Something I’ve been up to over on Instagram is pairing books with my quilt alongs. For the Contemporary quilt along, I chose Gentleman Jim by Mimi Matthews. I also try and do giveaways at the week marks to say thank you to those who are participating. This week, I cut these 5″ squares to make a pixelated heart quilt kit. I actually cut two, intending to keep one, but in the end I gave both away. My idea for these was to turn them into a PUFF pixelated heart using the Lo & Behold pattern. So many projects, so little time.
I read Gentleman Jim about a month ago while my family had a nasty winter cold & we were taking a little extra time to rest. With no exaggeration, I would STRUGGLE to pull myself out of the story & I carried it around with me as I warmed up soup, washed bedding and tended to our home. That’s something I look for in a book. It’s a regency spin on The Count of Monte Cristo with not-so-subtle themes of forgiveness that I am finding particularly poignant right now. I’ve discussed forgiveness here before, but I think it is incredibly good for body, mind, & soul & this book definitely follows that same thread of thought.
I was entirely entranced the first 2/3 of the book. There does come a point where I get annoyed at our main character. If he were real, I would have grabbed his ear and pointed out his foolishness. And it’s much, much more lighthearted than the original Count of Monte Cristo. Honestly, I’m not sure I would have found it as engaging if it were heavy. I’m just not up for heavy reads right now. And, of course, there’s a lovely romance. It’s fairly well balanced and very sweet. Overall, it was a solid 4STAR read & I recommend it. I think the world might need forgiveness even in the face of immeasurable wrongs more than ever. I know it has me thinking as I write this after midnight.
If you are looking for a fun, easy, uplifting read, this is it. And if you’re looking for an example of the stunning beauty on this earth, I grabbed this shot tonight. This reverse sunset (it’s the eastern sky) just made me pause and breathe before I grabbed this pixelated heart quilt ran outside to capture it to share with you.
