"...I’m now saying that you should snatch every minute of happiness that comes your
way!"
Margaret Law has never been a woman to surrender quietly to circumstance. Life has tested her repeatedly, and yet she always seems to find the strength to pick herself up and begin again. In Fraying Skeins, the third novel in Nancy Jardine’s Silver Sampler Series, Margaret once more finds herself facing an uncertain future, with her young son, Jamie, depending upon her to find a way forward.
Following the death of her husband, Sandy, Margaret knows she cannot remain in Peterhead. Aberdeen offers the possibility of a fresh start, although arriving in a strange city with a young child and limited funds is a daunting prospect. Margaret needs employment quickly and draws upon the many skills she has accumulated over the years. She can sew, manage a household and teach, but perhaps her greatest strength is her ability to adapt when things refuse to follow the path she had planned.
Having followed Margaret since she was a little girl in Novice Threads, I have become incredibly invested in her story. Jardine has allowed her heroine to grow naturally from one novel to the next, while never forgetting the experiences that shaped her. The determined little girl is still very much present, but there is a confidence about Margaret now that I thoroughly enjoyed. She has spent years taking whatever employment she could find simply to survive, whereas in this novel she begins to recognise that she is capable of so much more.
Margaret’s love of education has always been one of my favourite aspects of her character. As a child, she desperately wanted to remain at school and dreamed of becoming a teacher, but her family’s financial circumstances put an end to her formal education far too soon. That hunger for knowledge never disappeared. Books remain precious to her, and whenever an opportunity to teach presents itself, Margaret embraces it. I was delighted to see this side of her character become increasingly important in Fraying Skeins.
I particularly enjoyed watching Margaret encourage the intelligent and spirited Clara. Margaret is an instinctive educator who understands that learning should encourage curiosity rather than extinguish it, and she adapts her approach accordingly. There is also a beautiful connection back to Rachel Duncan from Novice Threads. Rachel’s sampler remains one of Margaret’s most treasured possessions and, despite the many times Margaret has been forced to pack up her life and move on, the sampler has always gone with her. Rachel’s influence upon Margaret has never entirely disappeared, and I loved seeing a thread of that relationship woven into the way Margaret now teaches another clever young girl. It is a poignant reminder of how far Margaret has travelled since those days in Edinburgh.
The historical setting is, once again, exceptionally well realised. Jardine places the reader firmly in nineteenth-century Scotland through the ordinary details of everyday life. Employment, wages, childcare, lodging houses, coal fires, communal water supplies, second-hand furniture, railway journeys, ferries, letters and telegrams all help to create a wonderfully authentic sense of time and place. Money is never an abstract concern either. Having enough money means security, and security gives Margaret something she has rarely enjoyed — the ability to make choices rather than simply accept whatever opportunity will keep a roof over her head.
I found the exploration of women’s education and employment particularly fascinating. Margaret is intelligent and extremely capable, but her opportunities are still restricted by her sex, social position and lack of formal qualifications. Sewing provides a dependable means of earning money, yet teaching is where she truly comes alive. The novel also looks at the changing educational opportunities available to women and girls and the barriers that remain in their way. Even access to books is not straightforward, and Margaret’s delight in being able to use a lending library says a great deal about a woman who has spent her life hungry for knowledge.
An unexpected excursion into the world of women’s golf was another part I thoroughly enjoyed. What begins as an unusual dressmaking assignment becomes a fascinating look at women attempting to participate in a sport largely organised around men. Margaret quickly realises that fashionable clothing is not necessarily practical when one is trying to swing a golf club. The problems presented by restrictive sleeves, long skirts and layers of clothing make for some wonderfully interesting historical detail, while fitting naturally into the story.
And then there is Johnny Fraser. I adored him. He is charming, mischievous and hardworking, although he is certainly rather fond of female company when we first become properly reacquainted with him! His own childhood was marked by poverty and uncertainty, while his work as a journeyman tailor means going wherever employment takes him. Beneath the easy humour is a man who understands only too well what it means to have very little security.
The developing relationship between Margaret and Johnny is warm, funny and wonderfully natural. There is certainly an attraction between them, but I enjoyed the companionship between them just as much. Johnny admires Margaret’s intelligence and determination, while she appreciates his humour, kindness and practical nature. I especially loved his relationship with Jamie. Their bond develops through games, stories, outings and everyday conversations, and never feels as though Johnny simply tolerates Jamie because he cares for Margaret. Some of their scenes together are among the most endearing in the novel.
The importance of honesty within relationships also runs strongly through the story. Margaret has learned painful lessons about secrets and half-truths, and Jardine explores the difference between deliberately lying and simply withholding the parts of the truth that are difficult to admit. Margaret’s friendship with Jessie remains important here. Despite the distance between them, their letters maintain the sister-like bond that began when they were children, and Jessie remains one of the few people who knows Margaret well enough to challenge her when necessary.
There is considerable warmth in Fraying Skeins, despite the hardships Margaret encounters. The friendships she forms bring companionship and humour, while Jamie is an absolute delight and frequently made me smile. I also enjoyed the Scottish dialogue, which gives the characters and setting a strong sense of place without making conversations difficult to follow. Jardine’s attention to the smaller details of domestic and working life makes the world these characters inhabit feel very real.
For me, Fraying Skeins is ultimately about Margaret beginning to understand what she is capable of. For much of her life, she has adapted because she had little choice. Here, she starts making decisions based not only upon what she must do to survive, but upon what she actually wants from life. The title is wonderfully appropriate, with literal threads running through Margaret’s work as a seamstress and embroiderer, alongside the less tangible threads connecting her to friendship, family and her past.
I thoroughly enjoyed Fraying Skeins. Jardine has once again brought nineteenth-century Scotland vividly to life while keeping Margaret and the people around her firmly at the heart of the story. Watching the determined little girl I first met in Novice Threads grow into this resourceful and courageous woman has been immensely rewarding, and there are more than enough intriguing threads left to make me eager to continue Margaret’s journey in the next instalment.
Review by Mary Anne Yarde
The Coffee Pot Book Club
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Nancy Jardine
Nancy Jardine writes historical adventure fiction, historical saga, time travel historical adventure and contemporary mysteries. Research gobbles up lots of time but it’s a delight, and never a chore. Her garden wouldn’t win any prizes but tending it is a great way to unwind and gives her some lovely plants to post on Instagram!
When not creating her novels, or promoting her writing, she loves to interact with readers at Book and Craft Fairs where she signs / sells paperback versions of her novels. Recently she’s taken part in author panels at Book Festivals.
Memberships include: Historical Novel Society; Society of Authors; Scottish Association of Writers; Federation of Writers Scotland; Romantic Novelists’ Association; and Alliance of Independent Authors. She’s self-published with Ocelot Press.
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