Tapestry

by Beth Duke

Beth Duke, Author of #1 Best Seller It All Comes Back to You, delivers an emotional and inspiring novel about family, from the roots that ground us to the branches that allow us to take flight."Beth Duke is a poet disguised as a Southern novelist. Tapestry made me laugh, made me think and in the end, made me cry. Tapestry delivers on ALL counts.”-Dan Brown, Author of ReunionTwenty-one-year-old Skye Willis lives in Eufaula, Alabama, a tourist mecca of stately homes and world-class bass fishing. Her childhood friends are either stuck at dead ends or have moved on to accomplish Big Things.Skye’s grandmother, Verna, insists on being called “Sparrow” because she suspects her ancestors were Muscogee Creek. She dresses in faux deerskin and experiments with ancient Native American recipes, offering a myth or legend to anyone who will listen.Skye has no idea what to do with her life. She’s smart as hell, but she has no faith or knowledge there’s something out there she was “born to do.” Nor does she know much of anything about her father, who died in Afghanistan when she was a toddler. He and his family are a mystery her mother won’t discuss.But when Sparrow sets out to confirm her Creek ancestry through genetic testing, Skye joins in.The results hit like a DNA bomb, launching them both on a path filled with surprises and life-changing events.Skye learns a harder truth than she ever expected.Alternating chapters between Skye’s Alabama life and an intertwining tale of greed, deceit, and control in Texas, this story offers proof that all life is a woven tapestry of past, present, and future.In Beth Duke’s uplifting and soul-singing voice, TAPESTRY is Southern Fiction at its best; you will cry, you will laugh out loud, and you will wish you were a member of the beautiful, matriarchal family Duke has created for her readers. This book is a must-read for fans of Fannie Flagg, Rebecca Wells and Anne Rivers Siddons.

Genres: Book Club, Fiction, Contemporary, Audiobook, Historical Fiction, Family Drama, Chick Lit

348 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 2, 2020

About the author

Beth Duke is an Amazon #1 Best Selling Author and the recipient of numerous honors for her fiction on two continents.

She is eyeing the other five.

Her book TAPESTRY was the Bronze Medal Winner in Southern Fiction in Publishers' Weekly's 2020 Readers Choice Awards, an Award-Winning Finalist in the 2020 International Book Awards, and a Five Star Readers' Favorite Award Winner.

Country music superstar Randy Owen said, "Beth Duke's works are as real as grits and gravy in The South, and her usage of her Southern English has the taste of Mama's biscuits."

Beth lives in the mountains of her native Alabama with her husband, Jay, and an assortment of dogs including a recently-rescued coonhound named Daisy who has stolen her heart. Beth is the adoring and proud mother of Jason and Savannah. She is a constant reader, travel aficionado, and likes to pretend she’s in baking competitions.

She also finds great joy in joining book clubs for discussion (usually via Zoom). If your group would like to schedule a date, please email beth@bethduke.com.

Her books DELANEY'S PEOPLE, DON'T SHOOT YOUR MULE, IT ALL COMES BACK TO YOU, TAPESTRY, and DARK ENOUGH TO SEE THE STARS are all love letters to her home state.

Reviews

[Wanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was recommended to me because I loved It All Comes Back to You, which we read for book club. This story was even better than that one for me. I cried three times while I was reading it. If you care about history and family and ancestry, this is a must read.

[Jerrod · Rating 1 out of 5]

[DNF] I can't do it anymore. To my book club, my deepest apologies, but I'd have a better time reading municipal tax codes than this unedited work of garbage. A better review will come when I finish my thoughts

Update: Complete Review


Tapestry By Beth Duke

An impressive proof that anything can get published.

Metaphors and similes are one of my favorite parts of reading, so I’m fucking critical of them. Let’s list some of Ms. Duke’s best and worst, shall we?

Best:


There aren’t any good ones. She’s a fucking joke of a writer.

Worst:
“She had at least 400 million reasons to love and support her husband.”
“Kara wished she’d kept Pete from eating his way through Tuscany to Sicily like a rampaging Hun.”

Now, I’m no historian, but I don’t believe that the huns have ever invaded Italy/HRE. But boy oh boy, do you know who has?

The Gauls
The Visigoths
The Holy Roman Empire
The Normans
The Ostrogoths
Barbarians
France
Germany
Austria

AND FROM ALL THESE, WHICH TOOK ME 1 MINUTE TO GOOGLE, SHE PICKS THE FUCKING HUNS. I know I’m nitpicking, but I just think that our similes should maintain a modicum of continuity and verisimilitude.

