The Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs

Excellent

Title: The Friday Night Knitting Club
Author: Kate Jacobs
# pages: 360
Date published: 2007
Genre: women’s fiction
Series: Book #1 in The Friday Night Knitting Club series

First sentence(s):

“Open Tuesday to Saturday,
10 A.M. -- 8 P.M. No exceptions!

The hours of Walker and Daughter: Knitters were clearly displayed in multicolored letters on a white sandwich board placed just so at the top of their stair landing. Though Georgia Walker--usually preoccupied with closing out the till and picking up the strays of yarn on the floor--rarely made a move to turn the lock until at least eight fifteen... or later.”

What is it all about? The Friday Night Knitting Club is about a group of women who meet once a week at a New York City yarn shop to knit and to bond. The shop’s owner, Georgia Walker, is a single mother struggling to raise her daughter, Dakota, when Dakota’s father suddenly reappears in their lives. Georgia’s friends--Anita, Peri, Darwin, Lucie, and K.C.--help her cope while dealing with issues of their own. These are their stories...

Random thoughts:

• I liked Georgia’s attitude toward James, Dakota’s father. She didn’t immediately forgive him (which would have been terribly unrealistic), but she didn’t turn bitter either. I though Jacobs did a good job balancing this emotional reaction. I’m not sure I would have been as mature ;o).
• Warning: Have a box of tissues handy toward the end of the book - that’s all I’m saying...
• I’ve put all of the other books written by Kate Jacobs on my TBR list ;o).

Fun tidbits:

1. Kate Jacobs’ Website
2. The paperback edition that I have has a knitting pattern for a simple scarf and recipe for oatmeal, blueberry & orange muffins (that sound just perfectly yummy) in the back.
3. There is also a reading group guide. And the book would make for a great book club discussion. Kate Jacobs will even call into your book club and discuss with you - see her website for details.
4. This series also includes Knit Two and Knit the Season (out November 2009).
5. Kate Jacobs has also written another book outside of this series called Comfort Food (its cover makes me hungry ;o)).
6. Read excerpts of all of Kate Jacobs' books
7. Follow her on Twitter: @KateJacobsBooks

Recommended for readers who: like books about the relationship between friends. If you liked Debbie Macomber’s Blossom Street knitting series, you’ll probably like this one, too.