I was so happy to receive this ARC and return to Elm Creek! As a long time Elm Creek reader, these characters have become my friends. I was so excited to listen to Sylvia recount her experiences with the World’s Fair Quilt and reflect upon her past making it after hearing about it so much throughout the series. I can’t wait for the next installment to see how the orchard is progressing and what happens with the quilt camp!

While this can be read as a standalone, I do recommend starting at book 1 to learn the background information on what makes Elm Creek Quilts so great!

A lovely dual timeline novel delving into the world of quilts. Chiaverini does a great job of talking through some of the history of quilts through the age and the meanings.

As fall paints the Pennsylvania countryside in flaming colors, Sylvia Bergstrom Compson is contemplating the future of her beloved Elm Creek Quilts. The Elm Creek Quilt Camp remains the most popular quilter’s retreat in the country, but unexpected financial difficulties have beset them and the Bergstrom family’s stately nineteenth-century manor. Now in her eighth decade, Sylvia is determined to maintain her family’s legacy, but she needs new resources—financial and emotional.

Summer Sullivan—a founding Elm Creek Quilter—arrives to discuss an antique quilt that she wants to display at the Waterford Historical Society’s quilt exhibit. When Sylvia and her sister Claudia were teenagers, they had entered a quilt in the Sears National Quilt Contest for the 1933 Century of Progress Exposition, also known as the Chicago World’s Fair. The Bergstrom sisters’ quilt would be perfect for the Historical Society’s exhibit, Summer explains.

Sylvia is reluctant to lend out the quilt, which has been stored in the attic for decades, nearly forgotten. In keeping with the contest’s “Century of Progress” theme, the girls illustrated progress of values—scenes of the Emancipation Proclamation, woman’s suffrage, and labor unions. But although it won ribbons, the quilt also drove a wedge between the sisters.

As Sylvia reluctantly retraces her quilt’s story for Summer, she makes an unexpected discovery—one that restores some of her faith in this unique work of art, and helps shine some light on a way forward for the Elm Creek Quilts community.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5 Stars (Excellent)
Setting: Waterford, Pennsylvania
Genre: Historical Fiction

Jennifer Chiaverini once again delivers a richly woven tale of history, family, and the enduring power of quilts in The World’s Fair Quilt. This novel, like a cherished heirloom, is stitched with layers of emotion, historical intrigue, and the deep bonds that connect women across generations.

At the heart of the story is Sylvia Bergstrom Compson, the steadfast guardian of Elm Creek Quilts, now facing financial difficulties that threaten its future. When Summer Sullivan arrives with a request to display an antique quilt from Sylvia’s past, the request stirs up long-buried memories of a quilt made for the 1933 Chicago World’s Fair—a quilt that once won ribbons but also caused a painful rift between Sylvia and her sister Claudia. As Sylvia revisits the past, she uncovers unexpected truths, not only about the quilt but about herself, her family, and the possibilities that still lie ahead.

Chiaverini’s gift for blending history with personal narratives shines in this novel. The details surrounding the Sears National Quilt Contest and the Century of Progress Exposition add a fascinating backdrop, offering readers a glimpse into a unique piece of quilting history. The themes of resilience, reconciliation, and the way art preserves the voices of the past make this book particularly poignant.

While the novel’s pacing lingers in places, and some resolutions feel a bit too neatly tied up, the emotional depth and historical richness more than make up for it. Longtime fans of the Elm Creek Quilts series will appreciate this heartfelt installment, while newcomers will find themselves drawn into the warmth and wisdom of Chiaverini’s storytelling.

A touching tribute to both quilting and the enduring power of family, The World’s Fair Quilt is a worthy addition to the series—one that reminds us that every stitch tells a story, and sometimes, looking back is the key to moving forward. #netgalley #theworldsfairquilt #booked_this_weekend

A light and wholesome read. This focuses on sisters, community, and quilting, and the World's Fair in Chicago. Sylvia's story is told in two timelines, 2004, when she's trying to keep her quilting camp afloat and 1933, when she and her sister made a quilt and entered it in Sears Roebuck contest. This is an extension of the Elm's Creek Quilt series and it is a relaxing and detailed quilt story. I enjoyed it and would recommend it. Thanks for the opportunity to Netgalley, the author and publisher.