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    The Wishing Thread
    The Wishing Thread
    The Wishing Thread
    Audiobook11 hours

    The Wishing Thread

    Written by Lisa Van Allen

    Narrated by Amy Rubinate

    3.5/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    The Van Ripper women have been the talk of Tarrytown, New York, for centuries. Some say they're angels; some say they're crooks. In their tumbledown "Stitchery," not far from the stomping grounds of the legendary Headless Horseman, the Van Ripper sisters-Aubrey, Bitty, and Meggie-are said to knit people's most ardent wishes into beautiful scarves and mittens, granting them health, success, or even a blossoming romance. But for the magic to work, sacrifices must be made-and no one knows that better than the Van Rippers.

    When the Stitchery matriarch, Mariah, dies, she leaves the yarn shop to her three nieces. Aubrey, shy and reliable, has dedicated her life to weaving spells for the community, though her sisters have long stayed away. Bitty, pragmatic and persistent, has always been skeptical of magic and wants her children to have a normal, nonmagical life. Meggie, restless and free-spirited, follows her own set of rules. Now, after Mariah's death forces a reunion, the sisters must reassess the state of their lives even as they decide the fate of the Stitchery. But their relationships with one another-and their beliefs in magic-are put to the test. Will the threads hold?
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherTantor Media, Inc
    Release dateApr 8, 2014
    ISBN9781494570811
    The Wishing Thread

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    Reviews for The Wishing Thread

    3.5/5

    118 ratings28 reviews

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    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 4/5
      A story that mixes family, relationships, strong women, quirky, old houses, needlework, a little romance, and some magical realism? Yes, please! This does not disappoint, so much so that after reading from the library I bought my own copy. That's high praise. Highly recommended for fans of Sarah Addison Allen, really.
    • 5/5
      I find that as I read more I'm looking for a little more in my reads. This tale of family, knitting, wishing and hoping provided that "more" that I want from my novels. From the very first page I was drawn into the world of Aubrey, Bitty and Meggie and I didn't want to leave. Their family had been living in a house known as "The Stitchery" for generations where knitted items were sold to people who needed a wish fulfilled. They had to part with something meaningful for the magic to work. I do not have Ms. van Allen's skill with words but trust me, she makes it work.The plot was very engaging and the characters well developed. I found myself most involved with Aubrey's tale though, she is the one who really led the story for me. It's a book I won't soon forget.
    • 4/5
      I really liked this book but the history and flashbacks that take up the majority of the first half (or more) of the book were out of balance with the last quarter of the book, which felt rushed and cut-short.
    • 4/5
      For someone who loves knitting, magic and summer reading, this book was fun!
    • 4/5
      A story that mixes family, relationships, strong women, quirky, old houses, needlework, a little romance, and some magical realism? Yes, please! This does not disappoint, so much so that after reading from the library I bought my own copy. That's high praise. Highly recommended for fans of Sarah Addison Allen, really.
    • 3/5
      The Van Ripper sisters have just inherited The Stitchery, their family-owned yarn & knit shop. It also happens to be the place that women go when they have a wish. Rumor has it that the Van Ripper women are witches and can put answers to those wishes in the things they knit. Aubrey is the chosen, she's the one who her sisters thought would get The Stitchery but Mariah surprises the sisters by giving the shop/home to all three of the sisters. The problem is that the The Stitchery is soon to be torn down to become a shopping mall.

      Because of her gift/duty Aubrey thinks she will be single alone serving those women who come asking for help. Bitty has run away from poverty and the magic she doesn't believe in - so she marries someone from a rich family to escape, and she doesn't come back for fear that her children will believe magic like they believed in Santa. And then there's Meggie who believes in magic but still runs away from home. The three sisters haven't talked in a very long time and now it's time to work together.

