The Hidden Thread by Liz Trenow Published by Sourcebooks Landmark on May 1st 2017
Genres: Historical Fiction
Pages: 336
Format: eBook
Source: NetGalley & Sourcebooks Landmark
The Hidden Thread is a breathtaking novel about the intricate craft of silk and the heartbreak of forbidden love.
When Anna Butterfield's mother dies, she's sent to live with her uncle, a silk merchant in London, to make a good match and provide for her father and sister. There, she meets Henri, a French immigrant and apprentice hoping to become a master weaver. But Henri, born into a lower class, becomes embroiled in the silk riots that break out as weavers protest for a fair wage.
New York Times bestselling author Liz Trenow weaves a luminous tale of class struggle and star-crossed love.
**Special thanks to NetGalley & Sourcebooks Landmark for supplying my copy of this book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.**
Set in London 1760, The Hidden Thread by Liz Trenow brings to us this delicate story of love, hope and will.
After the death of her mother, Anna Butterfield arrives in London to stay with her Aunt and Uncle’s family. Mr. Sadler, her uncle, is one of the well-established mercers in the silk industry. At that time, the only hope for such a young lady was to marry into a rich family. It was also the only means to support her father and sister. The Saddlers, being well connected in London society, were expected to introduce Anna to that society and hence help her out in this matter.
However, free spirited Anna had a different view of life. She couldn’t imagine her life going that way. She longed to be married based on love instead of wealth. She cherished her freedom of choice and of mind. She had the free spirit of an artist and longed to know more about the art of silk designs. She had lived a more spontaneous life in the village with her family where she could move around easily and enjoy the beauty of nature. Now in London, her every move was restricted guided by the intricate society laws of how a lady of class should behave.
Meanwhile, the silk weavers are going through real hard time. Their jobs are threatened by the illegal imports of the French silk. They try their best to establish their rights into fair wages in an unfair and unforgiving society.
The weaving industry is one of the things I loved about this book. Actually, I haven’t realized before how much effort it had taken people to bring around those wonderful silk designs and pieces. I was glad to know more about this amazing industry. It’s very interesting to read a book that gives you a bit of historical info in addition to the lovely story.
The story was such a delicate and enjoyable one. I couldn’t help but love Anna and admire her free spirit. The pages flew while I followed the lovely story between Anna and Henri, the French weaver. Liz Trenow has such an enjoyable writing style that catches the interest and keeps the readers engaged in the story.
The Hidden Thread, was both, an enjoyable journey in history and a heartwarming love story. I enjoyed this book so much.
About Liz Trenow
It is this remarkable silk heritage that has inspired many of Liz’s four novels, including the most recent The Silk Weaver (UK pub Jan 2017) It will be published in the US as The Hidden Thread in May 2017.
It is set in London in the 1760s in the very house in which the family company began, just down the road from where the pre-eminent silk designer Anna Maria Garthwaite lived at the same time. It is the unknown early life of Anna Maria that has inspired the plot, set against the historical backdrop of racial tension and industrial unrest.
With beautiful illustrations of Anna Maria designs throughout, this will be a book to treasure.