The Knitting Circle

I just completed The Knitting Circle by Ann Hood, and I have to say I was sad to see it end. It was one of those books that sort of crept up on me. In the beginning, I liked it fine but wasn't all that impressed, but by the end I felt very invested in the characters. Ann Hood has such an easy and unadorned voice that makes reading her prose quite relaxing and even comforting. Knowing that the book is somewhat inspired by her own life made the main character's perspective that much more believable--and that much more heartbreaking. It was also nice to see a knitting group portrayed in a pretty realistic way and not dripping with too much caricature and sentimentality. So let's say out of 5 double-point needles, I give it 3 1/2 needles.