      This was a light, easy read full of possibilities. What will the sisters chose to do - or is it all just fate or magic?
    • 4/5
      Light fun read.
    • 4/5
      This is a tale of three sisters who've grown up amongst various stories of magic and curses originating in the thread used to weave gifts for the townsfolk. The death of the aunt who raised them has them return home and forces them to choose between the family business, "The Stichery", and their individual desires to separate from their family's "gift". They must deal with outside forces of urbanization which wish to tear down their familial home to build a mall in its place. Aubrey, who never left town, wishes to continue in the tradition of the women before her. Meggie, who has drifted from place to place looking for her lost mother, fluctuates in her need for cash to continue the search to her desire to see her sister happy. Bitty, who long ago dismissed the magic as a simple trick of science, wishes to sell the Stichery and to be done with the nonsense once and for all. Each sister faces challenges to what and who she believes in, and the reader is allowed to go along on this magic ride with them.
    • 4/5
      The Van Ripper women have been the talk of Tarrytown, New York, for centuries. Some say they're angels; some say they're crooks. In their tumbledown "Stitchery," not far from the stomping grounds of the legendary Headless Horseman, the Van Ripper sisters--Aubrey, Bitty, and Meggie--are said to knit people's most ardent wishes into beautiful scarves and mittens, granting them health, success, or even a blossoming romance. But for the magic to work, sacrifices must be made--and no one knows that better than the Van Rippers.
      When the Stitchery matriarch, Mariah, dies, she leaves the yarn shop to her three nieces. Aubrey, shy and reliable, has dedicated her life to weaving spells for the community, though her sisters have long stayed away. Bitty, pragmatic and persistent, has always been skeptical of magic and wants her children to have a normal, nonmagical life. Meggie, restless and free-spirited, follows her own set of rules. Now, after Mariah's death forces a reunion, the sisters must reassess the state of their lives even as they decide the fate of the Stitchery. But their relationships with one another--and their beliefs in magic--are put to the test. Will the threads hold?

      My Thoughts: The Wishing Thread was a very enjoyable book. I loved the idea of magic spells being knit into items. The three sisters were each different but I loved each character and the part they played in the family. The story has romance, knitting, magic and family relationships all together in a great book. I am a knitter and I loved this book!
    • 4/5
      The Wishing Thread by Lisa Van Allen is the story of the Van Ripper’s. The sisters reunite as adults when their Aunt Mariah dies and they come back to claim their portion of a small shop in their own home town. They grapple with the decision of splitting up the shop and taking their individual inheritances, or staying together and run the small yarn shop. The three sisters, who turn out have magical abilities, stay in Tarrytown and there they come back together to run The Stitchery. There they create a family business where they knit spells into the garments that they design and make for members of their small home town. If you are a knitter or just love the feel wools and small intimate boutique shops or just want an cozy story, you will enjoy this book. The story is a bit fantasy, glimpses of small town activities and enjoyable reading.
    • 4/5
      This book has woven magic into knitting and then woven both if these into the fates on three women and the fate of a historic neighborhood.  I loved this book.  Lisa Van Allen is compared to Sarah Allen Addison and that is so true.  In fact SAA interviews Van Allen in the back of the book.  Aubrey has held onto the Stitchery.  The Van Ripper sisters are believed to have the magical power to knit wishes into garments, hats, mittens, and so forth.  Many of the townspeople have used these services, while many others consider them charlatans.  Now these three sisters must try to save not only The Stitchery, but, the Tappan Square neighborhood they grew up in.  I loved the magic interwoven into the Van Ripper sisters story.  The town is filled with quirky characters, each with their own agenda.  For those readers who love magical fiction, this is a great new voice in that genre.
    • 4/5
      I am a huge fan of Sarah Addison Allen. When I read the synopsis for The Wishing Thread and it stated that it would appeal to fans of hers, I knew I had to read this book.The Wishing Thread, by Lisa Van Allen, is magical story about the Van Ripper Family. The matriarch, Aunt Mariah, has recently died, and her three nieces have been reunited at her funeral after being estranged for some time. They discover that their Aunt has left her yarn shop, The Stitchery, to all of them, and now they must decide what they want to do with it.The Van Ripper women are well known in Tarrytown and the surrounding area of Sleepy Hollow NY for fulfilling the hopes, wishes and dreams of the locals by knitting magic into their handcrafted creations. But, there is a catch to the magic they create - for the magic to work, the requester must sacrifice something in return.This story is highly reminiscent of Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen and Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman. The similarities between the three books are many, although where Garden Spells revolves around food, The Wishing Thread centers on knitting. But magic is magic afterall, and this story does have it's share.I did think that the setting was very fitting for the book. I enjoyed the author's descriptive writing style, and although I am not much into any type of hobby that involves knitting or crocheting, I still found the story to be entertaining. Although some reviewers have found the comparison to be unsatisfactory, I believe that fans of Sarah Allen and Alice Hoffman will find The Wishing Thread to be an equally enjoyable read.I received this ebook from NetGalley in return for an honest review.
    • 4/5
      Many Thanks to Random House Publishing Group and Library Thing Early Reviewers for an advanced reading copy and the opportunity to write an honest review.Touted as a similar author to Sarah Addison Allen, I was excited to dig into Lisa Van Allen’s new book. In her freshman debut, Van Allen depicts a quaint, superstitious but friendly Tarrytown, threatened by urban progress –progress that inadvertently affects the equally sleepy life of our protagonist: one contented, or dare I say resigned, Aubrey Van Ripper. Aubrey is the guardian of a magical stitchery, aptly named “The Stitchery”. It's in her blood to help the locals through her magic abilities and knitting. Aubrey is one to take the guardianship quite seriously being gifted the job after her dear Aunt passes...and to someday pass the guardianship to the next generation. Aubrey accepts her role just as it was for the generations of guardians before her. The Stitchery is a place of magic, friendships, and of course, knitting. This is a sweet story, following Aubrey as she comes into herself, patches up tenuous relationships with her siblings, grows into her role as guardian, while discovering the deep importance of family bonds, bravery, love, and the beauty of sacrifice. I felt the story was well-written, albeit a bit slow in the middle to pick up near the end. Aubrey was so down-to-earth believable and yet, I wish the author hadn't made such an effort to emphasize Aubrey's plain and ordinary (almost frumpy) appearance. I could only assume that this was written in juxtaposition to her unusual physical feature that trumped the attention of most. I'm not sure. This was an enjoyable read especially for the knitter in me. I look forward to seeing more from this author.
    • 4/5
      The Stitchery is a magical yarn store where a somewhat unusual family lives. The Van Ripper women knit magic within their yarn creations to help fulfill the wishes of their neighbors. Aubrey Van Ripper is one of three sisters and is to take over The Stitchery when her aunt passes away...or so everyone thought. But, her aunt has left The Stitchery to all three of the sisters and they have to figure out what to do with it. Bitty and Meggy want to sell it and Aubrey wants to keep it...A slow read, for sure, but enjoyable. I liked the characters, especially Aubrey. I like the family/sister them of the story along with the magic. The ending was not what I expected and I am still undecided if I liked it or not. A enjoyable story, not sure if I would seek out this author for another.
    • 4/5

