Friday Favourites - Inuvik Thimble



With the smell of campfire wafting through each stitch I sit and bind this vintage quilt. My thimble is made of moose hide tanned by the Inuvialuit near Inuvik. And beaded so preciously. It is my new favourite thing.

 - It is pretty and dainty and tough at the same time.

- It reminds me of the people in Inuvik, namely my students, who were awesome and listened to my enthusiasm.

- It works really, really well.

Let's bind all the quilts.

Inuvik Part 2


When I left for Inuvik I had to temper my expectations. I've read far too much Farley Mowat, Pierre Burton, and anthropology texts about the Arctic. I had romantic expectations, for sure. The North was going to change me, that I knew for sure. But I told myself to calm down, that I was setting myself up for something that was likely not going to happen. I was, after all, only going up there to teach quilting. It's not like I was on some dog sled through the cold Arctic adventure. Or paddling the MacKenzie. Or hunting a seal. I was flying on a plane to sew. Let's be realistic.

But it did change me. The class itself inspired me as a teacher. The community infected me with a spirit I've never seen before in a community. The cold did not feel all that cold, well, except for one day. The sun shone in a way I've never experienced. And I heard snow unlike the crunch or swish I'm used to. Seriously, that hollow sound of the snow in that one spot in Tuktoyaktuk will haunt me. It's all a part of me me now. I'm not a different person, but I am a changed person.

It's subtle. I feel a quiet. I look for a quiet. At the same time I find the laughter, even when it doesn't seem to be evident. I seek friendship and the joy of people because they do make life brighter. Oh, and I will never look at a river the same way again. And do you realize just how many shades of white there really are in the world?


This greenhouse allows residents to have a normal growing season for everything from herbs to berries to veggies. It's converted from the old hockey rink. Yarn bombing awesomeness too.


Nothing slows down Inuvik residents. The paddling team at the rec centre, prepping for some summer races and endurance events. (Including my host, Shona.)


So many buildings in Inuvik are painted bright colours. These are known as the Smartie houses. But the day care, the arena, and many other public buildings are in so many colours. In a landscape of white, with few trees, these are a welcome respite for the eyes.


Ice Road Adventures! Seriously, a road plowed on a frozen river. Then, eventually, the frozen ocean. Absolutely wild when you think about it. Then again, it might be better not to think about it. 




Pingos. Hills made of permafrost thrust upwards by underground water. In the winter they looked like random bumps on the otherwise barren landscape.


The end of the Trans Canada Trail. There is a marker at the tip of the hamlet of Tuktoyaktuk. It is weathered and looks about four times as old as it is. My husband's grandparents once bought sections of the trail for the whole family, so this was rather special to see.


That's me, standing on the edge of the Arctic Ocean. In the past year I've now been to all three coasts of Canada. That kind of blew my mind. And all for quilting too.






One of the more unique experiences I ever had. At the bottom of that hole and frozen ladder is a community freezer. Residents of Tuk dug it out back in the 50s. Before the electric deep freeze this is where the community would keep it's haul of fish, seal, whale, and caribou hunted to keep the families and dogs fed throughout the winter.





Ever seen Ice Road Truckers? This was the only transport truck we saw on our 5 hours on the Ice Road.


Sunset, back below the tree line. Our trip up and down the Ice Road was surely an adventure as the truck nearly lost a wheel to cracks in the road. So being back where the trees were was a relief, for sure. That was a welcome beer that night as we finished watching the sunset.


The northernmost mosque in the world. This makes me love Canada so much.

During the trip I kept thinking about my friends around the world. Those who would have had their breath taken away by the cold. Those who might have been uncomfortable with the amount of fur people wear. Those who would do anything for a trip to this part of the world. I'm sharing these pics with you. I never thought I'd get this far north in my lifetime, so live vicariously through me, if you like. And from this point I will too, in case I never get back there again.


Again, thank-you to the Inuvik Quilt Guild and the NWT Arts Council for this opportunity.

Inuvik Trip Part 1


A week ago I was driving the ice road from Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk. A week before that I was snorkelling in the Caribbean. And this morning I'm sipping tea in slippers and listening to Motown. Have I mentioned before that I love my life?!

One of the things I absolutely love about my life is the chance to teach quilting (and travel to do it). Being in a classroom full of people who absolutely want to be there, whether they are there for a new experience or just a weekend off, is an energy boost for me. You can't help but ride their enthusiasm. And my weekend with the guild in Inuvik was unlike any other.

