From Here to Home

by Marie Bostwick

  Mary Dell Templeton, who first made a cameo appearance as the best friend of Evelyn Dixon in my 2008 novel, A Single Thread, the first book in my Cobbled Court Quilts series, quickly became one of my favorite characters. I enjoyed her humor and sass and admired her optimism as well as her inner strength. Fortunately for me, readers felt the same way and wrote myriad letters saying they’d like to hear more from Mary Dell. In fact, it was a letter from a reader that convinced me to give Mary Dell and Howard a book of their own.

  Joyce Ely, the mother of Sara Ely, her beautiful and capable adult daughter who has Down syndrome, sent me a truly heartwarming note, one I will never forget, thanking me for my work and saying that few novels ever presented characters with Down syndrome as having “something to offer.”

  Reading her words compelled me to write my previous Too Much, Texas, novel, Between Heaven and Texas, which tells the story of Mary Dell’s early history and of Howard’s birth. If you haven’t yet read that book, I hope you’ll get an opportunity to do so.

  Readers responded so positively to Between Heaven and Texas that I knew they would be eager to read a second book about Mary Dell and Howard. However, I was a little nervous about writing a follow-up, afraid it might not measure up to the original. But Mary Dell and Howard came through for me once again, revealing their hopes, dreams, and fears to me and showing me how greatly they had each matured in the thirty-year span of time that had passed between the story told in Between Heaven and Texas and From Here to Home.

  I do hope you enjoyed reading From Here to Home and that, like me, you found yourself laughing, cheering, and occasionally tearing up as you walked alongside Mary Dell, Holly, Howard, and the other characters, coming to think of them as dear friends, as I do.

  While we’re on the subject, I think of my readers as friends, too, and I so appreciate the encouragement and support that so many of you have shown me over the years. I love hearing from you, and the Internet makes it easier than ever for us to connect.

  Follow me on my Facebook fan page and on Twitter:

  www.facebook.com/mariebostwick

  www.twitter.com/mariebostwick

  Or send me an e-mail through my Web site:

  www.mariebostwick.com

  Of course, if you prefer to use regular mail, you may do so by writing to this address . . .

  Marie Bostwick

  P.O. Box 488

  Thomaston, CT 06778

  Another great way to keep up with all my books, travels, appearances, and such is by registering as a Reading Friend on my Web site:

  www.mariebostwick.com

  Just click on the log-in/registration link in the upper-left corner to get started, and please make sure you are registering from a desktop computer or laptop, as it may not work from tablets or mobile devices.

  When you register as a Reading Friend, your e-mail address will be added to the distribution list for my monthly newsletter, filled with all kinds of articles, links, contests, recipes, and other information I think you’ll enjoy. Also, as a registered Reading Friend, you’ll be able to log in and download free companion recipes and quilt patterns from my books—six so far!

  As of this writing, I’m not yet sure if or when we’ll have a new pattern to go with From Here to Home, but I do have some ideas along those lines, so hopefully there will be time to put those ideas down on paper and then translate them into fabric and thread.

  Some of the quilt patterns you’ll find on my Web site were designed by me, but most were created by professional designer and my dear friend Deb Tucker. In addition to the free downloadable patterns, Deb has also created a number of truly spectacular companion patterns to go with my books that she offers for purchase on her Web site:

  www.studio180design.net

  Be sure to check them out.

  Thank you so much for reading From Here to Home. Life is so very busy for everyone these days that I am deeply cognizant of the honor you do me by spending some of that most valuable currency, time, in reading my books. I hope you enjoyed the journey and that we will have a chance to meet again, very soon, in the pages of another of my novels.

  Until then . . .

  Blessings,

  A READING GROUP GUIDE

  FROM HERE

  TO HOME

  Marie Bostwick

  ABOUT THIS GUIDE

  The following questions are intended to

  enhance your group’s reading of

  From Here to Home.

  DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

  1. From Here to Home opens with a scene about Donny. How do you feel about this man who walked out on his wife and son thirty years prior? Do you feel angry with him or do you feel sorry for him? Can you think of a choice you made long ago that you now regret?

  2. Mary Dell Templeton has known her share of tragedy, and yet she believes that “Every time the sun comes up, you might be about to have the best day of your life.” How do you think she has been able to maintain an attitude of optimism in spite of the hardships and challenges she has faced? Is this a motto you might like to adopt for yourself?

  3. In From Here to Home, we see a few mother-daughter relationships: Rachel and Holly, Taffy and Mary Dell, Cady and Linne. Can you relate to any of them? If you are a mother and/or a daughter, what is something you wish you could have handled or done differently in that relationship? What is something you think you got exactly right?

  4. Howard is thirty now, a young man with plans and dreams, yet Mary Dell still calls him “baby.” Did you feel frustrated by Mary Dell’s dependence on, care of, and attention to him? Or were you impressed with her dedication? How would you have dealt with raising a child with Down syndrome? If you’re the mother of a grown child, what challenges did you face when your fledglings flew the nest? If you’re a mother of young children, are you dreading the day when they go out on their own? Looking forward to the freedom of the empty nest? A little of both?

  5. In Chapter 14, Holly had not yet met Linne, but “she knew how it felt to be fatherless, adrift and unclaimed, like a piece of lost luggage with no label, nothing to explain where and to whom you belong.” Do you ever feel like this? Some of the characters didn’t have a father. How does this affect their lives and the story?

  6. Rob Lee bears terrible emotional scars from his experiences in Afghanistan. Do you know anyone like him? What can or should communities, societies, or individuals do to support veterans or other public servants who have been through traumatic experiences and are suffering in the aftermath?

  7. When Mary Dell confronted Rob Lee, she said, “We rise and fall and get back up together.” That seemed to click with him. Can you relate to her statement? If so, how? Do you have a family motto?

  8. Hub-Jay turns out to be Mary Dell’s knight in shining armor. Were you rooting for Mary Dell and Hub-Jay’s relationship? Or do you think Mary Dell should have given Donny another chance?

  9. In From Here to Home, the author writes, “Trust is the place where love begins.” Do you agree? Why or why not? Discuss which characters found this to be true. What actions or attitudes helped them to gain trust?

  10. Cady and Holly form a friendship. Mary Dell and Holly have a special bond. Discuss friendships between women. Do you have a best friend? If not, would you like one? What three qualities do you think are most essential in a lasting friendship?

  Photograph © Nicole Askari

  MARIE BOSTWICK was born and raised in the Northwest. In the three decades since her marriage, Marie and her family have moved frequently, living in eight different states at eighteen different addresses, three of them in Texas. These experiences have given Marie a unique perspective that enables her to write about people from all walks of life and corners of the country with insight and authenticity. Marie currently resides in Connecticut, where she enjoys writing, spending time with family, gardening, collecting fabric, and stitching quilts.

  Please visit her on the Web at www.mariebostwick.com, on Twitter at twitter.com/mariebostwick, and on F
acebook at facebook. com/mariebostwick.

  THE SECOND SISTER

  From New York Times bestselling author Marie Bostwick comes an emotionally rich, inspiring new novel about family, second chances—and the connections that bring women together in hope and healing....

  Years of long workdays and little sleep as a political campaigner are about to pay off now that Lucy Toomey’s boss is entering the White House. But when her estranged older sister, Alice, unexpectedly dies, Lucy is drawn back to Nilson’s Bay, her small, close-knit Wisconsin hometown.

