One Long Thread by Belinda Jeffrey
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I’m not really sure why this novel is classified as a YA novel. Yes the protagonist is 17/18 years old but the tone is nostalgic and the vocabulary does not ring true as that of a teenager. This is the story of three generations of Ruby Moon’s family and Jeffrey uses textiles as an important source of imagery of the links between characters – the one long thread of the title.
The central character is a twin and the narrative covers about a year of her life when her parents split up each taking one twin. Ruby remains in Melbourne with her father while her sister moves to Darwin with her mother who has become increasingly religious and ends up living within a strict religious cult. Ruby finds herself cut off from her twin and has to find her place in greatly changed circumstances. She is a gifted seamstress something she shares with her mother and creating garments becomes increasingly important. Her sister is involved in an accident which leads to Ruby turning to her grandmother in Tonga for answers and escape.
Jeffrey has written a reflective novel which covers some interesting areas. At times the analogies with aspects of the textile industry/silk industry are somewhat laboured and repetitive structures made me think I was rereading something I had already read. This is not a book for everyone but a thoughtful reader, particularly one interested in textiles will find it a rewarding read.