There is just so much to share about my trip to Inuvik that I have to break it down into two posts. It was such a phenomenal experience. Up first, the class.



Seeing as Inuvik is located in the far North, we chose to run a Scrap Management workshop. They have to pay a lot to bring in supplies, so I thought it best to get people excited about scraps. And get excited they did! As did I. The days would start at the sun was coming into the sky, peering over the irons as we set up in the morning.

Like most scrap classes I run many people at first think they don't have much that's useful. But after we sort then run through the slab technique eyes are opened. The potential can't be hidden anymore. Some people brought scraps they inherited from mothers and friends. Some seriously cool scraps there. One lady brought scraps an Inuit maker gave her last year at the Great Northern Arts Festival. And like everyone does, it was fun to see the history of their quilting careers, family, and guild projects through the scraps.





One of the great things about teaching with a guild is that most people know each other well. So there is an instant camaraderie. For the teacher it can feel like you are the outsider, but definitely not with this group! They instantly welcomed me in, sharing gossip and stories, and taking me under their wing for northern adventures. You know they are a cohesive group when three of them bring the same kind of muffins for us one day.

During this two day workshop we explored scraps - sorting, remembering, making slabs and storage boxes, and working on individual projects. Some people choose projects from Sunday Morning Quilts, some take off in their own direction. The important part is that they be excited by what they are working on. I'm just there to guide the process, teach some technique, and troubleshoot, if necessary.








I had one of the best moments ever in my career as a teacher there too. Two of my students were art therapists. They work in the elementary schools - for the kids and the teachers. They have a tough job, seeing the best and worst of these isolated communities. Communities that have most definitely seen the worst of times beyond the weather - addiction, residential schools, relocations, abuse. Coming to guild, for these women, is a break for them, a chance to recharge and put work behind them. Well, on the second day one woman pulled me aside and thanked me for her own creative breakthrough. She was sewing more than she ever does in guild and was recharged personally. Usually I am pretty happy if people have fun and are inspired to sew more once the class is over, but to hear that, from an art therapist no less, was inspiring to me.





Not to mention this beading. Oh, the beading... (This one wasn't by a student, but a woman dropped by to share it.)

Thank you to the NWT Arts Council for the funding to bring me to Inuvik.

Me and C&T Publishing - An Instagram Takeover


This is going to be a fun week! Not to say that the last few weeks haven't been. But this week is pretty full and I am going to share it all with the world in the pretty - not the gory - detail. This week I am taking over C&T Publishing Instagram feed. 

From the Arctic to my basement. From a teaching gig to a book deadline. From being a tourist to being a mom. You can see it all through my experience, and lens. At the end of it, not only will you know more about me and what I actually do to get it all done, you've got a chance to prizes! 


To follow along, check out the Instagram feed here.


And check out these prizes! C&T will be giving away a full set. Details will be announced on all their social media streams.
Sunday Morning Quilts
A Month of Sundays
fast2clean™ 2-Piece Modern Dot Mini Microfiber Static-Cling Cleaners
Sunday Morning Quilts Eco Pouch Set


I'm not going to lie, it all feels kind of like bragging. But I am proud of the work I've done and proud of the audience that wants to share my life. That's you! I hope you join me on my adventures this week.

The View


It's a hot mess in my sewing room right now. That's okay, because I'm not there. This lady is dipping her toes in the Caribbean sand this week, with only my husband by my side. Vacation! Second Honeymoon!

Needless to say, I won't be here this week. And frankly, probably next week as I play catch-up and meet my first big deadline on the new book. Then I have to travel to Inuvik, in the far North. I'm all over the place and I love it.

Rest assured, that when I come back in two weeks I will have some spectacular things to share. Of course, I'm not sure how much of it will be quilt related. The design wall will probably look the same as it does right there.

Take care all.

Friday Favourites - Swobe


It isn't quite the end of February and people across North America are deep in the whine of winter. That is, there is a lot of whining about winter being so, so long. Now, if you live somewhere that doesn't normally get snow and there is still a storm or two on the way then I will concede to your whining. But if you live somewhere that does get snow, does get below freezing, then I have zero sympathy for you.

It was snowing the day I landed from Quilt Market - before Halloween. And the snow will not be off the ground until probably April here. If we're lucky. Now I realize that folks who grow up on the Canadian Prairies (or the North) are simply just used to this long, cold weather. It doesn't stop many from here whining either though.

