by Suzanne Weyn

Bridget is heading the America, the land of opportunity, with her fathers, brothers, and little sister. Her father eventually finds a job as a coachman for the wealthy J.P. Wellington. And with him, Bridget gets a job as a seamstress-but with an American name. Her name is Bertie now.

Then her father then boasts that she can “spin straw into gold”, and Bertie doesn’t know what to do. But then, amazingly, assisted with a mysterious friend by the name Ray Stalls, she is actually able to transform the blue material into stunning gowns made to look as if they are spun with gold. The only problem is, Bertie doesn’t know how to repay Ray, because the one thing he asks for she is unable to give him.

This was a wonderfully imagined book that actually followed the original fairy-tale pretty well. My only problems was that Ray Stalls’s feelings seemed a little unrealistic, and the first and last chapter seemed a little irrelevant, unimportant. But other than that, this was a sweet, romantic story.

I’ve always been interested in sewing and spinning and things like that, and I loved the way the dresses and designs were such a big part of the novel. (And I admit I love the color.) The Crimson Thread is a wonderfully quick read, and Bertie is a nice, realistic girl who I really enjoyed spending my time with.