      This and other reviews can be found on Reading Between Classes

      Cover Impressions: This cover has that beautiful, magical feeling that keeps me coming back to this genre. I love the natural background and the simplicity of the barefeet. The yarn adds a wonderful pop of color and the tendrils on the font give it just that little extra detail.

      The Gist: The Van Ripper women have always been strange. Living in The Stitchery - a run down home in Tarrytown, New York, they walk the line between the modern world and the realm of magic. The women in the family have the ability to knit spells, an ability they share with the people of the community - at a cost. Holding the town's secrets sets the Van Ripper women apart, sometimes even from each other. When the death of the family matriarch brings the three sisters home once more, they must learn to live with one another and with impact their decisions will have on the family for generations to come.

      Review:

      Every now and then, I feel the need to leave behind the world of YA and jump into an "adult" book. Usually when I am enticed to do this, it is by a book in the Magical Realism sphere like this one. The Wishing Thread is a wonderful story of three sisters and what home truly means. I loved the world of these women. The Stitchery had that run down feeling where magic can bury itself deep in the walls and permeate the very existance of each person who steps foot there. The sisters are all strong and unique characters with their own strengths and weaknesses. I loved getting to know each one of them and watching as they embraced what their hearts had known all along.
      There is a touch of romance in The Wishing Thread but it never overpowers the main story. The love interest is a kind and gentle man, willing to support Audrey in her endeavors and never balks at the idea of magic. I really enjoyed how the women weave their spells in a very subtle but powerful way. This is the kind of magic I love reading about - the everyday magic that takes work and sacrifice but reinforces the strength of the women who wield it.
      The Wishing Thread is beautifully written. Lisa Van Allen has a wonderful majesty over language and weaves the story together seamlessly. I will be looking forward to whatever works she is planning in the future.
    • 4/5
      This was a marvelous book that should sell plenty of copies. The characters were quite fun to spend time with. The story line was compelling and I just really liked it. Good luck Lisa
    • 5/5
      I find that as I read more I'm looking for a little more in my reads. This tale of family, knitting, wishing and hoping provided that "more" that I want from my novels. From the very first page I was drawn into the world of Aubrey, Bitty and Meggie and I didn't want to leave. Their family had been living in a house known as "The Stitchery" for generations where knitted items were sold to people who needed a wish fulfilled. They had to part with something meaningful for the magic to work. I do not have Ms. van Allen's skill with words but trust me, she makes it work.The plot was very engaging and the characters well developed. I found myself most involved with Aubrey's tale though, she is the one who really led the story for me. It's a book I won't soon forget.
    • 5/5
      First, I want to say that the cover for this book is just beautiful. I say this only because when I got my copy in the mail, I was so disappointed that the cover on the book I received was a generic galley cover. (I know, how petty of me ~ *sigh*) That aside, I enjoyed this book so much more than I thought I would. I know absolutely ZILCH about knitting. When I was little, my sister and I were sent to an old woman in a ramshackled old house who would sit on her front porch on a battered old rocking chair to teach us how to crochet. My sister was a natural. Me, not so much. My "potholder" looked more like the state of Texas than the small square it was supposed to be. I can tell you that even though I didn't learn to crochet, I did learn a few things from that wizened old woman that perhaps, are worth so much more than being able to make a passable scarf. Just the time spent with my closest sister is priceless to me now. This book resonates with me in so many different ways, I felt a bit bereft when I was finished reading. The emotional ties between the sisters was something that touched a part of my soul. I know that sounds corny but being the oldest of a biological trio of sisters myself, I saw a great deal of our own bonds that hold us together as well as the same un-nameable "something" that scatters us apart. This author has such lush prose and her characters are brought to life so vividly for me. I think this book did indeed have some magic woven into it. FTC Advisory: I won a copy of this book through the GoodReads First Reads program. No compensation for my review was given.
    • 5/5
