The Goodbye Quilt

By Susan Wiggs

Linda Davis's local fabric shop is a place where women gather to share their creations: quilts commemorating important events in their lives. Wedding quilts, baby quilts, memorial quilts—each is bound tight with dreams, hopes and yearnings.

Now, as her only child readies for college, Linda is torn between excitement for Molly and heartache for herself. Who will she be when she is no longer needed in her role as mom? What will become of her days? Of her marriage? Mother and daughter decide to share one last adventure together—a cross-country road trip to move Molly into her dorm. As they wend their way through the heart of the country, Linda stitches together the scraps that make up Molly's young life. And in the quilting of each bit of fabric—the hem of a christening gown, a snippet from a Halloween costume—Linda discovers that the memories of a shared journey can come together in a way that will keep them both warm in the years to come….

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins UK
• Release date: May 1, 2011
• ISBN: 9781408935897

Susan Wiggs

Susan Wiggs's life is all about family, friends, and fiction. She lives on an island in Puget Sound, and commutes to her writers' group in a motorboat. She is an international bestselling author, and her books have appeared in the #1 spot on the NYT bestseller list. The Apple Orchard has been made into a film, with others in production. Susan loves hiking, skiing, and surfing, but her favorite sport is reading a book.

Reviews for The Goodbye Quilt

[maryzee_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Really quick read, lots about love and quilting

[caslater83 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I like it, but I don't think it's something I'd go out of my way to re-read again. I can relate better to Molly than Linda because I've gone to college (out of state) and spent four years away from my parents. It helped me grow and to form my own ideas about the world.

I still feel for Linda because I know that a lot of parents hate the transition from a family to a "childless couple." It's quiet. It's different. But it can be a great time to rejuvenate your relationship or to pursue your own interests as individuals.

If you're at this kind of transition in your life, this book would probably resonate well with you. Pick it up. Read it. :-)

[anacskie · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Cute story of mother and daughter and letting go. I love this kind of story so heart-warming. I borrowed the audio version so I can finished my craft projects while listening to it. Definitely engaging and a good read.

[rdh123 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Enjoyed reading this book. A story of a mom and daughter on their journey across the country. Mom is driving her to her 1st year of college.

[bookladychris · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Linda David, an avid quilter, takes her daughter and her latest quilt on a road trip to the college where Molly is planning to attend. Linda and Molly were very close and the idea of Molly going off to college terrifies Linda. Did she prepare her enough for the world? What will she do with her time? As Molly drives Linda puts the finishing touches on a crazy quilt she has made for Molly. She tells the stories of the materials in the quilt as she hand sews. A very good story about the last trip of a mother and her only child.

[silverheron_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The Goodbye QuiltSusan Wiggs, AuthorISBN 978-0-7783-2996-1When I read the description of this book I knew that this was a book I wanted to read. You see I am a mother of a 6 ½ year old daughter and an avid crafter/fiber-artist. This book follows the story of a mother who loves to quilt, and a trip she makes with her daughter across country to take her daughter to her new college.This book is a coming of age story not of the daughter but of the mother. We always think that we come of age only once in life, but we have many ages and many ways to enter our new life. The main character, Linda, was someone I could relate to on almost every level. She was honest about how she felt and I could relate to all of her fears and concerns not only for her daughter but for herself and her families future.I enjoyed the pace of the book more as I got into it. The first chapter felt a little rough at first but soon I was rolling right along with it. Much like the car as it was traveling across country. I especially like the ending. It was a surprising extra treat. The only thing I think I could say I did not particularly care for was the cover art. While I got the sentiment of it, coming from a crafting background I knew that a true quilter would never be satisfied with the stitching of the appliquéd heart. However, I think that to be a very small issue and easily looked past once you open the book.This would be a great pick for a book club or a crafting group anywhere.

[thehistorychic · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Received from PublisherQuick ReviewThis is one of those books that I can't break down in my normal review method without giving anything away. So I am going to use my quick review method because I think it will do the book more justice.The Goodbye Quilt is a very sweet and heartwarming book that will tug at every heartstring you have! I think in some ways this book will touch any woman who reads it. You can't help but see yourself in some of the situations and laugh/cry/giggle several times while reading. Some of the story will reflect how you communicate with your own mother (or mother figure) and make you think about the women who had the most impact on your life. It will also make you realize how much you have impacted their lives and start reflecting on your own special memories. This was also tons of fun and very quick to read. It would be a perfect sitting out in the sun read, just make sure to bring a few kleenex's as I teared up a few times.I have never read Susan Wiggs before but I will be reading her in the future. She is a fantastic writer.

[virginiahomeschooler · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I have somewhat mixed feelings about this book. First, the not so good. Let me preface by saying that this is most likely particular to my situation. I am a quilter, and I have worked for a quilt shop, and as a professional quilter, for 13 years. Because of that, I think the quilting theme, while possibly quaint to other readers (and something I thought I would enjoy as well), was somewhat tedious to me. I imagine it's like someone who works in a book shop reading a novel set in a book shop. I adore books like that. For booksellers, perhaps it just reminds them of work. That was an issue, not the only issue, but still something that lessened my enjoyment. The other problem I had with the book was that it seemed slow at times. It was almost like reading what could have been a short story that dragged for a bit too long. It was very emotive and not much in the way of action,. Lots more going on in the main character's mind than actually moving the story along. This isn't so much a fault of the book, more just a style preference of my own. I personally prefer more plot and less introspection. Now, the good. The book was beautifully written, and the style was lovely. At times, I admit I had to look up a word or two - Ms. Wiggs obviously has an excellent vocabulary - but it never felt pretentious, just smartly written. While I would have liked to see the relationship between the husband and wife fleshed out a bit more, I found the characters to be well-written and easily relatable. On the whole, it is a quick and enjoyable read, and I believe those who appreciate introspective, emotional fiction will really love this book.