  An accident in her teens left Alice mentally impaired, and she was content to stay in Nilson’s Bay. Lucy, meanwhile, got out and never looked back. But now, to meet the terms of Alice’s eccentric will, Lucy has taken up temporary residence in her sister’s cottage—and begins to see the town, and Alice’s life, anew. Alice’s diverse group of friends appears to have little in common besides an interest in quilting. Yet deep affection for Alice united them, and soon Lucy, too, is brought into the fold as they share problems and stories. And as she finds warmth and support in this new circle, Lucy begins to understand that this will be her sister’s enduring gift—a chance to move beyond her difficult past and find what she has long been missing....

  BETWEEN HEAVEN AND TEXAS

  New York Times bestselling author Marie Bostwick takes readers into the heart of a small Texas town and the soul of a woman who discovers her destiny there....

  Welcome to Too Much—where the women are strong willed and the men are handsome yet shiftless. Ever since Mary Dell Templeton and her twin sister, Lydia Dale, were children, their aunt Velvet has warned them away from local boys. But it’s well-known that the females in Mary Dell’s family have two traits in common—superior sewing skills and a fatal weakness for men.

  While Lydia Dale grows up petite and pretty, Mary Dell just keeps growing. Tall, smart, and sassy, she is determined to one day turn her love of sewing into a business. Meanwhile, she’ll settle for raising babies with her new husband, Donny. But that dream proves elusive, too, until finally, Mary Dell gets the son she always wanted—a child as different as he is wonderful. And as Mary Dell is forced to reconsider what truly matters in her family and her marriage, she begins to piece together a life that, like the colorful quilts she creates, will prove vibrant, rich, and absolutely unforgettable....

  A SINGLE THREAD

  It’s a long way from Fort Worth, Texas, to New Bern, Connecticut, yet it takes only a day in the charming Yankee town to make Evelyn Dixon realize she’s found her new home. The abrupt end of her marriage was Evelyn’s wake-up call to get busy chasing her dream of opening a quilt shop. Finding a storefront is easy enough; starting a new life isn’t. Little does Evelyn imagine it will bring a trio like Abigail Burgess, her niece Liza, and Margot Matthews through her door. . . .

  Troubled and angry after her mother’s death, Liza threatens to embarrass her aunt Abigail all over town unless she joins her for quilting classes. A victim of downsizing at the peak of her career, Margot hopes an event hosted by the quilt shop could be a great chance to network—and keep from dying of boredom.. . .

  As they stitch their unique creations, Evelyn, Abigail, Liza, and Margot form a sisterhood they never sought—but one that they’ll be grateful for when the unexpected provides a poignant reminder of the single thread that binds us all....

  A THREAD OF TRUTH

  At twenty-seven, having fled an abusive marriage with little more than her kids and the clothes on her back, Ivy Peterman figures she has nowhere to go but up. Quaint, historic New Bern, Connecticut, seems as good a place as any to start fresh. With a part-time job at the Cobbled Court Quilt Shop and with budding friendships, Ivy feels hopeful for the first time in ages.

  But when a popular quilting TV show is taped at the quilt shop, Ivy’s unwitting appearance in an on-air promo alerts her ex-husband to her whereabouts. Suddenly, Ivy is facing the fight of her life—one that forces her to face her deepest fears as a woman and a mother. This time, however, she’s got a sisterhood behind her: companions as complex, strong, and lasting as the quilts they stitch....

  A THREAD SO THIN

  While New Bern, Connecticut, lies under a blanket of snow, the Cobbled Court Quilt Shop remains a cozy haven for its owner, Evelyn Dixon, and her friends. Evelyn relishes winter’s slower pace—besides, Internet sales are hopping, thanks to her son Garrett’s efforts. In addition to helping out at the shop, Garrett has also been patiently waiting for his girlfriend, Liza, to finish art school in New York City. But as much as Evelyn loves Liza, she wonders if it’s a good idea for her son to be so serious, so soon, with a young woman who’s just getting ready to spread her wings....

