Knit Two by Kate Jacobs

Book Flap: Knit Two returns to the Manhattan knitting store Walker & Daughter five years after the death of the store’s owner, Georgia Walker. Georgia’s daughter Dakota is now an 18 year old freshman at NYU, running the knitting store part-time with the help of the members of the Friday Night Knitting Club. Drawn together by their love for Dakota and the sense of family the club provides, each knitter is struggling with new challenges: for Catherine, finding love after divorce, for Darwin, newborn twins, for Lucie, being both a single mom and caregiver for her elderly mother, and for seventy-something Anita, marriage to her sweetheart Marty over the objections of her grown children. As Kate Jacobs returns to the world of Walker & Daughter, she’s once again keyed into many of the stresses and joys of being a mother, wife, daughter and friend.

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I found myself thinking that I wasn’t really connecting to Knit Two when I was in the beginning pages but I soon found the pace and hated to set it down. I loved that the characters wanted to grow and change things in their lives – and then worked on making it happen. I found it easy to believe their worries, inner struggles, issues with grief as well as issues with each other. Ms. Jacobs portrayed each character realistically. I was smiling as I finished reading the book. . . and also hoping she might consider writing yet another book about this wonderful group of women. I really want to know what happens next.

The Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs

Back of the book: Once a week, an eclectic group of women comes together at a New York City yarn shop to work on their latest projects – and share the stories of their lives. . .

At the center of Walker and Daughter is the shop’s owner, Georgia, who is overwhelmed with juggling the store and single-handedly raising her teenage daughter. Happy to escape the demands of her life, she looks forward to her Friday Night Knitting Club, where she and her friends – Anita, Peri, Darwin, Lucie and K.C. – exchange knitting tips, jokes, and their deepest secrets. But when the man who once broke Georgia’s heart suddenly shows up, demanding a role in their daughter’s life, her world is shattered.

Luckily, Georgia’s friends are there for encouragement, sharing their own tales of intimacy, heartbreak, and miracle making. And when the unthinkable happens, these women will discover that what they’ve created isn’t just a knitting club: it’s a sisterhood.

I’m just going to quote part of Kristin Hannah’s blurb from the cover of the paperback: “. . . moving portrait of female friendship. You’ll laugh and cry along with these characters, and if you’re like me, you’ll wish you knew how to knit.”

Comfort Food by Kate Jacobs

Augusta “Gus” Simpson, about to turn 50, hosts a show on the Cooking Channel. She has worked there for years and is starting to wonder if she is being nudged out because she doesn’t attract the desired demographic audience. She is forced into a new show and pressured to make it work with a young, beautiful co-host.

Gus is also a mother of two 20-something daughters. They deal with their own issues and can barely tolerate her interference in their lives anymore. She has been a single parent for almost 20 years so she’s used to being in control. She’s having a tough time giving up control in job AND parent arenas. Therein lies the story.

The book is filled with interesting support characters and the story is tied up with a pretty bow at the end. I found myself imagining this would make a cute movie and it should air on the Food Network. They could do a “Dinner & a Movie” presentation. The food described in the book sounded delicious. Warning: this book may make you hungry!