Disclosure: I received a copy of this book for review. Post contains affiliate links; if you make a purchase, I may earn commission. Opinions shared are mine.

During the Covid lockdown, my daughter and I learned how to crochet. We enjoyed many hours sitting side by side, creating simple projects such as a cat sweater (haha) and a small blanket for the dog. I love the peaceful repetition of crochet. It’s soothing yet productive. The Unlikely Yarn of the Dragon Lady centers on a group of knitters who put their skills to good use. It’s a God thing when their knitting becomes the open door to change.

Book titles always catch my attention. This one was a bit weird and I wouldn’t probably have selected it to read on my own. However, once I got started, I could see how the wordplay worked. The Dragon Lady was a force to be reckoned with! We all know someone like her, Christian or not, and it can be a challenge to find something to like about her. Author Sharon J. Mondragon presents this character and the others in a way that encourages the reader to employ a sense of empathy.

The cheesy factor in The Unlikely Yarn is high. The main character, especially, is over the top. It’s relevant to the story and works well, but definitely seems like fiction rather than a realistic scenario.

Giveaway:

About the Book:

A knitting group’s change of scenery changes lives in unexpected ways
 
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?
 
Sharon J. Mondragon’s debut is warm and delightful, full of real laughter, grief, and personality. It beautifully illustrates the power of women across generations to reach people for Christ.
 
To read an excerpt of The Unlikely Yarn of the Dragon Lady click here.

About the Author:

Sharon J. Mondragón writes about the place where kindness and courage meet. Her debut novel, The Unlikely Yarn of the Dragon Lady (originally titled The Heavenly Hugs Prayer Shawl Ministry) was the 2017 winner of the American Christian Fiction Writers Genesis award in the Short Novel Category, and she has also been recognized by The Saturday Evening Post where her short story, “I’ll Be Home for Christmas,” was an Honorable Mention Awardee in the 2014 their Great American Fiction Contest.
 
Mondragón has been active in prayer shawl ministry since 2008 and currently serves as facilitator for the prayer shawl ministry at her church, St. Paul Episcopal in Waxahachie, TX. She also knits with the Circle of Healing at Red Oak United Methodist Church. She is a Level 2 Certified Knitting Instructor through the Craft Yarn Council and teaches beginning knitting at a local yarn store.
 
Mondragón is the mother of five grown children and has four grandchildren. After 26 years as an Army wife, she has settled in Midlothian, TX with her hero/husband, her laptop, and her yarn stash.
 
Visit Sharon Mondragón’s website and blog at www.sharonjmondragon.com and follow her on Facebook (Sherry Mondragón) and Twitter (@SJ_Mondragón).