A constant stream of thought that I don't care about:

Very early in the book, we encounter an interesting way to describe the death of Skye’s father.

“[He was] killed a few weeks after smiling innocently for the camera, blown to pieces by a six-year-old boy who led him to an IED by begging my father for help with some emergency. Of course, he obliged the kid he'd handed a chocolate bar the week before.”

My first question is why are we bombarded with this information. Knowing how her father was killed and the situation by which he was killed is acceptable. Why place a moralistic stance upon a child who killed a soldier with an IED, I don't get it. Is this supposed to prove to the reader that he was a good guy? Or does this prove that Skye thinks highly of her father… because he indulged a child with chocolate… But it’s not information privy to Skye… It’s fucking confusing. Who cares about your protagonist’s father when you’ve given the reader a situation where you’re judging the morality of a child (This “heaviness” doesn’t occur in the next 40 pages I read, so I’m assuming this is just poor control)

Also don’t ask me about the rabbit hole I went down to see if chocolate bars were even common during Iraq, just know that I learned a lot about chocolate melting points, military rations, military chocolate, and MREs, but very little of chocolate’s availability during the Iraq invasion. Just note that there is very little information about chocolate supplies for US soldiers during Iraq.

On a separate tangent, I abhor the fact that everyone is referred to by name. I understand that this is done to give the book a “small-town” quality, where everyone knows everyone. Using those names to proving character familiarity is fine, and well done in the Piggly-Wiggly scene. But I think I’ve been introduced to something like 20-25 names in 48 pages. That is fucking unacceptable. This is not a census Miss Duke, this is supposed to be a novel. Let’s look at where I decided to stop reading.

Exhibit A: “Gerald Davidson somehow forcing the truth about LeeAnne’s hiring from Darrell Edwards”

Expecting your reader to remember three separate non-main characters who are mentioned very few times before this, and only in one half of the book, about 22 pages into that story, is unacceptable and laughable. You’re a goddamned imbecile Ms. Duke, and if your editor(if you even have one) thought that was acceptable, fire the fool. I’ve read Russian novels that are easier to grasp than the litany of useless characters in this swill. At least Marmeladov from Dostoyevski’s Crime and Punishment was important to the novel's progression and provided a wonderful parallel to our protagonist, even if he was only mentioned for a chapter or two.

Impressively one-dimensional characters

All right, let's just get started here. The bodyguard/consort who is defining character trait is that he went to high school with Mrs. darling and that he is really into guns. That’s all I got. He even reads magazines about guns. Wow, such a nuanced man.

Or how about miss darling herself, the wealthy heiress who hungers for power and adorns the latest in southern fashion. (Also don’t get me started on the faux opulence in the novel) Mrs. Darling is cunning…. I presume, she’s described as cunning, but I’ve yet to see many actions that prove this. Sure, she threatens that cowboy guy in the middle of no-where and tells him about the origin of the word sabotage… which I hated. It stripped all the meaning of the chapter for me. Beth, They’re called symbols because they symbolize things. Explaining the etymology of a word, in character, is the novel’s equivalent of starting your speech with a definition from Merriam-Webster’s. I digress. But this scene does little to advance the plot in my opinion. Next chapter, we are greeted with a plot advancement by the #metoo movement… So, what was the point of all that ‘conniving’, Miss Duke?

Pete, who is fat, and greedy, and slobbish… well, damn Miss Duke, make him a pedophile and call him Baron Harkonen. Or better idea, stop portraying your one fat character as greedy; leave that trope in the 60s, where it belongs. And I'm aware that it’s impossible to determine an author’s true thoughts from their writing, but let’s be honest here, Ms Duke isn’t smart enough to manipulate tropes into nuanced cultural critiques, she’s probably just fat-phobic.

Skye’s Mom, whose name I can’t remember, is sad about her husband dying… but not in an interesting way. She’s just sad. Maybe that played out better later in the novel, but you couldn’t pay me to finish this Novel.

Manny, the Mexican cook, who passed an immigration test and operates a Mexican restaurant. He’s angry, and his words are often spelled phonetically to emphasize his accent… while no other character's accent is commented on… Also, this line is uttered by Skye: “muy importante magic margarita tip potion.” Fat-phobic and a touch racist… You’re 0 for 2, Miss duke.

Skye: a boring excuse of a character who misses her dad? I guess. At least the other characters have something to define them. I’d venture to say my dog has more personality than Skye.

