The Persian Pickle Club

Rating:
Summary: Who DID kill him anyway?
Review: Superbly written and absolutely enthralling, this passionate novel about friendship and loyalty will have you turning pages all night. The strange name of the book is in itself a reason to peek, so open wide and enjoy one of the best written novels and fully engrossing stories today. You'll find the setting in 1930's Kansas during the Depression perfectly fitting for the scenario of a small but unforgettable ladie's quilting club. Friendship runs deep, and in this story, friendship and loyalty are called upon to save a life. If you guess who did IT, then you are a better sleuth than most, and if you don't, then you did. Read on.

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Summary: IT'S A SANDRA DALLAS BOOK...NEED I SAY MORE??
Review: WOW! I LOVED THE PERSIAN PICKLE CLUB! I DON'T CONSIDER IT AS GOOD AS THE DIARY OF MATTIE SPENSER, OR ESPECIALLY ALICE'S TULIPS (MY FAVORITE BOOK EVER), BUT THAT DOESN'T DEGRADE IT IN MY OPINION! SO ANYWAYS, QUEENIE BEAN IS A 23-YEAR OLD MEMBER OF THE PERSIAN PICKLE QUILTING CLUB, WHERE ALL THE QUILTING WOMEN OF HARVEYVILLE, KANSAS GATHER EACH WEEK TO QUILT AND TALK. THROUGHOUT THE STORY, YOU LEARN OF HARDSHIPS OF THE GREAT DEPRESSION, FAMILIES AFFECTED BY IT, AND EVEN BETTER, THERE IS A MURDER MYSTERY! NOTHING BEATS DALLAS'S PERFECT WRITING STYLE: HILARIOUS METAPHORS, SIMILIES, QUOTATIONS, AND PHRASES, AND EVENTS TO KEEP YOUR EYES LITERALLY GLUED TO THE PAGE!

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Summary: Wonderful little book!
Review: Wonderful book for those who are looking for a quick read over the summer.

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Summary: A "light" mystery explores female relationships
Review: Set in 1930s Kansas, Dallas writes of Queenie's friendship with newcomer and newlywed Rita. Rita, a "big city girl", is unsuited for the country life in Harveyville, Kansas but Queenie's polite and forgiving nature welcomes her into the "Persian Pickle Club" society (a quilting bee). Rita wishes to land a job as a reporter at a Topeka newspaper, and decides the way to do it is to solve the murder of Ben Crook. She enlists Queenie to help her, and encounters many obstacles along the way.

Although the mystery itself is a big part of the story, the book is more about the relationships between the women of the club. Dallas does a wonderful job in creating and describing lively and realistic characters, each of whom show remarkable depth.

I found this book to be very, very good, although I did enjoy "The Diary of Mattie Spenser" a bit more, hence the four stars (I sure wish Amazon allowed 4-1/2 stars!).

Rating:
Summary: .Women and group friendships
Review: Having come from Kansas Farm people, I found this book a slice of life in the 30's and how something like a quilt group sustained the women in the rural area. When farming was more of a hardship than an occupation and isolation for the women was a reality. The warmth and companionship and the depth of the characters not only allowed you to get to know them but root for them as well. It made me wonder about the group I am in and whether we care as much for each other? Very warm and emotional.

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Summary: Small town life is not always what it seems
Review: Queenie Bean, a young wife living in Kansas during the Depression has no friends her own age, but she has the life-long friendship of the other women in her quilting group, the Persian Pickle Club. Then a young man from a local family returns with his young wife who Queenie Bean takes under her wing and befriends. Rita, however, is more interested in becoming a reporter and uncovering the secret of the dead body that is unearthed in the town than she is in learning to quilt. What Rita learns instead is a lesson in lifelong friendship and loyalty. The Persian Pickle Club is a quick read without being too fluffy.

Rating:
Summary: Quick read!
Review: This was a quick read but not quite my style. I mainly read historical fiction and for some reason this book was listed under that genre. The only thing that makes it remotely historical is the fact that it is set in Kansas during the depression era. Overall the story was good, centering around a quilting circle, but it was a little elementary and it seemed as though this kind of story has been told a million times over. The murder mystery was not overly intriguing.
I would like to see women writers become more multifaceted and detail oriented. This could have been a much better story if there were a few more twists and turns and more specific detail of the scenes, the characters, etc.
A simple story of farm wives coming together and protecting each other through the drama of their lives.

Rating:
Summary: The Persian Pickle Club
Review: Set in Kansas during the 1930's, a group of women gather together for quilting and friendship. It's a wonderful example of how women of all ages and backgrounds can come together under one common element, such as quilting. The book focuses on Queenie Bean, a young wife and quilter who takes you on a journey of loyalty, compassion, friendship and love. Queenie's newly acquired friend Rita is more interested in solving a mystery and making a name for herself than making friends. She soon learns just what true friendship is all about. A beautiful story that will leave you wanting to join this remarkable group of ladies who call themselves The Persian Pickle Club.

Rating:
Summary: Quilting, mystery, women's issues -- this book has it all
Review: At first I was fascinated by the names of the characters -- Queenie, Septima, Ceres, Forest Ann, and more -- were those common names in Kansas during the Depression? I don't know, but that is just one feature of this book that is thought provoking. Sandra Dallas deals with many women's issues in this book that are still with us today -- single mothers, unwanted pregnancy, domestic violence, career fulfillment, adoption -- it is humbling to remember that the baby boomers didn't invent theses issues and that feminists haven't solved them. This book is good on so many levels, I think it is one of the best books I've ever read.

Rating:
Summary: A captivating mystery
Review: I just finished this book, reading the last three quarters of it in one afternoon. I just couldn't put it down! I usually don't like mystery books, but this story has so many other elements, and is so much deeper than just a mystery that I ended up loving it. It was a comforting book, showing just how strong friendships can become, even with people that at first you don't think you'd like (when you read it you'll see that I am talking about the Massies). If you want to find out more about why this book was good, then I guess you'll just have to read it!