Book Review: The Unlikely Yarn of the Dragon Lady by Sharon J Mondragon

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What is this book about?

Margaret, Rose, Jane, and Fran had a good thing going: meet every week in the quiet of their peaceful chapel and knit prayer shawls. No muss, just ministry. That is, until their pastor boots them out of the church in his last-ditch effort to revive the dwindling congregation.

Uptight Margaret isn’t having it. Knitting prayer shawls where people can watch is the most ridiculous idea she’s ever heard of, and she’s heard plenty. Prayer belongs in the church, not out among the heathen masses. How are they supposed to knit holiness into these shawls if they’re constantly distracted by the public? But with no choice, the others embrace the challenge. They pack their knitting bags and drag Margaret–grumbling the whole way–to the mall with them. She can’t wait to prove them all wrong when it fails miserably, and show the pastor that she always knows best.

Without the familiar mold the group has been stuck in, their own losses, pain, and struggles rise to the surface. And the people and situations they encounter every time they try to sit quietly and knit are taking them a lot further out of their comfort zone than they ever imagined. Can they find the courage to tackle the increasing number of knotty issues they learn about in the community–or will the tangle be too much to unravel?

My review:

This book took me completely by surprise. When I signed up to review it, I thought that it seemed like a nice little story. I was so unprepared for it being much much more. I laughed. I cried. I watched God move in the lives of ordinary people. It was a wonderfully emotional experience to read.

Every character in this story, even the ones that I thought I wouldn’t like when I met them, reached out and yanked my heartstrings. The depth of God’s love and grace through simple acts was astonishing to me. I don’t know why because that is the way God works, but I loved how beautifully it was woven into this tale.

This story made me wish that I knew these knitters in real life. And it made me want to be a simple tool in God’s hands to reach others. You don’t have to be famous or popular, you just have to be willing to let God work through you.

I cannot believe this is the author’s debut novel. It is outstanding.

What I enjoyed most about this book:

Everything.

What I didn’t like about this book:

Nothing.

Would I recommend this book to others? Absolutely. Go out and get a copy right now. This seems like a quiet story, but the message and the story telling are powerful. This is a standalone story. Hopefully it will be the first of a series about these knitters.

Note: I received this book complimentary from the publisher. I was not required to give a positive review. All of the opinions I have expressed here are honest and my own.

-Loraine Nunley

Where can I learn more about this author and their books?

Sharon J Mondragon, author website