Racist Grandma

I’m not a person of color, so I won’t sit here and type up all the reasons why I think grandma is a bad character. I’ll just tell you about grandma. Grandma, the self-named Sparrow, was told by some Creek casino workers that she was Creek. “Sparrow” took it and ran with it. Grandma was not acculturated with Creek or Native American traditions during her upbringing, but she sure does participate in them with little reverence. She creates what is described in the book to be a culturally significant dish, called sofkey, then attaches mysticism to it, and finally mocks it, along with her ancestors. She wears deerskin and moccasins to the grocery store and is scared to get a DNA test done to prove her ancestry.

I can certainly see the beginnings of the “Magical Native American” trope, but I’ll be damned if I read far enough to see it pan out. Don’t even get me started on the fascist biological-determinist implications of Ms. Duke if the trope is carried through.

Conclusion

I think this is the worst book I have ever read. Legitimately. I’m fucking baffled at how bad it is. I wish I could burn every copy. I wish I could change the definition of art just to remove this one attempt at a novel. I will not call this a novel. A novel is an expression of artistic vision and skill. This is undeniably a book, but I see no vision or skill.

[(Ellie) ReadtoRamble · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was just such a beautiful and heartwarming story of family, ancestry and love. I was enthralled during the whole book and couldn't put it down. Beth Duke's writing hit a chord within me and I loved reading this book so much. Skye is such a realistic character, as is Verna or "Sparrow". I totally fell in love with Verna and I thought that her thread in the story was so important, it held it's own message.

I really did love this book and would recommend it to everyone!

[Tisha (IG: Bluestocking629) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Coincidences and Grandmas and History, oh my.

First I’d like to say that it took me quite some time to get into this book. Almost 100 pages. Something told me to keep reading. I’m so stinking glad I did. What a book! So moving. I love me a moving book.

Coincidences. I don’t believe in them. I think everything happens for a reason. This book addresses this school of thought beautifully. Goosebumps.

Grandmas. I’ve read a gaggle of books lately with awesome grandmas. I never had one, so reading about someone else’s is such a joy. Thankfully I can think of only one literary “bad grandma”: the grandmother from Flowers in the Attic. Fortunately this book’s grandma Sparrow is so incredible, nothing like Dollanganger’s Grandmother. You’ll simply adore her! 👵🏻

History. Dang, this book packs it in. I’ve never heard of some of the historical facts, pertaining to Native American Indians and of Slavery before. So fascinating. Then there was talk of New Zealand. Equally fascinating!

Truly entertaining and thought provoking book. I don’t believe you will fall in love with any of the characters, other than Sparrow, but if you get past the first one hundred pages I think you will be rewarded!

[Julie Morton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Portions of this book were very interesting. As a Southern girl, I have long been a fan of the Muscle Shoals musical sounds and had heard the story of Te-Lah-Nay, which always moves me to tears. Also, the Black history in this book was unknown to me and I was glad to learn it. I am also very familiar with the areas of Oklahoma mentioned in the book and that familiarity gave me an extra connection to the narrative. However, the rest of the plot, not so much. I found the obligatory reference to drug use among Indians and the perpetuation that they can't be trusted to be insulting to the little bit of Cherokee in me. Also, I worked on pipelines, in the area of Oklahoma used in the book, and some of the references to that business simply weren't valid. I've never seen pipe stacked as high in a yard (that is what pipeliners actually call it) as Ms. Duke imagines, due to the danger. I have also worked with several Indian tribal councils, the BIA and individuals. I have never seen any of them dress in fringed, fake deerskin. That' s a white girl's fantasy. Also, the main character, Skye, was depicted as an intelligent, strong young woman. But, it took a man to guide her career; it took a uber-wealthy man to swoop down and save her. Why is it never a woman who owns the company and keeps the man in her life around because she actually likes him and they are co-equal partners in the relationship? Why is it always that the woman, somehow needs the man to survive and prosper? Why do women always default to the laird riding across the moors to rescue the poor, weak damsel in distress? The scenarios are interchangeable, but the redundant story is the same. And, as for Ms. Duke being a great Southern writer, I didn't see it. The language was not Southern; except for funerals, the food wasn't Southern and the feel of the narrative was not Southern. If you want to read something dripping with Southern honey, read a Fannie Flagg book. For me, the unique portions of this book were interesting, but, when it devolved into an overused, formulaic plot, it lost me. This is probably the last book I will read by Ms. Duke.

[Maureen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book!

