We see the American Depression through the first-person eyes and voice of the three daughters of a Michigan farming family. I found the story at first to a challenge to get into but really felt after about 25% it really picked up and there are some very interesting surprises.

Thank you Netgalley and Charlotte Whitney for the free ARC of this novel.

This book is about three young sisters. Irene, Flora, and Nellie that survived the Great Depression while they resided with their parents, who tried their best to keep the family and farm afloat during America’s most heinous financial crisis. The family worked from dawn-dusk to maintain a farm and scrapped by having barely enough to eat. Each chapter is portrayed through the unique lens of each sister, and the story is woven together via the three viewpoints accompanied by hints of historical factoids blended into one ineffaceable tale.

Irene, Flora, and Nellie faced the everyday hardships of adolescence coupled with the devastating effects of the depression—laughs, first loves, school days, marriages, hardships, fears, traumas, and the bitter-sweet cycles of life are well-written and relatable via established character voices that each sister has an equal opportunity to express her perception of the story.

Books time frame takes place during the depression era on a farm in Michigan. Written in the three different perspectives of sisters as they grow up during this trying time. To me it shows how you don't have to have money to have a strong family and show love. I loved following along with these sisters as they went to school, played, worked and lived life on their farm.
Wonderfully written, great characters and a killer plot makes this a 5 star book in my opinion!

This is a good one!!! Set in Michigan during the great depression this story is told by three sisters. Each one gives their own perspective on what is going on. At the end you find yourself in a story woven by the threads of each girls account. Just make sure you have plenty of time when you pick up this book, you will not want to put it down.

I love historical fiction, especially set in a trying time, such as during world wars or the slavery era. Threads, by Charlotte Whitney, takes place during the Great Depression. The story is told from the vantage point of three different sisters, Nellie, Irene, and Flora. Nellie, the youngest, finds a dead baby buried on the path to the creek one day. The repercussions will follow them in ways that they girls never imagined. I love how the story dealt honestly with what life was like then. Things that we take for granted today, like having a loaf of bread in the cabinet, were luxuries for them. The needs that they had were so much different than ours today, and yet, I think, in the end, they may have been more grateful for what they had. If you like historical fiction, you will enjoy this book. I will say that I figured out who the dead baby belonged to before the girls did, but I am not sure that was an accident on the author's part. I freely offer my opinion on this story. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity.

This story set in The Great Depression era on a Michigan farm is narrated by the three sisters growing up there. The "threads" of their perspectives are woven into a story of a world that is losing innocence and freedom. The three girls are ages 7, 10, and 17, and the author captures the essences of those ages by their individual interpretations of the events in the story. This engaging way of story-telling helps to soften and keep the joy in a tale that contains some grim and disturbing events.

I received a free ARC of this novel from Netgalley and Charlotte Whitney in April 2020 and purchased the final edition from Amazon in early August. This is a book I will treasure, and want to share. I have read this historical novel of my own volition and this review reflects my honest opinion of this work. I am happy to recommend Charlotte Whitney to friends and family. She puts you there in mid-Michigan farm country from April through December of 1934.

We see the American Depression through the first-person eyes and voice of the three daughters of a Michigan farming family, and each life hack they encounter is told by the girls to the reader, each from their personal viewpoint and understanding.

Nellie is 7, a youngster with a vivid imagination, and a natural storyteller. Nellie has many imaginary friends and long conversations with their five cows and the odd raccoon. She is in second grade and walks to school with her sister Irene.

Irene is the smartest girl in sixth grade in their one-room country school, where all the elementary school kids are taught together by one teacher. Irene is the sister who always tries to be good, and tells the truth. Nellie calls her the tattletale. Irene dreams of being a nurse and helping people.

Flora is 17 and in high school, which she attends with a couple of her cousins who farm down the road. Flora is smart, and if she doesn't marry a farmer she might be able to attend teacher training classes. That is the only higher education available in their neighborhood.

Through the eyes of these sisters, we see a varied crosssection of lives in the neighborhood. We have Mr. Goldberg, the peddler of miscellany who travels through every few months with his cartload of goodies. Teachers Miss Flatshaw and Miss Swanson who have vastly different outlooks on life and education. They have to call out the Sheriff Devlon several times that summer and fall.

This story, this voice, is very special. It is a book I will savor, and share.

This Depression age novel is set on a farm in Michigan in 1934 Threes sisters, Nellie age 7, Irene age 11 and Flora age 17 are the protagonists of this novel. The story is told from the perspective of each girl through short and alternating chapters. Each girl has quite a distinctive personality, all three are simply loveable...Nellie at 7 has a great imagination that sometimes gets in her way, Irene at 11 really has no patience for her little sister, but loves school and is quite bright, while Flora is of the age where dating is beginning to take hold of her thoughts. Yet it is Nellie who sets the stage for this story when with her curious personality she finds a mound of dirt and is eager to see if there is buried treasure. What she finds is no treasure, but a blue black hand of a baby that was buried there. There is a mystery to solve here and the sisters throw themselves into the task of solving that mystery.

The realism of those times was right on point. The Depression and how families, particularly those on small farms, lived through these difficult times was poignant. Living from hand-to-mouth, worrying about paying both taxes and mortgage and not knowing if there would be food the next day or if you would lose the farm was more than a struggle at best. Yet this family held it together with strong bonds of love, hard work and integrity. This book was written with heartfelt emotions, yet this was no Pollyanna story, in that there were several struggles to contend with from outside factors.

Well written and enjoyable this book is highly recommended. I look forward to reading more of Ms. Whitney's novels.

