In Judea, under the brutal rule of King Herod, a woman yearns for a child but is outcast when she does not fall pregnant. Against all convention, she masters the art of glassblowing, a creative act she believes will keep her dream of motherhood alive.
In Renaissance Florence, a young wife is left penniless by her hopelessly unfaithful husband, and struggles to find a way to support herself and her young son.
And in contemporary Australia, a talented textile conservator, devastated by loss, is desperate to regain control of her life. Each woman wants something that seems unattainable, and it will take all their courage, creativity and determination to achieve it.
If you enjoy reading Geraldine Brooks, Sarah Winman, Maggie O’Farrell and Pip Williams, you will love these strong and relatable female leads. Fans of historical fiction will also enjoy being immersed in Colin-James’s exquisite attention to detail – she is obviously as fanatical a researcher as she is a talented writer. The textiles and clothing, the language, and the societal attitudes from each era are all richly conveyed.
This is a beautiful and powerful story of three women separated by centuries, yet connected by a thread of longing and a singular creative spirit. I was enthralled by Colin-James’s use of the ‘thread’ as a motif that she skilfully weaves throughout this remarkable novel to serve as a multifaceted metaphor, linking each woman’s journey through survival to ultimately reach fulfillment.
I found the complexity of the characters to be very refreshing, with the relationship dynamics often surprising me in ways that rang true and authentic. Mothers can nurture their daughters, but they can also reinforce the societal expectations that cause their daughters’ suffering. Men can be abusers, but they can also be allies. A friendship is sometimes worth more than a romance. A community – a chosen family – is the surest way to survival.
One Illumined Thread celebrates female strength in the face of suffering. It does not shy away from dark themes and difficult truths, with each woman impacted by unimaginable abuses of power that are inflicted at the hands of men and enabled by societal conformity. But each woman manages to overcome these constraints to flourish in her own way.
A stunning, sweeping historical novel spanning two thousand years, One Illumined Thread celebrates the power and creative spirit of the female heart, as each woman finds freedom through an extraordinary connection. Colin-James reinvents the millennia-old stereotype of women as creators and carers, demonstrating how this capacity surpasses motherhood to encompass a limitless array of creative ingenuity.
The message is ultimately one of empowerment: We women are a creative force to be reckoned with!
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