This book taught me all kinds of informative, interesting, no, fascinating things about the history of the Creek Indians in Alabama.I live in bell Alabama now, a recent transplants, and never knew about The famous Wichapi stone wall near Florence, Alabama Which commemorates an amazing creek Indian woman who walked the tragic trail of tears in 1830 and actually walked back to Alabama all by herself coming years later. It took her 5 years to do it. Her great great grandson built the stone walled commemorate her amazing journey. The book also taught me about the battle of Horseshoe Bend, Where the creek Indians were defeated, leading to the eventual trail of tears. And it taught me about Alabama's Africat, aka Cotilde, which was started and populated by freed slaves who originally came to Alabama on the very last slave ship to bring Africans to this country. All this interesting history is woven into an equally interesting modern day story. I I love it when a book that I don't entertains you come up but also teaches you something mean and fault about history. 5 stars for this book!

[Sophie Narey (Bookreview- aholic) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second book I have read by this author so I went into the book with high expectations and the author didn't let me down at all ! Also an absolutely stunning book cover !


This was a beautiful, touching and emotional book to read, I certainly had a tear in my eye when I was reading it. It is a story of family and of love . I am not going to say much about the storyline as then you can experience it for yourself , but I will say that the way the author has done the story , the carefully chosen choice of words takes my breath away. It is expertly written and it isn't often that a book plays with my emotions as much as this one did. It was an absolute joy and pleasure to read! Beth Duke you have done it again !

[Kathie Wilson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hard to capture exactly how I feel about this book. On the one hand, I was thoroughly intrigued by how the author would mesh the 2 story lines together. The plot captivated and propelled me to keep reading. I was certainly rooting for Skye and her family and couldn’t wait for Pete and Kara to go down. On the other hand, there were glaring edits that were missed which caused me to go back and read, reread, and reread again certain passages. As Duke credits in her acknowledgments at the end of the book, the cover is as beautiful as a Faberge egg, and the passages in the book that reference each person being a thread in a universal tapestry were impactful and inspiring. 3.5 stars.

[Max Delaney · Rating 5 out of 5]

SO MUCH IMPORTANT BLACK HISTORY and I really loved Skye and Sparrow

[Penny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderfully woven!

Such an enjoyable read! The storyline, the dialogue, the history, the travel - I could've kept reading this story for another 346 pages!
Brimming with detail and well fleshed-out characters, this enchanting book leads you on an unforgettable journey.
Set mostly in the South, this plot is rich with family heritage and history giving added depth within the story.
Part mystery, part drama and slightly humorous, this well paced novel transitions between two storylines and then smoothly intertwines them into a fulfilling read.

[Jessica · Rating 2 out of 5]

So I don’t think I would necessary recommend this book to anyone as I did not find it enthralling and deep or a wonderful read! There were a few ideas I liked, however they are not Beth Dukes ideas .. the image of the tapestry and everyone lives being interwoven and the importance of history not only our own family history but History itself. The characters were a bit weak and Skye was way to whinny! I was extremely bored during Pete’s trip to New Zealand and could not for life of see the point of all of that detail!! I also felt the author provided too many pointless characters! I didn’t hate this book and not sure yet if I even liked it.

[Linda Johnston · Rating 1 out of 5]

Looked forward with anticipation to reading this book. Very disappointed. Outside the locations of Eufala, Alabama and the Oklahoma settings which are familiar to me the story has no redeeming qualities. The author needed a better editor as there were blatant inconsistencies in the telling of the story of Pete and Lisa. Too many random threads, too much wandering from story line to story line. Author couldn’t decide what type of story she wanted to tell - Native American/African American /environmental/scheming spouse. Wouldn’t even make a good Hallmark movie. Only positive is the book cover.

[Darcie · Rating 5 out of 5]

We wanted to be the first book group (The Lit Broads) to read this book, and maybe we’re not, but we are seven women between the ages of 26 and 64, and we ALL loved it!

[Jim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wife’s book. She said I’d like the history and I did! Great read! Don’t be fooled by flowers on cover

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

Disappointing and the ending was silly.