  Liza’s wondering the same thing, especially after Garrett rolls out the red carpet for a super-romantic New Year’s Eve—complete with marriage proposal. Garrett’s the closest thing to perfect she’s ever known, but what about her own imperfections? The only happy marriage Liza’s ever seen is her aunt Abigail’s, and it took her decades to tie the knot. Soon, Liza is struggling not only with her own fears, but with the mixed reactions of her friends and family. And when she finds herself torn between a rare career opportunity and her love for Garrett, Liza must grasp at the thinnest of threads—and pray that it holds....

  THREADING THE NEEDLE

  The economic downturn has hit New Bern, Connecticut, and Tessa Woodruff’s herbal apothecary shop, For the Love of Lavender, is suffering. So is her once-happy thirty-four-year marriage to Lee. They’d given up everything to come back to New Bern from Boston and start their business, but now they’re wondering if they made the right decision. To relieve the strain, Tessa signs up for a quilting class at the Cobbled Court Quilt Shop and, to her surprise, rediscovers the power of sisterhood—along with the childhood friend she thought she’d lost forever. . . .

  Madelyn Beecher left New Bern twenty years ago and never looked back. But when her husband is convicted of running a Ponzi scheme and she’s left with nothing but her late grandmother’s cottage, she is forced to return to the town she fled. Unfortunately, the cottage is in terrible shape. Madelyn’s only hope is to transform it into an inn. But to succeed, she’ll need the help of her fellow quilters, including the one friend she never thought she’d see again—or forgive. Now Madelyn and Tessa will have to relive old memories, forge new ones, and realize it’s possible to start over, one stitch at a time—as long as you’re surrounded by friends....

  TIES THAT BIND

  Christmas is fast approaching, and New Bern, Connecticut, is about to receive the gift of a new pastor, hired sight unseen to fill in while Reverend Tucker is on sabbatical. Meanwhile, Margot Matthews’s friend Abigail is trying to matchmake even though Margot has all but given up on romance. She loves her job at the Cobbled Court Quilt Shop and the life and friendships she’s made in New Bern; she just never thought she’d still be single on her fortieth birthday.

  It’s a shock to the entire town when Philip A. Clarkson turns out to be Philippa. Truth be told, not everyone is happy about having a female pastor. Despite a rocky start, Philippa begins to settle in—finding ways to ease the townspeople’s burdens, joining the quilting circle, and forging a fast friendship with Margot. When tragedy threatens to tear Margot’s family apart, that bond—and the help of her quilting sisterhood—will prove a saving grace. And as she untangles her feelings for another new arrival in town, Margot begins to realize that it is the surprising detours woven into life’s fabric that provide its richest hues and deepest meaning....

  APART AT THE SEAMS

  New York Times bestselling author Marie Bostwick welcomes readers back to picturesque New Bern, Connecticut—a perfect place for a woman whose marriage is in turmoil to discover a new pattern for living....

  Twice in her life, college counselor Gayla Oliver fell in love at first sight. The first time was with Brian—a lean, long-haired, British bass player. Marriage followed quickly, then twins, and gradually their bohemian lifestyle gave way to
busy careers in New York. Gayla’s second love affair is with New Bern, Connecticut. Like Brian, the laid-back town is charming without trying too hard. It’s the ideal place to buy a second home and reignite the spark in their twenty-six-year marriage. Not that Gayla is worried. At least, not until she finds a discarded memo in which Brian admits to a past affair and suggests an amicable divorce.

  Devastated, Gayla flees to New Bern. Though Brian insists he’s since recommitted to his family, Gayla’s feelings of betrayal may go too deep for forgiveness. Besides, her solo sabbatical is a chance to explore the creative impulses she sidelined long ago—quilting, gardening, and striking up new friendships with the women of the Cobbled Court circle, particularly Ivy, a single mother confronting fresh starts and past hurts of her own. With all of their support, Gayla just might find the courage to look ahead and decide which fragments of her old life she wants to keep, which are beyond repair—and how to knot the fraying ends until a bold new design reveals itself....

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  KENSINGTON BOOKS are published by

  Kensington Publishing Corp.