I am moving away from the norm with this post. I have a book review for you guys. If you follow me on any other social media platform, you already know about Sistah Knit by R L Chisolm. Before we get into my thoughts on the book, I need to say I am super proud to be featured in this story. YOU READ THAT CORRECT! GGMADEIT IS IN THIS BOOK *insert happy dance*
To start, I need to give you a little background before the book review. I have shared before that I am my mother’s only child, right? Why is that important GG? Is that your question? The answer is most of my favorite things to do are things I can enjoy alone. I didn’t have siblings that I could play with, so I would lose myself in a good book. My living room has book shelves full of my good times, but for some reason I stopped reading.
Fast forward to the last few months when my daughter started her book club. I have read more books in the last few month than I have in years. I have found I love to “listen” more than actually reading a book, until I got my hands on Sistah Knit
Book Review
Sistah Knit takes place in 2011 in Harlem NY and is about the opening of a Black owned yarn shop. She had me at Black owned because in 2020 that is still a rare thing to find. The other thing that grabs me is the characters. The book opens up with Shante and her backdrop is a housing projects. In an apartment too small for its occupants. I grew up in a housing projects, so the descriptions were vivid for me. I was transformed to a time that built who I am today. You see when I read, I like to get lost in the time in space where the story lives. With Sistah Knit it was so very easy for me to get lost, because I actually lived there.
It’s ironic that this book takes place right before my life fell apart. 2012 was when I held onto my yarn because my life depended on it. Yes yarn saved me my life and I love that this takes place right before my world imploded.
**This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links.
The center of the book is Knit Sistah, the actual yarn shop. The book takes you through the grand opening of the shop as well as the lives of the 6 main characters. Each of those characters had a story I could relate to in one way or the the other. I think the most important part of the book is how the yarn shop connected them to each other. The shop is where they celebrated wins and loses. The yarn was the connection they held the together; good or bad.
I enjoy a book that makes me have an emotional response. I want to laugh, I want to anticipate, I want to not stop reading because what’s going to happen next and this book does all of that for me. Clearly you are here because you want to know what I think and even it I wasn’t in the book (did I tell you I was mentioned in the story?) my thoughts would have been the same. I recommend you read Sistah Knit! I couldn’t put it down and was actually sad it ended.
About the Author
R.L Chisolm is a fiber friend and this is her first book. If I remember correctly I met her at Bryant Park during the Knitty City Knit in Public day a few years back. It was there that she first told me about the book she was writing and I was so excited for her. Every now and again she would send me an email keeping me up to date. I distinctly remember her asking if she could mention me in the book. Of course I agreed, but I don’t know what I expected. I will say every time I came across a mention, I cried a little bit.
Thank you Ruth for including me in this wonderful story and most importantly…Congratulations!!
Have a fabulous day, on purpose
Gaye G
testing
I fell in love with all of the characters in Sistah Knit. Shante was my favorite character. I grew up in the projects in Brooklyn experiencing some of the things she experienced like the elevator always being full of Pee. The backdrop being the first black yarn shop in Harlem, wow! Even though I never knitted, I wish there had been a Sistah Knit for me, where you could get your mind and belly nourished.
This book was an absolute delight. I was able to really relate to the characters because I could apply them to someone that has crossed my path during life. I was on the edge of my seat and I really couldn’t put the book down. I received the book on a Monday evening and was finished a day and a half later. I really want more of this book! My grandmother used to crochet and I never wanted to learn, but this book has me thinking different. It’s the connection and bond and being there for others or that place that one’s self can go to escape and meditate and produce something beautiful. I loved Shante because she didn’t give up and neither did Rhonda, I think these 2 ladies were my favorite, but I adore all the characters. This book was very encouraging and I commend Justine, she didn’t let anyone stop her from her dream also. Shout out to all the knitters and strong women…you rock!
I will be looking for this at my local book store and recommending it to my library. Thank you GG!
Thank you 🤗
I got Sistahs Knit on your recommendation, GG, and the dang thing kept me up until 3 a.m.! Yes, I finished the whole book in one sitting. I think that tells you everything you need to know about *my* review!
Hahahahahahahahaaaa it was so good! The characters were do really to me
Terry,
This is R.L Chisolm. Thank you so much. I am very happy you enjoyed it. There will be a few zoom Sistah knit gatherings to talk about the book. I would love for you to join. Let me know.
Sistahknit@gmail.com.
Looking forward to reading Sistah Knit!! And, thanks for the link to Shelbey and The Book Club!!!
Thanks for reading 👩🏾💻😊🧡 and responding
I fell in love with Sistah Knit. Shante reminded me of my beginnings growing up in the projects in Brooklyn. Thank God we only lived on the third floor because the elevator was always filled with pee. The only time we really rode the elevator was when my mom had gone grocery shopping or did laundry. I saw little bites and pieces of me in all of the women, life’s challenges as a Black woman! Wish there had been a place like Sistah Knit when I was younger. A place where you could get your mind and your Belly nourished! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I completely agree!! Thanks for reading
Thanks for the mailing list email to tell me about the book, I will plan on purchasing it! Although, I had to laugh, the email started out “Dear First Name, I am so excited….” You need to get that fixed!! No big deal to me, I love reading your posts, and following your Instagram, you seem like such a cool person, very real.
