were. Will try to read another book by this author but it wasn't anything great.

A really beautiful book with a strong story line and well developed characters. I was immediately pulled into this book and the characters. I have already recommended it to several of my patrons.

Birds in the Air by Frances O'Roark Dowell is a wonderful story. I loved the book from the first page to the last page. The book involves a woman whose family moves to a small town in the mountains. Her husband and daughter settle in quickly with job and school, but Emma needs something to do. Finding an old quilt in an attic trunk is the catalyst for searching out the local quilt shop. She is not a quilter to start with, but that quickly changes. Through a series of events, she ends up learning to quilt as well as becoming the publicist for the local guild's quilt show. Some of the members do not agree that an outside should have such an important role. Conflict with another guild member creates a disaster for the quilt show, and help comes from an unlikely source. The story is interesting and told in an easy to read style, and I found it difficult to put down. I also like that Emma is happily married, as many of these series begin with a divorce so the woman can find her own way. I like that a married woman can also find her own way while having a family and a committed relationship.

There are several reasons I loved this book.

First, the characters. The characters are realistic and true to life. Second, I could related to the life styles characterized by several of the characters. Third, I like how Frances uses quilting terms through out the book. Fourth, I like that the author brought the conflict of "quilt divas" to the story which brings to like the quilting industry that not everyone is kind at all times. The author brings past quilting history and highlights how functions in a community both in the past and in current times. I love how the author makes community building such a central theme in the story. Lastly, fifth, the authors deals with quilting controversy within the story and it makes the story appear that much more realistic.

I received this book from Milton Falls Media, Inc. via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Emma, along with her husband and two children move to a more rural area especially attractive due to finding the house of her dreams - with gables! This is really the story of Emma trying to fit in as a newcomer to a town where everyone knows everyone else and has done for generations.
Purely by chance, quilting is the vessel to acceptance strange as it may seem although the road isn't smooth.

This was a wonderfully warm, exceptionally well-written novel and I couldn't believe it when I noted I was almost finished it. A really good read to immerse yourself in - and learn some things you never thought of before. A terrific read.