Stitches in Time

By: Barbara Michaels

Narrated by: Barbara Rosenblat

Length: 13 hrs and 14 mins

Publisher's summary

When an antique bridal quilt appears under mysterious circumstances at the vintage clothing shop where Rachel Grant works, she is fascinated. She has never been able to resist handmade textiles from the past, for she believes that through the ages women wove protective magic into their fabrics in order to mark the important events of their lives: birth, marriage, and death.

But there is more than good in the quilt's magic power. Day by day Rachel sees and feels the power growing, as she senses the quilt influencing her thoughts and actions. Much as Rachel's logical mind longs to deny the supernatural, the aura of evil coming from the quilt is terrifyingly real, and it seems to carry a sinister legacy into the lives of the people Rachel loves.

©2009 Barbara Michaels (P)2016 HarperCollins Publishers

Handmade, With Hatred

Would you consider the audio edition of Stitches in Time to be better than the print version?

Honestly, no. The print version is a wonderful book which you can read without distractions. I found that this narrator often made character choices that differed with my vision of the characters so occasionally I found myself taken out of the story.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

It's a great story with just enough supernatural creepiness and dashes of romance and humor.

Did the narration match the pace of the story?

It matched the pace well, I just had a problem with some of the voices used by the narrator.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No, but it definitely kept me interested.

Stitches in Time

This is a wonderful story. I make quilts for friends and family, so the idea of someone using a "comforter" to hold a spell or charm to cause discomfort or unhappiness makes me shiver. But, that is what good mystery stories do, and this one delivered. Barbara Rosenblat did a fine job with the story-telling, as she always does.

fascinating story, wonderful narration

historical needle crafting, wildly inaccurate satire of fluffy bunny pagans with souçon of black magic

For lovers of history, love, and loss

I first read this book in 1998 when published. I really enjoyed the engaging story and characters. I especially enjoyed Adam although until listening to the story on Audible, I hadn’t known why. Adam is oh so similar to my own man in so many ways! But the story itself is wonderful, leading the reader between modern Virginia, women in their own business, historical details of women’s life during the Civil War, murder, mystery, anthropology, and discovery of one’s self and strength. Enjoy. Listen to this story multiple times, and smile at the ending, both happy and poignant.

Very enjoyable

Narrator, Barbara Rosenblat, as always had a great sense of character and Barbara Michels never disappoints.

Has elements of characters from Amelia Peabody

I liked this book a lot more when I was younger and less critical. The main character is rather caustic and petty at times, although she acknowledges it. The character growth is a bit extreme for realism. However, I thoroughly enjoyed the other characters, many of whom are reminiscent of characters from the Amelia Peabody series. I also love the inclusion of animals throughout the story, which is probably what appealed to me when I was younger as well.

It's All in the Voice

Rosenblatt's breadth of voices makes listening to the book so much more enjoyable and makes following the story possible.

A Better Read Than a Listen

I read this book when it first came out, and I had loved it. I was really looking forward to the audio version as I am no longer able to read due to vision problems. What a disappointment! The narration is AWFUL. Admittedly, the dialogue is kind of bad, but wow - the cringe narration makes it stand out even more.

Favorite Book

I love Barbara Michael’s writing style! It’s easy to read\listen to and filled with interesting facts, romance, and mystery. I first read this book when I was in high school after reading another of her novels Ammie Come Home. The fact that this was dealing with magic and the fiber arts was so fascinating for me as I love to sew and delve into stories with a magical and witchy theme. Give this a try you’ll love it!

Distracting narration.

I remember liking this book when I first read it years ago. As such, I was very surprised how much I disliked the audio version. I suspect it was largely due to the narrator. Her interpretation of the characters, especially Rachel, made me dislike them. They all sounded either insipid or overbearing and pushy. Plus, the narrator's constant and very loud swallowing was very distracting.