The Tangled Tale of the Woolgathering Castoffs - by Sharon Mondragón (Paperback)

About the Book

"Fair Meadows Retirement Community might as well be a country club for most of the retirees enjoying the pool, golf course, and book clubs. But for the caregivers whose family members reside upstairs in the special Memory Care Unit, vacation is over. Comforting these caregivers is exactly why the Woolgatherers group has formed. They make prayer shawls to support those affected by the heartbreaking reality of not being recognized by a loved one-people like Sam Talbot, who has been barely existing since his wife moved into Memory Care. He finds that his life has lost all color and meaning without her. That's something the Woolgatherers can't bear to see. Flirtatious Jenny Alderman, cranky crocheter Edna O'Brian, kind Rose Harker, and the rest of the prayer shawl group weave him into the circle. Sam has no idea how he got tangled up with them, and he's no good at knitting. But when one member talks him into taking up his wife's old crochet hooks, he discovers that this one small gesture might just have the power to heal his life-or even save it. Full of Sharon Mondragâon's characteristic humor and heart, this book wrestles with the loneliness of being the forgotten spouse of a dementia patient, moving past the fear that the spouses often face into the love and compassion that can make all the difference"--

Book Synopsis

A humorous, heartwarming tale of love, loss, and the power of community
Fair Meadows Retirement Community might as well be a country club for most of the retirees enjoying the pool, golf course, and book clubs. But for the caregivers whose family members reside upstairs in the special Memory Care Unit, vacation is over.
Comforting these caregivers is exactly why the Woolgatherers group has formed. They make prayer shawls to support those affected by the heartbreaking reality of not being recognized by a loved one-people like Sam Talbot, who has been barely existing since his wife moved into Memory Care. He finds that his life has lost all color and meaning without her.
That's something the Woolgatherers can't bear to see. Flirtatious Jenny Alderman, cranky crocheter Edna O'Brian, kind Rose Harker, and the rest of the prayer shawl group weave him into the circle. Sam has no idea how he got tangled up with them, and he's no good at knitting. But when one member talks him into taking up his wife's old crochet hooks, he discovers that this one small gesture might just have the power to heal his life--or even save it.
Full of Sharon Mondragon's characteristic humor and heart, this book wrestles with the loneliness of being the forgotten spouse of a dementia patient, moving past the fear that the spouses often face into the love and compassion that can make all the difference.

Review Quotes

I didn't know that I'd so love and savor this story about the knitting adventures of septuagenarians and octogenarians! As the Woolgatherers create prayer shawls for the caregivers of loved ones with memory loss, they don't realize that they too are on a journey of discovery with God. They receive and give God's loving embrace as they respond to nudges of grace one stitch at a time. Read, savor, and make a list of people you could bless with this enriching story!--Amy Boucher Pye, author of 7 Ways to Pray and Transforming Love (12/1/2023 12:00:00 AM)

Sharon Mondragón offers up another wonderful, whimsical, thought-provoking, and spiritually inspiring story, capturing my attention as a reader and stealing my heart in the process. I loved being reunited with the cast from The Unlikely Yarn of the Dragon Lady, and meeting the new cast of characters who joined them was icing on the cake. The author writes with such reverence--in a way that describes a true relationship with God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit--that the scenes from the prayer chapel at Hope of Glory feel especially anointed.--Cheri Swalwell, founder of JESUS in the EVERYDAY monthly membership and author (12/1/2023 12:00:00 AM)

Sharon Mondragón's stories are as charming as they are touching. I loved getting to know the knitters--and crocheters!--of Fair Meadows Retirement Community, and I loved watching their friendships grow and blossom. The Tangled Tale of the Woolgathering Castoffs may seem lighthearted on the surface, but it plumbs the depths of loss, grief, fear, and change . . . all with hope and a winsome reminder that there is nothing we can't bring to the Lord in prayer. If you love inspirational fiction that makes you smile and tugs at your heart, I highly recommend this book.--Katie Powner, author of The Wind Blows in Sleeping Grass (12/1/2023 12:00:00 AM)

When I read Sharon Mondragón for the first time, I knew that I had found something special, a story that I wouldn't be able to forget and characters who worked their way into my heart. How delightful for me to find that her second novel was just as good--no, even better than the first! At the start, The Tangled Tale of the Woolgathering Castoffs might be mistaken for a quiet novel. But halfway through, readers will find a story that captures their minds and, much more importantly, their hearts. You don't want to miss this story, especially if you enjoyed Where the Blue Sky Begins by Katie Powner or The Extraordinary Deaths of Mrs. Kip by Sara Brunsvold.--Susie Finkbeiner, author of The All-American and The Nature of Small Birds (12/1/2023 12:00:00 AM)

Who would have guessed that a prayer shawl ministry in the lobby of a retirement home would change the lives not only of shawl recipients but of the shawl creators as well? In this heartwarming sequel to The Unlikely Yarn of the Dragon Lady, Sharon Mondragón deftly weaves residents in the retirement community and visitors with loved ones in the memory care unit into a circle of friends, all whose lives are richer by the end. This heartwarming story is an inspiration for those skilled in needlework and those of us who are not.--Patricia Sprinkle, author of Hold Up the Sky (12/1/2023 12:00:00 AM)