Enough is enough. It's still winter. Embrace it. Cook a stew. Spend a day baking so that the oven warms the house. (Upgrade your furnace and insulation next summer). Put on a sweater and pour a cup of tea. In my case, I will cozy up in my Swobe.

Swobe is a completely made up word, much like swacket. Outside of my house they are likely never used.

 Sweater + Robe = Swobe
Sweater + jacket = Swacket

And I love my Swobe. I picked up in November from Anthro (and it isn't available unless on sale in the stores). It is half sweatshirt (it has a jersey for a lining), half sweater, half robe. I don't think I would wear it outside of the house, but here at home it is the perfect thing to make a winter's day just a little bit warmer.

Giant Hexagons Update


In need of some mindless sewing and a real break from work - yes, even I go to quilting when I need a break from the work of quilting - I pulled out these old blocks. With a million (or 40) WIPs sitting in my sewing room it only made sense to grab one of those projects instead of starting something new. I'd always had it in my head to add a coral block to these giant hexagons so I went ahead and did it. Then I added that low volume grey, and a yellow one. 

You can see more of these in my interview with Alex Anderson.

When it came time to playing with layouts I tried something new. There is a lot of bias in these blocks and I didn't want to handle them that much. Plus, as you can see, there is also some other work on my design wall that a certain five year old is not ready to remove. Needless to say, I was quite excited to find some hexagon graph paper!


The internet is a wonderful thing. Sure you can make it yourself, but the chances are someone has probably already done it for you. That was the case when I typed in a few choice words into the search engine the other night. And up pops a PDF of graph paper that is exactly what I need. A little more digging and there are sites where you can create and print your own graph paper in many shapes and sizes. It is a quilter with a penchant for colouring's dream!

http://www.freeprintableonline.com/categories/graphs
http://www.printablepaper.net

Have fun!


Now, I'm only waiting for the rest of my perfect background fabric for these to arrive. Then I can add this to the pile of quilt tops ready for attention.

Good Times with Alex Anderson



Last week I had the pleasure of chatting with Alex Anderson about my books, quilts, non-obligation sewing and finding the pleasure in quilting and the craziness of life. This first bit includes a lot about how I like to slow down and sew, and how you can too. Not to mention some gorgeousness and advice from the book.

Check it out here! And stay tuned for the second part.

The Orenda (Weekend Reads)


As a reader, one of my biggest pet peeves is when a novel peters out at the end. The story is trucking along and then what should be a climax is really just a pfft of storyline. And in two pages is wraps up and you are left wondering what the heck happened. Following quite closely is an ending that is a little too perfect, especially after the imperfections of a life in fiction.

The Orenda has neither. A brilliant story builds to a violent and fascinating climax, with little surprises that make you gasp. At the same time expectations are met and the story continues as it should. The ending fits, it just makes sense. And it made me not want to stop reading yet hug the book with the satisfaction of a well written novel read.

At first I struggled with the novel. It is told from the point of view of three different characters and it jumps between them every chapter. It's actually quite frustrating at the beginning. But once the story builds it ends up being the perfect structure for telling the story. The three main characters are Bird, a Huron warrior, a Jesuit priest named Christophe trying to convert souls, and Snow Falls, an Iroquois girl taken in by Bird after he kills her family. Being able to see events from all three perspectives ends up being exactly the way the story needs to be told. The parallels in the characters are both obvious and subtle and only truly reveal themselves in the latter half of the novel.

The story, beyond the one about survival, battle, and clanship, is rooted in the history of the Jesuits in Quebec and their ultimate role in the demise of the Huron nation. It is a story I know well, one I remember writing about in my youth, and the reason I have an anthropology undergraduate degree. It parallels the story told in the novel and movie, Black Robe, but it frankly does it so much better. Less about the history (albeit accurate from my memory), however, The Orenda is a masterpiece of storytelling.

Joseph Boyden is a Canadian author that captures so much of the spirit and struggle of our First Nations. Three Day Road is one of my top ten novels. He is clearly meticulous in his research and epic in his writing. He can capture the details of an event in a way that leads you into the space of the story and writes of the events in a way that make you breathless. Now, with The Orenda, he delivers a  tome destined to define a moment in time.

