Knit the Season

Over the holidays, Dakota Walker has a number of important decisions to make as she tries to figure out what she wants from her life, in Knit the Season by Kate Jacobs.

Dakota has dreamed of becoming a pastry chef since, as a child, she baked for her Mum and the ladies in the Friday Night Knitting Club.  Now in NYU, her big break has finally come in the shape of a trial at New York’s famous V hotel kitchen over Christmas.  She has pre-cooked her father, James’, Christmas meal so she has everything arranged.  What could go wrong?

Unfortunately, her father has other plans.   James has arranged a surprise family visit for them to Scotland over Christmas.  He is sure that Dakota will love the visit to see her Gran who is now 97 years old.  After all, she adores her Gran and there may not be too many holidays left that they will be able to share together.

Dakota relies heavily on Peri to run Walker & Daughter, the shop in Manhattan’s Upper West Side that she inherited from her mother Georgia.  Peri manages the shop day-to-day, but she has been offered an incredible job opportunity in Paris.  If Peri decides to move, can Dakota manage without her?

The Friday Night Knitting Club members have an extra reason to celebrate New Year, as one of their members, Anita, is getting married to Marty.  There is only one fly in the ointment – Anita’s son Nathan who won’t accept Marty.  Anita and Marty have postponed their marriage ceremony before, due to Nathan’s disruptive tactics.  So will they go through it this time?

Dakota is a fair knitter.  So, when she discovers a sweater that her mother started to knit before she was born, she decides that it is time to take up her needles and finish the project herself.  While she works on the sweater, the ladies of the knitting club are reminded of times past with Georgia.  They share their happy memories with Dakota, who is fascinated to learn more about her mother as a child and as a young mother.

Yet, Dakota is maturing; becoming a woman.  She has to think carefully about what she really wants in her life and the dreams she can follow.  At the same time, she wants to consider her mother’s legacy, what her father wants and all her friend’s helpful advice.

This story revolves around the characters and their relationships.  As such, knitting does not play as big a part as it did with the previous books.  I didn’t mind this, though.  I found myself thoroughly engrossed in the tale and enjoyed the story with knitting and the yarn shop as the backdrop.

There are a couple of simple knitting pattern in the back of the book.  However, I am more interested in the delicious recipes which look scrumptious and a little bit naughty!

As a knitter I can really appreciate how knitting brought these characters together.  They have formed wonderful friendships.  In fact, they are even closer than most friendship groups.  You feel like you know the characters.  Their contemplations, mistakes and celebrations through the series make them real and more likeable.

This is the third of the Friday Night Knitting Club series.  I do like to escape from the worries of everyday life into a book with familiar characters.   I loved Dakota’s character and how she wrestled with the choices in her life.  She works wonderfully as the central character.  I also liked Catherine’s character.  She has developed into a really interesting character since she arrived into the knitter’s lives in the first book.  Of course, there has to be a bad character to rail against and Nathan fulfils this role as a delightfully selfish individual.

Kate Jacobs is a talented storyteller and this tale grabs from the first chapter.  She has an ability to create enjoyable characters that make an engaging read.  There is new love, changes to careers, the prospect of moving home, plans for a wedding and a family reunion.  As the characters feel the pull of these competing pressures, they may take different directions in their lives, but the love between them is still clearly there.

I love the way that Georgia is integrated into this story by a series of flashback memories told by different characters.  These vignettes give a wonderful reminiscence of Georgia in her early years.  It is poignant to see how she has influenced her family and friends in the choices they have made in their lives.

The author has a gift for creating a captivating story through an emotional interaction with characters.  Do not be surprised if you are reduced to tears with this story.  There is sadness, but also there is also hope and joy in this tale.  Perfect for the holiday season and the ending leaves you with a heartwarming feeling.

I would recommend that you read the first two books to be able to fully appreciate the characters and storyline.  Although you can enjoy this book as a standalone novel, it also carries on a number of threads from the previous books.

This was a very good read that I thoroughly enjoyed.   The Friday Night Knitting Club series would be a great Christmas present for anyone who likes character-based fiction.  They are also good bookclub choices.  Knit the Season by Kate Jacobs is a great feel-good holiday story that celebrates family and friendship.  I hope that there will be a fourth tale in the series.