Set amidst the beauty of the North Carolina Smoky Mountains, the story is based primarily on the little village at the foot of the estate of the Vanderbilt's "Biltmore Mansion." The story, though primarily in the village, touches on the relationship of workers in the village with the mansion properly. It meanders through the mountains of North Carolina and even touches West Virginia a bit.

The period of 1916 through mid-1920s was presented as a hard life in the Appalachian mountains, the pre-depression era, and after a major flood hit the area sweeping away much of life. The author creates characters appropriate for the time period who have been rescued from being orphans whose parents simply threw them away to kind clergy and gracious lady-of-the-manor persons.

The creativity of reclusive Appalachian ladies whose artistic weaving is at the heart of the story as is their hard-scrabble life. The author's descriptions of the designs woven into the fabric by these artists and the source of their design makes one wish to actually see and touch the cloth.

The story employs split timelines which does confuse the reader at times. I would prefer a more straightforward read as far as the time element goes. I felt this a deterrent to my personal enjoyment and the reason for my slow reading of the book.

Though all the characters were well fleshed out and knowable, I frankly only liked one character, Arthur, the now grown man who was an abandoned orphan raised by the local clergyman. He was kind, generous, smart, and a gifted artisan.

I have visited Biltmore and it is a beautiful place. The surrounding mountains envelope one with their majesty. The mansion is stunning. The gardens lovely. It has been said that the mansion was built in the style of English manors where there was a village that provided workers for the manor.

I received a complimentary copy to facilitate a review. Opinions are mine, alone and are freely given. ( )

3.5 Stars

In These Tangled Threads, Sarah Loudin Thomas weaves three storylines together to create a beautiful tapestry of loss, hardship, disappointment, hope, forgiveness, and grace.

Arthur, Lorna, and Gentry have ties to Cornelia Vanderbilt and the Biltmore estate in Asheville, North Carolina. I immediately liked Arthur and his kindness and perseverance in pursuing Lorna. Gentry was a bit annoying at first but as I grew to understand her, I gave her more grace. Lorna was the hardest to connect with as she closed herself off to those around her.

The author’s descriptions of the patterns and fabric that Lorna creates or the Blue Ridge Mountains where the characters live and travel were vivid and inspiring.

Disclosure statement: I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book and was not required to write a positive or negative review. All opinions are my own. ( )

A Sticky Situation

Lorna, a master weaver, must find a new pattern, or she will lose her job at the Vanderbilt's Biltmore Industries. She was expected to create another beautiful pattern like the ones she had done in the past. But she couldn't do that again because those designs had been done by someone else, although Lorna had taken credit for them.

Now, she must find the person who really made them. Without the help of Arthur, the man whose love Lorna has spurned for years, she doesn't have a chance. Ultimately, she will also need help from Gentry, the person Lorna got the designs from that she claimed as her own.

This story had a lot of facets. An unfair boss, double-crossing, deceit, forgiveness, faith, change of heart, surprising friendships, rejection of parents, along with backwoods people that shoot first, and ask questions later. All this excitement will keep the pages turning to find out how it is resolved.

This clean, five-star story is recommended to fans of history, The Biltmore Estate, and convoluted tales that can't possibly work out, but do!

Thank you, Bethany House Books, for providing Tickmenot with a book to review. Opinions are my own. ( )

Rich in historical detail and set around the Biltmore Estate in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, Sarah Loudin Thomas’s book, These Tangled Threads, lovingly captures the atmosphere of the area. Thomas is a master at creating intriguing, multi-layered characters, and I enjoyed learning more about the history surrounding the Biltmore Estate and its occupants during the early 1900s. I also liked knowing more about the weaving industry and the meticulous care that went into weaving the cloth. It is obvious that the author has done extensive research around this subject and this vicinity.

One of the things I enjoyed most about the story is the growth that was shown in the main characters throughout the tale. It was interesting to see how the main characters matured in their thoughts and actions. The story was told from the views of Arthur, Lorna, and Gentry, and I liked seeing how they were each viewing the situations. I admit being a little confused because of the many timelines which jumped around a lot. I often had to stop and reorient myself as to when the events happened. I enjoy Sarah Loudin Thomas’s books and feel she puts a lot of thought and research into them. I’ll be looking forward to reading more from her in the future.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy from Bethany House. All opinions are my own. ( )

These Tangled Threads, by Sarah Loudin Thomas, is a very interesting Christian historical story that focuses on the craft of fabric weaving and the weavers that make the fabric. I enjoyed reading this story and tried to imagine how the thread could make up the designs within the fabrics. This is a well written story with interesting characters. However, I did struggle in the beginning with how the story changed from one date to another, but quickly adjusted and enjoyed the story a lot. Not only do we read of the art of fabric weaving, the story touches on wood working.

There are points in the story that touched on sensitive topics such as child neglect, family issues, prostitution, and alcoholism. I appreciate how the author has included these topic in the story to show the strength the characters have and why they do some of the things they do. I so appreciate the way Gentry thought of her music helping the women where she played. I appreciate how the story also focuses on how Gentry and her mother were separated and how Gentry parted with the one thing she had left of her mother’s to find her. This is just a really good story to read.

I voluntarily received a complimentary copy of this book, this is my honest review. ( )