The Thread Collectors - by Shaunna J Edwards & Alyson Richman

About the Book

In 1863, a young black woman who embroiders intricate maps on repurposed cloth to help enslaved men flee and join the Union Army crosses paths with a Jewish seamstress who helps her discover that even the most delicate threads have the capacity to save.

Book Synopsis

"An unforgettable story of female strength, hope and friendship. This collaborative work is magnificent--a true revelation!" --Pam Jenoff, New York Times bestselling author of The Woman with the Blue Star

"A brilliant story brimming with unexpected friendships and family ties. Historically sound and beautifully stitched, The Thread Collectors will stay with you long after the last page is turned." --Sadeqa Johnson, international bestselling author of Yellow Wife

1863: In a small Creole cottage in New Orleans, an ingenious young Black woman named Stella embroiders intricate maps on repurposed cloth to help enslaved men flee and join the Union Army. Bound to a man who would kill her if he knew of her clandestine activities, Stella has to hide not only her efforts but her love for William, a Black soldier and a brilliant musician.

Meanwhile, in New York City, a Jewish woman stitches a quilt for her husband, who is stationed in Louisiana with the Union Army. Between abolitionist meetings, Lily rolls bandages and crafts quilts with her sewing circle for other soldiers, too, hoping for their safe return home. But when months go by without word from her husband, Lily resolves to make the perilous journey South to search for him.

As these two women risk everything for love and freedom during the brutal Civil War, their paths converge in New Orleans, where an unexpected encounter leads them to discover that even the most delicate threads have the capacity to save us. Loosely inspired by the authors' family histories, this stunning novel will stay with readers for a long time.

Review Quotes

Advance Praise for The Thread Collectors

"The Thread Collectors by Shaunna J. Edwards and Alyson Richman is the original story of a Black woman in New Orleans and a Jewish woman in New York, both of whom are fighting for the cause of freedom and Union victory through their needlework during the Civil War. Their lives converge in unexpected ways in an unforgettable story of female strength, hope and friendship. This collaborative work is magnificent--a true revelation!"
--Pam Jenoff, New York Times bestselling author of The Woman with the Blue Star

"The Thread Collectors is a brilliant story brimming with unexpected friendships and family ties that fed my soul. Historically sound and beautifully stitched, it is a story that will stay with you long after the last page is turned."
--Sadeqa Johnson, international bestselling author of Yellow Wife

"The Thread Collectors is a gift--not only for lovers of historical fiction, but for readers everywhere who search for hidden truths behind the facts we think we know. Like the fearless, sensitive, and resourceful women they write about, Edwards and Richman have stitched together a glorious tapestry of resilience, survival, friendship, and love. This is a Civil War story unlike any other--a story readers will treasure from the very first page."
--Lynda Cohen Loigman, USA Today bestselling author of The Two-Family House and The Wartime Sisters

"In their transfixing novel, Edwards and Richman offer a vibrant tapestry of characters whose lives have been shattered by slavery and Civil War, yet find a tenuous connection in scraps of fabric that symbolize hope, love, even escape. Both heartbreaking and thrilling, I dare you to put this novel down as it hurtles toward its riveting conclusion."
--Fiona Davis, New York Times bestselling author of The Lions of Fifth Avenue

"The Thread Collectors pushes back against simple Civil War narratives and spotlights historical realities, including the abysmal treatment of Black Union soldiers, Southern antisemitism, and Northern racism.....This book, with its distinct prose, quick chapters, and dynamic characters, provides a stirring narrative and much-needed perspective in Civil War fiction."
--Booklist

"The authors have penned an engrossing story, and they use it to expose many of the cruelties experienced by enslaved people, prejudice against Jewish people, military incompetence, and the devastation of the land by both armies. This they accomplish with grace and nuance, educating as they entertain.... This novel pulls the heartstrings of love and loss, terrors and joys."
--Historical Novel Society, Editors' Choice