Jennifer Chiaverini's Elm Creek Quilts series has drawn readers in
for five books now, and the sixth, THE MASTER QUILTER, will be no
different.

The beloved characters from the previous books are back. This time,
the Elm Creek Quilters are trying to arrange a wedding quilt as a
surprise present for newlyweds Sylvia and Andrew. To help make the
quilt, the Elm Creek Quilters contact various minor characters from
earlier books to have them contribute quilt blocks.

Meanwhile, Sarah's ability to keep a secret is tested, especially
by her husband, Matthew. But both she and Sylvia seem to have minor
roles in this book compared to some of the other characters. Bonnie
is having financial problems with Grandma's Attic and, even worse,
marital difficulties. Diane is feeling unappreciated by her fellow
quilters and suspects that her son has begun his bad ways again.
Gwen is trying to deal with her peers at the college who tell her
that quilting is not a serious academic subject; she feels
pressured to stop studying what she loves and concentrate on what
is "in." Summer, Gwen's daughter, is moving in with her boyfriend
without telling her mother, and she's juggling career choices as
well.

Agnes is there for Bonnie, but her role is minor. She's her usual
self: helpful, loyal and a good friend. When she does some
investigation work to help out Bonnie, we see a different side of
the usually reserved Agnes.

The prose here is wonderful, much like the images of quilts
throughout the book. The characters are more fleshed out in this
latest installment; it is interesting to see them struggling with
decisions that any person could face in real life. The history
among the characters is respected, which adds to the power of the
story. Past relationships are brought in; the nicest was the
hostility between Diane and her neighbor Mary Beth, the President
of the other quilting club. The messages of friendship and loyalty
are still there, and the fact that, six books later, these
characters are still interesting is a testament to Chiaverini's
writing abilities.

This is a series that can continue for the foreseeable future, and
that is a good thing. These characters have a lot of stories left
in them, and Chiaverini is bringing them to life in a wonderful
way.