A Tapestry of Light

By Kimberly Duffy

Book Overview

Calcutta, 1886.

Ottilie Russell is adrift between two cultures, British and Indian, belonging to both and neither. In order to support her little brother, Thaddeus, and her grandmother, she relies upon her skills in beetle-wing embroidery that have been passed down to her through generations of Indian women.

When a stranger appears with the news that Thaddeus is now Baron Sunderson and must travel to England to take his place as a nobleman, Ottilie is shattered by the secrets that come to light. Despite her growing friendship with Everett Scott, friend to Ottilie's English grandmother and aunt, she refuses to give up her brother. Then tragedy strikes, and she is forced to make a decision that will take Thaddeus far from death and herself far from home.

But betrayal and loss lurk in England, too, and soon Ottilie must fight to ensure Thaddeus doesn't forget who he is, as well as find a way to stitch a place for herself in this foreign land.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0764235648
• ISBN13: 9780764235641
• Release Date: March 2021
• Publisher: Bethany House Publishers
• Length: 432 Pages
• Weight: 0.90 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 5.5" x 8.3"

Customer Reviews

Wonderful read

Finished this tonight. There aren't the words to describe this beautifully heartbreaking story. I had no idea the things that Eurasians went through. Heck, I didn't even KNOW about Eurasians. This is a book that can be read over and over again. Poignant, heartbreaking, beautiful. One quote that stands out to me, that I think can nicely summarize this story, is this: "I think maybe, sometimes, God has called those people to great works. Perhaps their purpose is greater than living a quiet life. The suffering they endure might be necessary to prepare them for it." I think I have been changed for the better from reading this.

A young woman’s spiritual journey

"I wonder if it has been smothered beneath my bitterness and unforgiveness. That's a greater threat to Christian faith than a million other gods. There is no room for it. And if you allow it in, it burns away the blood of Christ as surely as flesh is burned on a funeral pyre." This is my first book by Kimberly Duffy and I am astounded by her ability to deftly transport the reader to the late 1880s Calcutta with its beauty and poverty, its sounds, smells, tastes, and textures. Learning about a certain type of Indian embroidery was fascinating. For the first half of the book, I was enthralled by the Indian city that Ottilie and her brother Thaddeus called home and felt the heartache and tension between the British and Indian during this tumultuous time. There has been much suffering, loss, and pain in their lives which is compounded by their mixed heritage. The story is told strictly from Ottilie's point of view in the third person. Though this allowed the reader to really engage in empathizing with the main character's innate and unshakable sense of rejection, bitterness, anger, and loneliness, Ottilie's thoughts and feelings became somewhat repetitive over time because she was the only narrator. Ottilie is a remarkable young woman - talented, compassionate, loyal, hard-working, dedicated, self-sacrificial. But she is also quite stubborn, impulsive, and sometimes blind to her own faults and flaws. She does mature as the story progresses - in character and in faith - which was nice to see. Her past loss and grief, as well as the prejudice and unwarranted hatred she receives from both the British and Indian, are hard to read about but unfortunately quite realistic and heart-wrenching. The author also places the plight of overworked and abused London seamstresses into the plot, which was eye-opening. Although this is a historical fiction with fantastic setting, it is really a young woman's spiritual journey. Ottilie's hardships and doubts push her so close to the edge of breaking and it takes her a long time, many people speaking into her life, and a trip across the world to release the tight hold she has on bitterness, anger, blame and unforgiveness. It is a relatively long book and the plot seemed to lose a bit of momentum in places, especially during their days in England. There is romance in the book, in the line of star-crossed lovers, but the resolution of the romance and the ending seemed rushed and too coincidental. Nevertheless, it is a well-written book with raw and powerful emotions, great spiritual lessons, and beautiful historical setting woven throughout the story and any historical fiction fan will enjoy it. I received the book via Celebrate Lit Tours and was under no obligation to post a positive comment. All opinions are solely my own.