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Threads of Life

A History of the World Through the Eye of a Needle

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Threads of Life

By: Clare Hunter
Narrated by: Siobhan Redmond
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Summary

The Hare with Amber Eyes meets A History of the World in 100 Objects, Threads of Life is a history of sewing and embroidery, told through the stories of the men and women, over centuries and across continents, who have used the language of sewing to make their voices heard, even in the most desperate of circumstances.

A history of sewing and embroidery, told through the stories of the men and women, over centuries and across continents, who have used the language of sewing to make their voices heard, even in the most desperate of circumstances.

From the political storytelling of the Bayeux tapestry's anonymous embroiderers and Mary, Queen of Scots' treasonous stitching, to the sewing of First World War soldiers suffering from PTSD and the banner-makers at Greenham Common, Threads of Life stretches from medieval France to 1980s America, from a Second World War POW camp in Singapore to a family attic in Scotland. It is as much about identity, protest, memory and politics as craft and artistry.

In an eloquent blend of history and memoir with a unique understanding of craft, Clare Hunter's Threads of Life is an evocative and moving book about the need we all have to tell our story.

©2019 Clare Hunter (P)2019 Hodder & Stoughton Limited Crafts & Hobbies Political Science Politics & Government World Thought-Provoking Inspiring Royalty
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This is a sensitive, eloquent and often moving account of the place of needlework in the lives of many people. It records how this art form has be used as a form of artistic expression or a protest against oppression. I found it beautifully written and thought provoking.

Captivating

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Loved all the history, culture and the processes of creating needlework. It is well worth a listen if you are into needlework and textiles.

Beautifully narrated

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Absorbing, fascinating and constantly surprising Threads of Life submits a history of needlework for our consideration and never disappoints.

A brilliant read

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Very informative and moving. A tribute to the author's considerable research. Would definitely recommend it.

Loved it!

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This is an absolutely fabulous book. I am a person who sews and who has been involved in some of that which is detailed in the book, but the sewing is the bit that stitches the social histories together. If you are not a person who sews, you will still love it if you are interested in the history of marginalised people or oppression, culture, Scottish history, art history, language - the list goes on! This is a magnificent history of stitchery, but is so much more than that. I completely LOVED it.

My new favourite non-fiction book

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