Currently up for Canada Reads, our national contest for the best book - this year focused on books that all Canadians should read. My vote definitely goes for The Orenda because even if you put aside the storytelling brilliance, it is a story that we all need to read. A moment in our past that is ugly, brutal, and defining of relationships in Canada (and in many other places of the world) between First Nations and the rest of us. And a reminder of the mistakes made, the hopes misguided, and the spirit of all.

Friday Favourites - Gamewright Games


My kids have never been ones for toys, not the girls at least. The Monster, especially, has always preferred things with a strong element of human interaction - make believe, wrestling, painting together, long conversations, and games. But even games and our interest in them come and go. They are definitely a winter activity and with an extremely precocious toddler in the house we have to manage our time and space around games. The games that have, without a doubt, captured all of us in the family are the ones made by Gamewright.

And when I say captured all of us I mean even my husband enjoys playing them. This is a man who likes to say, "There is a reason they are called BORED games." But he will happily sit down and get his butt kicked by a 7 year old who mastered the numbers game Rat-a-Tat Cat from the first time she played it a year ago. That child is a ninja at that game. And The Evil Genius has an eye for strategy on Too Many Monkeys.

The games provide the opportunity for strategic thinking in the midst of a pretty fast pace. My kids do not get bored playing these games. Frankly, neither do we. And with a full range of games I expect they will grow up with our family.

We purchased ours at a local toy store, but they seem to be available everywhere, including the major online retailers. 




Thank You Dear Readers

Over 500 of you answered the survey I posted last month. Thank you so much for answering my questions. I will admit, that there were some surprises in the answers. At least to me. But that's why I did it, to get a better handle on who actually reads here. I've got no plans to go anywhere, but I want to make sure my readers get what they hope for - at least most of the time.

There were all the stats - where you live, how long you've been quilting - but then there were your comments. And the comments were wonderful. I had an awful week last week and was feeling quite down in the dumps. Then I read the survey results and all your comments about finding your way to my little Dining Room Empire. You guys... you made me cry. And you fortified me for the next steps forward.

Thank-you, thank you so much. Not just for your comments, but for continuing to come back here to read these little bits of my life. I really do hope to inspire as many people as I can, whether that's with a fancy finished quilt or the reality of sewing with three little kids at my feet. And I get to do this while fuelling my own creative passions for sewing and writing. And you like it. (Pardon my Sally Field moment.)

So here are some of the fun stats about you, my awesome readers.

It is good to know that the overwhelming majority of your are sewers and quilters. I know you'll never get bored with my quilts. Well, unless I start showing nothing but plain patchwork.

I must admit, you are an older audience than I expected. Considering that I, myself, am nearly 40, I shouldn't be surprised. It' a good thing my propensity for swearing doesn't come out in my writing.
I guess this means you like when I post about sewing and creating with my kids? Actually, there were a number of comments that you do. But if so many of you have kids in your life, then this is good content that I will continue to add.

Half of you have blogs! That's awesome. I try to get around and visit my readers when I get through comments. If I've not been to visit you before, know that I'm not being rude. Just busy. (Oh, and I will tell you that this blog will likely never be on Facebook. I keep that for family and close friends only.) But I do love Instagram and Twitter, so if you are on there, please find me. I try not to duplicate content between here and there, so it is another snippet of my life. Possibly, just maybe, a more sarcastic one. My handle on both is @cheryl_arkison (with capitals on Twitter, without on Instagram).

Thank you faithful readers. And thank-you to the more recent arrivals. It seems many of you came from the Just One Slab project and that makes me so excited that you stayed after lending your support and blocks.

Okay, so statistically this is a mess of information, but I dislike ranking in surveys. I wanted to see it all! The great thing about this info is that you seem to like the parts best that I like doing. How wonderfully convenient.

Again, thank you for participating. I really appreciate it. I promised a giveaway thank you treat or two. I will be drawing names from all the comments and contacting folks in the next few days.

And let me be clear: I am not going anywhere. I love this space and I love sharing with you. But a redesign and freshen up is in order. Consider it a makeover, I've had the same haircut for years and it is time for an upgrade. Your information bolstered my spirit and is informing the makeover. And I promise, nothing too crazy!

Alturas Update


So, I may have mentioned my new addiction before. At the time I said I would make at least nine blocks. Well, I've made nine and I'm already on to the next round. Maybe seven more? Maybe seventy?

