The Knitting Circle

“A wondrously simple book about something complicated: the nearly unendurable process of enduring after a great loss.” —The Washington Post

After the loss of her only child, Mary Baxter finds herself unable to read or write, the activities that used to be her primary source of comfort. She reluctantly joins a knitting circle as a way to fill her lonely days—not knowing it will change her life. As they teach Mary new knitting techniques, the women in the circle also reveal their own secrets of loss, love, and hope. With time, Mary is finally able to tell her own story of grief, and in so doing finds the spark of life again.

“Acutely moving . . . The women’s tragedies unfurl like skeins of yarn rolling down a slope.” —Allison Lynn, People

“A heartbreaker.” —Elissa Schappel, Vanity Fair

“Powerful and affecting.” —John Marshal, Seattle Post-Intelligencer

“I closed The Knitting Circle feeling uplifted, even cleansed. I felt as if I were seeing with fresh eyes, ready to forgive old hurts and entertain new thoughts.” —Marion Winik, Newsday

“Hood’s words . . . pull you along, like a knitting pattern, one mesmerizing, settling click at a time, stitch by stitch, row by row, until you find yourself with something solid and real.” —Peggy McMullen, The Oregonian