The Tapestry Of Love

By Rosy Thornton


I really enjoyed Rosy Thornton’s previous novel, ‘Crossed Wires’, so I was delighted when she offered to send me a copy of ‘The Tapestry Of Love’. If anything, this novel is even better.

Everything about ‘The Tapestry Of Love’ hits exactly the right note. From the beautiful evocation of the French setting to the skilfully drawn characters, it all works together to make a whole that kept me turning the pages until well after midnight.

All the characters are real, rounded and sympathetic. The main story is Catherine’s as she moves from England to a new home in the Ćevennes mountains, but the people she meets there and the people she leaves behind are all equally well-drawn.

Patrick Castagnol, Catherine’s neighbour, is the perfect male lead character. From the moment he steps onto the page, the reader can picture him and can totally empathise with Catherine’s changing feelings towards him.

As well as Patrick, I also really liked Catherine’s daughter Lexie and her French neighbours the Bouschet’s. Rosy Thornton has convincingly portrayed the initially awkward, but increasingly warm, encounters between Catherine and the new community she finds herself living among in France whilst also mapping the changing sands of her relationships with those she has left at home.

Another layer is added to the story by the exploration of Catherine’s relationship with the needlework and tapestry from which she is endeavouring to make her living. This is central to everything else that happens and enriches the narrative, as does the sensual description of food and meals which pervades the book.

I recommend this book highly. I loved it.

You can read my review of 'Crossed Wires' here.

Reviewed by Helen M Hunt