It's slow going project, there is no doubt about that. It takes me about an hour and a half to make a block, sometimes 2 hours. It depends on how many interruptions I get from small children asking for food or cuddles, or how engrossing the conversation or movie is on TV. At that rate it is going to take me a very long time to make this a big quilt.

Just like improv quilting, appliqué seems to be so much more about the process than the finished project. Of course it will be gorgeous when it is done. Right now, however, I am just enjoying the process, with no real goal in mind. One block at a time.


Friday Favourites - The London Fog


I LOVE tea. Really love tea. Especially Earl Grey.

My tea ritual starts before I go to bed. I make sure the tea pot is rinsed out and the kettle full. That way all I have to do is hit the button on my electric kettle as soon as I get out of bed. While the kettle boils I usually check Instagram for the overnight feed and try not to munch on any cookies that might be leftover from the previous day's baking. When my tea is ready I settle in to catch up on the world and start my day's work on the computer. If I have writing to do I like to jump right in. Otherwise I sip and browse the world from my laptop.

All of this, implies that I am getting a quiet, lonely start to the morning. If I sleep in or have to get up and do things with the kids right away I do not make my tea. I love the ritual almost more than the caffeine so I wait. And if that moment never comes I do the next best thing at some point in the afternoon - I make a London Fog.

I discovered London Fogs years ago at some random coffee shop. Seeing as I don't drink coffee I am always aware of my other options. When the barista suggested a London Fog after I hesitated on the default hot chocolate, I nearly turned him down. But then he used the words vanilla and Earl Grey in the same sentence. And done.

That being said, I don't often order them when I'm out. The vast majority of places - chain or independent - make a London Fog with vanilla syrup. This results in a drink that is too sweet for my liking. Instead, I save my London Fogs for afternoons spent stitching or painting with the kids. For the random moments I get alone in the winter sun. For my leftover Earl Grey (sacrilege, I know).

Cheryl's London Fog

Equal parts Earl Grey and Milk
Vanilla Extract
Honey

Heat together the tea and milk. If you are using fresh tea, brew it like you want to drink it and combine with hot - never cold - milk. (I do not have a microwave, so I simply heat mine on the stovetop.)

For every cup you make add a teaspoon of vanilla extract and a teaspoon of honey.

Sip and Enjoy.

Embroidery - Properly


It took four years. Four years to get from this to that there.

Their first efforts have hung on their art wall, surviving every single purge of art at their request, for the past four years. Then one night a few weeks ago The Monster asked if we could do it again.

"Mama, can we do more of that up down sewing with thick thread? Except, can we do it properly?"



Of course sweetie. And I panic. Because I have no clue how to actually do it properly. Thankfully I have a rather extensive book library for sewing. A few resources to the rescue and we teach ourselves a running stitch and a back stitch. We stock up on a few bits of floss (all in pinks and purples except for one lonely skein of yellow. We buy hoops. And we put their little brother down for a long winter's nap so he stays out of our way.



They each drew a picture on a piece of scrap osnaburg, lightly and with a pencil, selected their floss, tightened it up in the hoop and we sat down to stitch. And we stayed there for two hours! This activity kept my 7 and 5 year old girls still for two hours. I'm still in shock about that. I was on cutting, floss separating, and knot tying duty.



We've got some skills to learn - sometimes they don't always pull the thread all the way through and we get tangles, and their back stitch and running stitch look kind of the same. But this first effort is not any better than I probably could have done.

And the best part? They want to do more.



Quilting Happiness (Weekend Reads)


Isn't this the best title for a quilting book? I know it goes without saying for most of us that quilting makes us happy. But it can also frustrate, intimidate, and suffocate. Even I know that. So I'm pleased today to be sharing this book,  Quilting Happiness, written to bring even more joy to your quilting.

Christina Lane and Diane Gilleland have done a wonderful job capturing the happiness quilting brings - from the creation to the giving, from sewing something you love to sewing for others. And there are patterns.

Two things make this book stand out - Creative Exercises and Happiness Practices. These one pagers are littered throughout the book, leading the reader through some personal reflection. Asking the reader to examine their own inspiration, habits, and joy is a wonderful way to get us to stop and reflect on quilting. Sure, we all want to barrel through to the next project, the next stack of fabric, but taking a moment to pause and examine the practice of quilting for us as individuals is worth more than cutting up fabric.

Seriously, I mean that. 