      LOVED this book! Even if you don't knit, you will enjoy it. I'm so excited to review this book! The quotes alone from The Great Book in the Hall are fantastic and magic. Not a typical feel good fluffy book, nice plot that moves along and makes you want to think if you tried hard enough you could knit a spell for someone.
    • 4/5
      The Van Ripper family has lived in Tarrytown, NY for generations. Their craft is well rumored around town and many stories have made their rounds through whispers and lore. The Van Rippers own a business/house named 'The Stitchery'. The women are rumored to be witches who weave spells as they knit. Customers secretively come to ask for help with things they feel it important to get or change. Mariah, the patriarch of the family has just passed away leaving 'The Stitchery's' future in limbo. Aubrey, Mariah's middle niece seems to be the next in line to be the Guardian of the Stitchery but things don't always go as intended. Aubrey's sisters, Meggie and Bitty have returned for Mariah's funeral, after both fleeing the moment they turned 18. Both have their own problems they bring with them and the elephant that was left in the room when they left years ago that must be dealt with. As the sisters come back together to bid farewell to their Aunt and also the woman who raised them, they find that family is the most important thing. Family will always have your back, no matter where life leads you, that circle will remain unbroken.I enjoyed this book. I enjoyed the characters, their energy, chutzpah, directness, compassion & love for one another. While these adjectives describe different characters I found myself drawn to each of the main characters in different ways. The storyline was wrapped up in the belief that magic was at work, but it also could be shown that positive outlooks, prayers and compassion of your fellow people is what was at work. I found the storyline to flow nicely and easily. It had some dips that tugged at your heart strings, lows that made you want to raise your fist and yell "foul" and some highs that made you laugh or just smile all of which make it a good read in my opinion.I received a copy of this book for the purpose of review.
    • 5/5
      For me, this book was a very slow start to get into. The death of the aunt (not ruining anything for you, I promise) and then the description of the community and the main character is necessary but it just takes a little while to get through. After a while, though, I found myself just being pulled through the book and not sure where I'd gotten hooked.
    • 4/5
      I enjoyed reading The Wishing Thread by Lisa Van Allen. It hit the spot for a story with magical realism, something I’m often looking to read. I liked the characters, three sisters - Aubrey, Bitty and Meggie. They each brought something to the story, each had their own issues they were dealing with and found that they needed each other to help them see their better selves. Their home and business, The Stitchery, had a history of its own, while Van Allen, interwove bits of the history of Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow into the novel. I look forward to reading more novels by this author.
    • 4/5
      I just finished "The Wishing Thread" (a pre-release from TLT), closing it with a sigh. This is a story part mystical, part historical and wholly family. I loved it. It left me wishing the Stitchery were a place I could truly visit and that Aubrey, Bitty, and Meggie were women that I could sit, knit and chat with. Thank you. :)
    • 5/5
      Have you ever read a book you just wanted to crawl into the pages and the story, and live there? That is how I felt about The Wishing Thread. If I could magically transport my life into this book, I would.It's a family tradition for my brother and I to love the story of the Headless Horseman and Sleepy Hollow. We know the Disney cartoon by heart, the songs, the dialogue, even the lines from the cartoon shorts that come before it on the DVD. I loved the Johnny Depp movie version, and I am excited for the upcoming television show, although it involves time travel and that usually turns me off. I sadly have never read the Washington Irving story, but I plan on correcting that in October.I looked at the blurb for the book, and was a little apprehensive. I have had bad experiences with books that take place or are based on an original story, like this one. Or Scarlett, that sad sequel to Gone with the Wind. So I started reading a little reservedly. It didn't take long for the story and the characters to steal me away into their lives.Aubrey and her two sisters grew up with their aunt in a house that had been in the family for generations. Their house is known as The Stichery around town, and always had been. The Van Rippen family's heritage is long and winding and magical. They can knit spells, fulfilling the wishes of those who come to them, desperate, hopeful, resigned. The wisher must give up something of great importance to them in order for the deal to be made, and for the spell to work. But this is not a guarantee that the magic will work, just a sign of good faith between the two. The idea of being able to embed emotions such as dreams and