Yes I made a mistake. I apologize. thanks for reading 👩🏾💻😊🧡
I absolutely loved this book! The heartwarming feeling you get while reading this book is so comforting. I honestly felt as if I knew all of the characters personally and enjoyed being a part of their lives. Each of their lives was so interesting and I couldn’t wait to turn the page to learn more about them all! Being a native New Yorker made this book even more enjoyable and all of the celebrities was a wonderful added touch. This book definitely has a personal touch that draws you right in and keeps you looking for more. I really hope a sequel is in the works!!!!
Way to go R.L. Chisolm!
I’m so excited for her! I enjoyed it so much
I fell in love with the characters in this book instantly. Their genuine care for each other was heart warming and i just could not put the book done. What a lovely read.
Yes I agree!
[disclaimer: I did the interior formatting for this book so I might be a tad biased here.]
Shirley F just nailed this: “I saw little bites and pieces of me in all of the women, life’s challenges as a Black woman! Wish there had been a place like Sistah Knit when I was younger.”
This is the thing that Ruthie Chisolm does best: the character development. By the time you’re halfway through the book, you feel like these are your best friends and neighbors and SISTAHs and you’re sharing their lives … because the author’s somehow managed to write you into the book!
And GG — thank you — I laughed and giggled and got tears in my eyes watching your video review-and-read, happily sassing us that YOU are in a BOOK … that was classy and fun and just a delight. Yes you ARE in a book, and it’s one fine book!
Shirley, you are RIGHT ON in wishing there was a place like Sistah Knit, a refuge and resource for women young and old. I didn’t have a place like that growing up, and I’m certain that this is true for far too many women. The story Ruthie Chisolm tells us, the solace and sisterhood the shop provides, is a hope from her heart that we all wish was reality. Her ability to weave the story (and knit us into it) is beyond precious.
Buy two, give one away! 😊 💕
https://www.amazon.com/Sistah-Knit-R-L-Chisolm/dp/B08F65S2XX
p.s. kindle version coming soon …
Hi Kelly!
Will there be an audio version? Thank you for watching and reading! I appreciate you!
Come delight in this wonderful tale written to uplift, enlighten and introduce you to a not often talked about craft that our womenfolk have engaged in for ages – knitting. Sistah Knit is an awesome first publication by R.L. Chisolm that leaves you wanting more. Wanting to read more about positive influences in our Black communities. Wanting to read more about the ongoing development of these amazing female characters. Wanting to read more of the drama that keeps us enveloped in their story lines from start to finish. All around the womb of the Sistah Knit shop! Where anyone can arrive wealthy or weary and still feel like they are in their Auntie’s home.
I cannot express enough how pleasant it was to finally read a subject matter so connected to our community but so rarely talked about. Knitting, Knitting, Knitting! Of course, the author exposes us to the harsh realities of an impoverished life that so many readers can relate to all too personally. However, this work does not dwell there. It does not drown us there and for that I am thankful. Instead, it says to us that this is not all that we People of Color are! We are many and beautiful and bright and vibrant! Not just broken and sad and desperate and sorrowful. We need stories like this. Stories that take the reader to other areas of Black life that are considered fabled (think Huxtables), or too positive to be true when in fact they are. All around us. Real entrepreneurs of color, real media moguls of color, real prominent people of color. Period. This work is one essential brick in the foundation we are laying for our descendants to have a brighter future, a more well-rounded future, a truthful future. How befitting is it that the cover shows a golden brick road? We must all travel here!
I tell you, after reading this I was left wondering ‘When will the real Sistah Knit shop open?!’
Whenever it does, I will be there. Yarn in my left hand and knitting needles in my right! In the meantime, take your mind there by reading this fantastic work written by one magnificent lady!
Thank you R.L. Chisolm!
Constance Jackson Joshua
Yes we definitely need a real Sistah Knit! Thanks for sharing your thoughts
Constance Jackson Joshua, THANK YOU for writing better than I could what it is about this book that makes it a precious gem. And YES on the brick-and-mortar yarn shop!!
A truly beautiful story of friendships, determination, support and overcoming. I loved getting into the lives of each one of the characters and following their individual unraveling. The author’s choice of layout is gripping and meticulous tending to every detail and bringing them to life. A great reminder that we are never alone no matter what the situation. Thank you Ruthie for warming our hearts with SISTAH KNIT, life would not be the same without the amazing ‘sisters’ we are blessed to have in our lives. I wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone who needs to add a little more hope, love and sisterhood into their hearts.
wasn’t it a delight?
I totally agree
Just like you Ms. GiGi, I hadn’t picked up a book, for my enjoyment, in years. Even when I was younger, to finish a book was just not a thing for me. That was NOT the case for SistahKnit, okay!! I delve into this world with ease and continuous curiosity for what came next. It is a dream to relocate my family to New York one day & this book has me looking at homes in Harlem!
The support given no matter the education, financial or relationship status. SistahKnit is truly a read that I can see myself in about a year or sooner, picking back up just to feel the independence Shante felt when leaving a bad situation to make a better one for the ones she loves. The determination Justine has to build her business because she put herself first in lieu of the pressure of a man and family. The awareness Michele holds for herself and her family knowing she messed up but her family is everything so no one can change that. The incredibly strong Rhonda, whose faith lead her to a love she could never imagine. Even the wisdom of the supporting characters made a difference.
I am so honored to have been able to read such a phenomenal book. Now let me get to my local craft store to pick out some yarn & needles lol I’m ready to learn!!
What a lovely review! I agree it was a great read
ok, ok, ok, I’m bringing up the rear and will definitely get my copy. I’ve fallen hard on audible books of late but a Black owned bookstore is a must read. Thank you for this.
thank you!