[Bianca · Rating 3 out of 5]

I downloaded this audiobook thinking it was going to be another book, I got the cover mixed up with another novel. I gave it 30 mins to decide whether to continue or not.
The novel is mainly about Skye Willis, twenty-one. She lives in Eufaula, Alabama with her loving mother and grandmother. She doesn't really know what to do with her life, so she's waitressing in a Mexican restaurant. When she gets the results of a DNA test that she and her grandmother took, she realises she was told a lie about who her father was. So she embarks on a quest to find her biological father. It's a storyline that's been done a million times before. The devil is in the details.
As Skye is looking for her father, she discovers that one of her relatives was one of the people on the last slave boat to arrive in Alabama in the 1860s. I'm not an expert when it comes to DNA tests, I haven't done one to track down my heritage, but to me, it seemed awfully detailed and narrow and extremely convenient and too easy to point Skye to her roots that led to - spoiler alert - discovering who her father was.
I managed to suspend my disbelief quickly, which allowed me to enjoy the rest of the story. I also learnt a little bit about the slave and Native American history.

[Sharon Howell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Duke really has a way of weaving historical events into contemporary fiction. If one is looking for a story of a young woman searching for her father, an eccentric grandmother who is certain she is Creek, a young, beautiful unfaithful woman married to an older, rich man, this book is for you! If you want to learn about the Muscogee Nation, Africatown/Plateau, Trail of Tears, Tom's Wall, the Clotilde, then this book is for you! I laughed, cried, and googled Tom's Wall! I love books that enlighten, enrich and entertain. This book is the trifecta! I look forward to visiting some of the sites in Alabama.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wanted to read Tapestry by Beth Duke because look at that stunning cover. I don’t always comment on the cover, but wow. And the good news is, the story inside was just as wonderful.

This was a beautiful and heartwarming story of family and love. I really enjoyed the theme of a weaving tapestry, and it was really compelling to read through.

I thoroughly enjoyed the characters in this story. This author wrote them as if they were real people. Their backgrounds and flaws made them feel like people I know and I enjoyed reading about them. Loved this. I recommend giving it a read!

Thank you to Zooloo’s Book Tours for the free review copy. All opinions are my own and unbiased.

[enjoyingbooksagain · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Thoughts:
This is a book about family and learning the history of them.
One of the characters named Skye knows nothing about her father and her mother will not discuss him she feels lost and starts looking for purpose.
This is a beautiful and heartwarming story about family and history. Have your Kleenex box next to you just saying.
The author does bring you in and tells you about the history of the Creek Indians in the State of Alabama and a lot more.
This was my second book by this author she also wrote
It All Comes Back To You

[Kendall Campeau · Rating 4 out of 5]

Growing up in Alabama made this an extra special read. Seeing the names of places and moments I grew up learning about from my family made me feel like I was home with my mom listening to her talk for hours about our family history. The mother daughter connections were so sweet. I enjoyed the overall storyline and character development, too. I think part of why I enjoyed this book was the way it reminded me of my family history and the people that it took for me to be here. Great reminder of family and connection.

[Kyra · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book right here is the perfect example of why I’m in book clubs because this is not a book I would have picked up for myself, nor would it have been on my radar because I had never even heard of it apart from my book club, but I absolutely loved this book and I did not want it to end. I want more of this story and these characters lives!!

[Lonni · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful characters and it apparent that the author did a lot of research to make it fairly accurate historically.

[Dawn Genna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book. Totally enjoyed the way that the author brought the history to life.

[Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t usually rate books, but I had to for this one. I liked her other book so my Mom bought me this for a gift. I LOVE this story! Skye is like a friend and Sparrow reminds me of my Nana. It’s so good. Recommend!

[Emmajane Leland · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this up because my dads family is from Eufaula Alabama. I expected to like it but not love it so much! Truly the best book I’ve read in a long time. There is a lot that made me cry but it’s funny too.

[ann betts · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tapestry

I enjoyed reading Tapestry, with all its twists and turns, and the different personalities interacting. A little mystery and spice thrown in with the historical

[Lane Highsmith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it!

[Jannie Zeller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just finished at 3 this morning! Hard to put down

[Nan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a HS history teacher. This book highlights American history I think everyone should read and remember, and does it with a story that’s both engaging and fun. Please pick it up. It’s important for ALL races to read and learn.

[Caroline Venables · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautifully crafted book.

Skye feels like her life is stuck, she lives in Alabama and is desperate to find out what her purpose is.

Her grandmother insists on being called ‘Sparrow’ as she s convinced she has Native Indian roots, so when she decides to do a genealogical DNA test to prove her theory, Skye gets involved.

She feels the loss of her father deeply and is keen to learn more about her roots too. The results they find will change their and their families lives forever.

As I said it is a well crafted book as you become engrossed in these people’s lives and their histories. Have some tissues at hand.