wishes, and curses like anger and despair into creative works is also called sympathetic magic. I have read this as a device in another book, where it was said that women who made quilts while waiting for their loved ones to come back from war sewed those emotions right into the quilts. I find this idea fascinating - I am pretty fanciful, and halfway believe that the transference really could happen.The sisters grow up, and one by one leave The Stitchery - except Aubrey. She is different. She is the chosen one to stay on and grant the wishes, the sign of the choosing being her bright electric blue eyes. This part confused me, I wasn't sure if it was her whole entire eye that was blue, including the whites, or just the iris. Their beloved aunt dies, and her sisters come home for a visit. At this point, their lives start unraveling, and outside forces are working against them and The Stitchery. It is up to them to come together to change their own fates.When I finished reading the story, I read the author interview and book club questions in the back. One of the book club questions was what would you would wish for, and what would you give up in the hopes of your wish coming true? You don't have to say, because I am sure your wishes are personal, but I think it is a thought provoking question.This book is wonderful - magical, hopeful, yet with the real struggles that people actually go through in life, with a touch of Headless Horseman. The book was set during the fall, and it made me wish for autumn, with its crisp breezes, crunchy leaves, and sweaters and jeans, and is my favorite time of the year. And I don't knit, but I think I am going to give it a try this winter!
    • 5/5
      I love this book! This story with it's tales woven inside, makes me warm like a good wool sweater.I have been a fan of Alice Hoffman and Lisa has given me that same feelings, so I will be adding Lisa Van Allen to my best loved authors list. The characters belong together they blend together with the story and pull you in to where you are part of the circle. Thank you for a great read.
    • 4/5
      The Wishing Thread: A Novel is a delightful read! Usually, when I read that is book is being compared to another book, by an author that is tried and true and well liked, I get suspicious. And I was quite suspicious when this author was compared to Sarah Addison Allen who herself writes some delightful books. Still, something made me take a chance on this one, and I'm so glad I did!This is about a family, Aubrey, Bitty and Meggie Van Ripper. Bitty's children have important roles as well, particularly her daughter. A constant presence in the story is their Aunt Mariah, who departs this earthly plane very early on. Don't get me wrong, this isn't a ghost story, it's a story of magic and generations of a family who share a particular gift. Their gift is knitting, and the working of magic, or spells into what they are knitting. They are looked upon in a way that is similar to the old herb women did in villages and towns in the years gone by. Well, these wise women are still around, and are still sought out, but not as openly as they once were.Each generation one particular girl child grows to be the keeper of the ancestral home, business and is the one most proficient with their gift. There is never a doubt as to which girl it is, as there is always something unusual, or outstanding about her. In many ways, the family is as ordinary as any other, but they're meant to share their gift with those around them. For each request a sacrifice must be offered. A sacrifice of something that is dear to the heart of the asker.The main theme of this story, other than the magic, is that the Van Rippers are trying to save not only their home, but the small town square where it was built. A wealthy schemer is trying to destroy the town square and build... well never mind. I don't want to ruin it for you. I want you to read it. This is too good to miss.
    • 4/5
      Comparisons to Alice Hoffman are apt; this is a book about the relationship between sisters and the difficult choices women make in order to create lives worth living. The addition of magic and knitting lore will appeal to a particular readership. While there's is not much to surprise a reader here, especially if you have read other similarly themed fiction, I found the book an enjoyable diversion and read it quickly. Those who enjoy mild romance, small-town shenanigans, and the mystery of old towns in the Hudson Valley will appreciate this book.
    • 3/5
      This story was very reminiscent of one of my favorite movies " Practical Magic". The romance and magic make it a good chik-lit or sumer beach read. I think the weakest part of the story is Aubrey's eyes. I just couldn't visualize what the author was trying to describe; Sparkling blue eyes just didn't seem like a negative physical trait to me and I couldn't understand why they made the rest of the townspeople so uncomfortable.Overall, I enjoyed the story. I do love the idea of a collective group of strong willed women changing their destiny.