To be posted on Goodreads and my blog https://bookworms43.blogspot.com/

Set in Michigan during the Great Depression, three young sisters embark on a journey of discovering who buried an infant in the woods. The author did a wonderful job of describing life on a farm during that time.

Ms. Whitney is a fantastic historical fiction writer. I really enjoyed this story and hated to reach the end.
Many thanks to Independent Books and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

A depression era tale of three sisters who try to solve the mystery of a dead baby. The author has done a lot of research into the backdrop and is able to portray the thoughts and feelings of the characters well. Though growing up together the differences in the sisters corresponding to their ages are beautiful. This book is sure to take the reader down the lane of nostalgia. Though not a mystery read and a slow pace, this book is definitely worth a read.

I enjoyed this book. I appreciated the writing style--both the dialect and the different points of view of each daughter. Good depiction of the depression era with entire families having to work hard just to survive. Communities band together to get through the tough times. Would recommend.

In a way, I can relate to Threads. Not that I have lived during the depression nor have even lived on a farm. But I do have 2 sisters, so like Flora, Irene and Nellie, a single day or a single event, can be interpreted in 3 different ways. In a nutshell, this is how this book reveals itself. No wonder we get up to chapter 97!

Covering the period April to December 1934, the three sisters tell us of their days filled with school and homelife. These girls work hard to help prevent the loss of the family farm during the depression period.
Thrown into the mix is the discovery by Nellie of a buried baby in the woods towards the crick ( no that is not a spelling mistake. Actual Michigan farm dialect peppers the book giving it a quaint and authentic feel).

There is a barn fire, attempted horse rustling, a drunken thief, an attack on Nellie and then an attack on Irene by a deranged preacher. The girls speak of hunger, back breaking work and many sacrifices made to struggle through another year, helping thier payment pay the mortgage and the taxes.

The shared childhood and the love their parents gave then, link the sisters together like threads referred to in the title. I imagine these threads as those of a rope, twisted together to form a strong singular element.
In reading Threads, I gained an appreciation for rural life in Michigan in the depression years and the grit of those who endured it. Thanks to Netgalley and Charlotte Whitney for this copy to read.

Nellie, Irene and Flora are three sisters growing up on a Michigan farm during the Depression. They work hard alongside their parents and hold on to their dreams of an easier life when they are grown up. Nellie, the youngest, has a vivid imagination. She spends her free time wandering the farm and nearby woods, having conversations with animals and her favorite alien, ZeeZee. Irene, the middle sister, has a close relationship with her teacher, eating lunch with her everyday and exchanging secrets about classmates. Flora is seventeen and as the oldest, looks out for her sisters, but is already dreaming about boys and marriage. Each of the girls has their own misadventures and close calls with danger. The way the family navigates their dire circumstances and the evil that seems to lurk in their area makes for an absorbing and intriguing read.

This was a well written and engaging book which I truly enjoyed and strongly recommend. Thank you to Netgalley and the author Charlotte Whitney for the free ARC I was given. This is my honest opinion.

Loved the book. I grew up and still live in Calhoun County and this book brought back memories of the stories my grandmother told about her Depression era childhood.

Received from Net Gallery to read and give a review. The book takes place with three sister in the time of the Depression,on a farm. The story takes you through a mystery of events that the girls go through and tries to solve. Exciting flow of the story where it has you wanting more of what happens. The characters you encounter are different and strong. The research on the time period you can tell a lot of work went into the story. If you don't know much about the Depression,this is a story you can't pass up and learn the story of the three sisters!

This is the story of three sisters, Nellie, Irene, and Flora. The book is set during the Depression Era. The youngest one, Nellie finds a baby buried in the woods and the sisters make a pact to find out who's baby it is and why they buried it. This book had me engrossed from the beginning. As the story unfolds there are some very interesting surprises. I enjoyed this book very much and you will also.

Wealthy days of poverty

Threads is the story of three girls living through the depression on a small farm in Michigan. It is a story of how life was, the making do, sometimes going hungry, hard work, holding on to their home by a thread and a family filled with love and happiness amid hard times. It follows three girls, Flora , Irene and Nellie.

One day Nellie, (7 years old, the youngest) while going to play in the creek found a mound on the side of the road. Thinking of treasure she got a stick and poked the mound. What she found was a tiny had of a baby which had been buried in the mound. This caused quite the commotion at home when she told her parents. They told the girls not of speak of it and called the Sheriff. The girls formed a "Sisters Club" they got together and talked about who they though had buried it there and why. The tried to solve the mystery and got into some pretty bad circumstances while doing so.

It is a story of the girls coming to terms with life and growing up. Tragedy and happier times both have to be done through by all. The book was a delight to read, and very informative as to how they lived in this historical era. The description of their life day to day and how they lived was very well done even the flowers and the vegetable garden.

I loved the way that at the end of the book the author wrote pages in to explain what happened with each girl in the future and how each on followed her own path. It really was a great way to end the book.

I definitely would recommend this book. You will not be disappointed.

Thanks to Charlotte Whitney, Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), and NetGalley for allowing me to read this book for an honest review.

Threads is a story thats set is Depression era, about three sisters who attempt to solve a mystery. The author has well researched the era’s emotions, reality and has wonderful captured in this novel. The attention to details is a highlight. I really enjoyed the story told in different pov (the sisters). Fast paced and not too heavy for a period piece. I found it easy to be sucked into the story and love the bond between the sisters. Beautifully written historical fiction. Really wish there were more books written about Depression era.
Thank you NetGalley and Charlotte Whitney for a reader’s copy of this novel. The review is based only on my opinion.

This book was so good! The characters were so well rounded, you felt like you actually knew them! The plot was so good you didn't want the book to end!