The Runaway Quilt

Alerted to the possibility that her family had ties to the slaveholding South, Sylvia searches her attic for her great-grandmother's quilt, a log cabin with black central squares that, according to legend, was a sign of sanctuary to slaves escaping north along the Underground Railroad. In the attic, she also discovers the memoir of her great-grandfather's spinster sister, Gerda Bergstrom, which becomes the catalyst for a journey back through time and memory. Gerda's record of the tumultuous years between 1853 and 1859 reveals not only the founding of Elm Creek Manor, but also a Pennsylvania farming community divided by the issue of slavery. Sylvia learns that her ancestors did indeed become stationmasters on the Underground Railroad, but in a far different manner than told in the idealized tales handed down through the generations. Through Gerda's memoir, Sylvia stitches together the disparate pieces of her past only to discover family discord, betrayal, and a long-held secret. With the help of the Elm Creek Quilters and the clues in her ancestors' quilts, Sylvia grapples with hard truths as she comes to terms with her family's past.

Author: Jennifer Chiaverini

Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group

Year: 2003