I, myself, have stopped to examine my practice as instructed in the book. For instance, they describe a Morning Seeing exercise. In this you write down what the first five things are that you see every morning for a month. In doing so you can pick out the patterns, pay attention to the routines you have, and train yourself to be an observer. Me, I'm a bit of a pessimist so I always see the mess first! That means I've been tidying more before bed and it makes my morning more positive. Which makes that creative time for me more productive and peaceful.


And there are patterns in the book - large quilts, mini quilts, and small projects. The instructions are detailed and leave nothing to question as far as I can tell. Christina is a stickler for details so this is not surprising. I've made one project inspired by a quilt in the book. And that chevron pattern pictured above is next on my list.

I will say that I wish a quilt book could be written without patterns though, because I think the strength of this one in particular lies in all the non-pattern stuff included. A book focused solely on creative exercises and personal exploration for the quilter could be quite intriguing. There is a lot of that in this book and for that reason I would recommend this one, even if you never made a pattern from it.

Checkerboard Chillin'


Remember when I was setting my goals for the year? Well one of them was to finish all the quilt tops in my closet. That's a lot easier when you actually remember all the tops you have. Seems I forgot this one. Oops.

Measuring at 60'' by 60'' it isn't a huge top and I can manage to quilt this at home. I even have batting cut for it already.

This is my version of the Checkerboard quilt from Sunday Morning Quilts. When I went to make it at some point after the book came out I decided to control the colour scheme. So I raided all my turquoise, purple, grey, and white scraps. From these I cut all my 2 1/2'' squares. There may have been some stash raiding to finish up the quilt. Shh. It is smaller than that original, however. Partly because of the fabric limitations and partly because this has to join me on the road and the big quilts take up a lot more room.

Seeing as I have another trunk show in a few weeks I might be motivated to finish this up and reveal it then.


One of the things I love the most about this quilt is the way it comes together. Amanda Jean wrote the pattern so you are making it one row at a time. And you press to one side as you go. Then you just flip over every second row. Your seams nest and it comes together as a top in no time. It still works as a leaders and enders project.

Make sure to check out the book for detailed instructions, including the cutting requirements for a larger, twin sized quilt.


Pressing Issues


Some people think in the shower, others on a long walk. Some like to talk it out with a friend or partner. Some others like to turtle under and not think about things. Me? I iron.

Truth be told, I don't like to iron my clothes. My sister and I had this as one of our chores when we were growing up. My mom made us iron all the t-shirts too. Our clothes looked great, even if they smelled like smoke. Now I iron clothes only when necessary.

But pressing a quilt top or readying a back for basting is my go-to task when I have something to sort out in my brain. Whether it be bringing swirling ideas together or planning a difficult conversation, the repetitive nature of pressing, with accompanying steam facial is the means by which I can often formulate my thoughts.

I've got a lot to sort through this week, anyone want to bring some blocks over?

Second Person Singular (Weekend Reads)


There comes that moment in a book store when you hold a few books in your hand and all look good, but you need to pick something for the mood or moment you'll have. It feels like so much opportunity, so much pressure. Pick the wrong book and your bedtime reading is too intense or so boring you have no choice but to sleep. Pick the right one and you are entertained and engaged but not dumbed down. Pick the wrong vacation book and you've got serious problems.

Confession: I grabbed this book entirely because of the cover. But we all know you can't judge a book that way so I took the time to read the first few pages before buying. In those first few pages I was drawn into the character and the writing. I thought I was drawn into the story then, but oh how things changed. After a long build up of character the story really begins. And it was worth reading to get there.

Second Person Singular by Sayud Kashua is an incredible compelling story of two men. They are both Arabs living in Israel and their lives intersect in a completely unexpected way. That being said, they both have insecurities and identity conflicts that should drive the reader to annoyance. But the writing is so eloquent, funny, and captivating that you can't help but root for these men. At least for them to find the peace they seek. It isn't a political novel full of statements about settlements and Palestine, but it would not be the story it is without the men being Arab in Israel. The commentary provided but this fact is integral to the characters. And for the reader whose never been to this part of the world and knows most of what she knows from the news it was fascinating.

I had the fortune to read most of this book on a recent vacation. There I am on a beach in Mexico completely engrossed in a story about men in Jerusalem. With a mystery to the story and such characters it was the perfect book. My bookstore moment, unlike the one that kicks the mystery into gear in the story, was fortuitous.