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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 Redmond
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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.

(P)2019 Hodder & Stoughton Limited Art Crafts & Hobbies Thought-Provoking Inspiring Royalty
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Critic reviews

It's an astonishing feat, this patchwork quilt of history, culture and politics, which takes us from Saxon England to colonised African tribes, Palestinian villages, rural China and the cramped homes of American slaves . . . Her highly impressive debut is a richly textured and moving record of a history that has largely being lost.
Triumphant . . . an inspiration to anyone who has ever thought of picking up a needle and thread.
Astonishing . . . Hunter studied creative writing and cleverly uses personal narrative to create a persona one will instantly like . . . so well written.
Fascinating
A blend of history and memoir, the book roves across centuries and continents to reveal how sewing has played a crucial part in our lives - from courts and battlefields to prisons and drawing rooms... Many of the stories in Threads of Life are heart-breaking...This beautiful, moving book makes you want to rush out and grab a needle.
Enchanting
Enthralling... By unpicking the seams of the clothes on our backs, Clare Hunter has brought to light elements of history that have languished in our collective attic for far too long. Threads
of Life is a terrific book.
Enthralling...beautiful... An inspiring and moving sideways look at history.
Threads of Life is a beautifully considered book that reminds us of how much sewing plays a crucial part in expressing the many facets of our lives. Clare Hunter has managed to mix the personal with the political with moving results. Reading it made me pick up my needle with a new perspective.
Hunter's non-fiction debut reframes needlework as a powerful and political medium . . . Threads of Life is a compelling and beautifully written account of how marginalised peoples throughout history have used the language of sewing, embroidery and textiles to tell their neglected stories.
A rich and moving history of sewing and embroidery
A compelling account of how needlework has given a voice to the voiceless
All stars
Most relevant
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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