Spinning Forward
December 17, 2009
My first thought when I saw the cover for Terri Dulong’s Spinning Forward was, “SQUISHY!” Does that yarn not just call out for you to squish it? I’m pretty sure it does. (Is it just me or does pink yarn always look extra squishy? And I don’t even really like pink.) My second thought was, “Yay! New knitting novel!” I really wish I could tell you that I loved this novel, but I didn’t.
First things first – Spinning Forward is the story of Sydney Webster. Recently widowed she finds out that her husband was a secret gambling-addict who mortgaged there house several times over and she suddenly finds herself not only alone, but alone, broke and without a home. A college friend convinces her to some stay with her in Cedar Key, Floria to put her life together. This involves a knitting store, a man, a community and a search for her biological parents.
Why didn’t I like Spinning Forward? I did not like Sydney. I believe that a big part of why I didn’t like her (and therefore the book) is tied to the writing. Sydney’s transformation is rarely told as it’s happening. For example, we know there’s going to be a big scene between her and her daughter Monica. We’ll hear about it days after. We’re not present and it made me feel detached. Time jumps around a lot as well. I felt like I was never let in and Sydney never really felt real to me.
It’s not really a knitting book. It certainly looks like a knitting book but the knitting store and Sydney’s spinning really have very little to do with it. I didn’t get the impression that knitting was really an important thing for Sydney, that she had a true passion for it. It felt like a plot device and that it was knitting and spinning because they wanted a Friday Night Knitting Club type of book. It could have almost as easily been a flower shop. Or stained glass. Whatever. You get the idea.
Finally, everything just ties up too neatly. I know, it’s happy middle-aged chick-lit and everything is supposed to tie up neatly. The problem is that I never worried that it wouldn’t, and there was a pretty far fetched storyline that probably should have caused me to wonder.
Ok, one more thing. There was a character (whom I actually like) named Saren Ghetti. Yes. Really. I really liked Saren but whenever I thought of his last name I got annoyed. The book just tried too hard. I’m sure that many people liked it. I’m sure it will make on quite a few bookclub lists – it even came with discussion questions.
When Denise read it she enjoyed it more than I did, largely due to the setting. I understand that. The setting was fantastic and the author’s love for it clearly shone through. I loved the little bits of Cedar Key history. It made me want to visit and it made me miss the ocean. It was probably the best thing about the whole book.
December 19th, 2009 at 11:44 am
I had to laugh when I read your first comment about this book. You’re right, it does look squishy!
And Saren Ghetti? Seriously? That puts it on the ‘no’ pile for me just for that.
Have you read The Beach Street Knitting Society and Yarn Club? We have a copy at the library but I haven’t read it, so I can’t vouch for it, but since you like knitting books I thought I would mention it!
Lesley´s last blog ..In for a Penny …
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sassymonkey Reply:
December 19th, 2009 at 11:51 am
I did read it but I read the British release, which was called Divas Don’t Knit. It’s also not quite as knitty as I like my knit-lit but it wasn’t bad. I couldn’t get into the sequel though, but I might have just been a mood that day.
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December 19th, 2009 at 10:55 pm
This sounds like one I’ll have no problem passing up. I wasn’t a fan of The Friday Night Knitting Club, but I do want to read her Comfort Food book.
Les in NE´s last blog ..Dear Santa…
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sassymonkey Reply:
December 20th, 2009 at 8:14 am
I liked Comfort Food a lot more than her knitting books, though I suspect it helped that I actually read it rather than listened to it on audio. The narrators voice on the audiobooks drove me nuts. It was a bit too earnest if you know what iI mean.
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December 20th, 2009 at 9:28 pm
While I certainly understand how extremely subjective reading is, since I’m the author of Spinning Forward I felt I needed to clarify a few statements made here by the blogger.
I’m not at all sure why the last name of “Ghetti” (pronounced GETTY) caused such annoyance or “turn off” from the story. I once worked with a nurse who was Italian and Ghetti was, in fact, her last name. I took it and added a bit humor by giving him the first name of “Saren” and the combined name fit my character in the way I created him….ah, well, as I said reading is very subjective.
But on the other issue of “knitting”….No, it’s not just a story about knitting. I write women’s fiction, so therefore the major plot deals with women’s issues, not the singular subject of knitting.
But…since Sydney spun the dog and cat fur into yarn (and yes, my girlfriend actually does this) I failed to see where a “flower shop or stained glass” would have sufficed. It was the spinning of the dog and cat fur that enabled her to open her business and yarn shop, which in turn pushed her forward in her journey to find her inner identity. Nobody “wanted” a Friday Night Knitting Club book….I’m an avid knitter, so therefore it was logical to give my character the hobby of knitting, which in turn eventually led to her business.
I’m sorry you didn’t like my story. Having different tastes is what makes life so interesting. But I wanted to add my comments to your blog.
Wishing you a very happy holiday season.
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sassymonkey Reply:
December 21st, 2009 at 7:33 am
Hi Terri. I too am sorry that I didn’t like your book. As you said, reading is subjective and everyone has an opinion. This post was mine.
Thanks for stopping by.
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