October 4, 2021

The Unlikely Yarn of the Dragon Lady by Sharon J. Mondragón

Genre/Categories: Christian Comtemporary Fiction, Women’s Fiction, Friendship, Prayer, Ministry

*This post contains Amazon affiliate links.

My Summary:

Out of your comfort zone and into the mall!

Thanks #NetGalley @KregelBooks and the I Read With Audra Blog Tour for a complimentary eARC of #TheUnlikelyYarnOfTheDragonLady upon my request. All opinions are my own.

The Heavenly Hugs Prayer Shawl Ministry consists of four women (Controlling Margaret, Positive Rose, Hurting Jane, and Lonely Fran) who meet weekly in the lovely and quiet Prayer Chapel of their church to knit shawls for the prayer shawls ministry. When the pastor announces that the prayer chapel is being painted and they will need to find another place to sit and knit, he suggests they knit out in public somewhere like the local mall. Grumpy and difficult-to-love Margaret vehemently resists the idea of knitting in the mall with all its distractions. However, the others are open to the idea. After they get kicked out of the bookstore cafe (for never ordering anything), they find a satisfactory place to knit using the comfortable seating display in front of Macy’s department store. And, yes, there are distractions and encounters with the people they meet taking them out of their comfort zones in many ways.

My Thoughts:

The power of friendship and prayer.

Do you love discovering a personal connection in the books you read? I grew up in a small church community and it is easy for me to relate to these women, their mission, and their hearts. I can name a person I know that is like each one of these characters! I can relate to the idea of moving your ministry from the safe walls of the church out into the world to be the light. I can relate to the power of friendship and prayer. Although I haven’t knitted prayer shawls, I can relate to this story because I do know how to knit and I’m a PK (preacher’s kid) and grew up in the church and have participated in other ministries. My aunt has met for years with a quilting group at her Lutheran church that makes quilts for those in need.

Characters: I adore older, mature characters. I think many readers will find a way to connect with one of the four. Each character is well developed and has a unique voice. It becomes obvious as they interact with the situations and people they encounter that they had never opened up to each other. A beautiful part of this story is the way they grow to support and understand each other.

Writing: The Unlikely Yarn of the Dragon Lady is engaging, humorous in places, and poignant.

Themes: Even if you don’t embrace a Christian worldview, there are universal themes to appreciate including friendship, grief, loneliness, risk-taking, power of prayer, connection, compassion, forgiveness, and concern for struggling adult children.

Recommended: The Unlikely Yarn of the Dragon Lady is definitely an “up-lit” story from a Christian perspective with a strong Christian message. It’s a well-told and engaging story that I’m recommending for readers who might relate to the content and themes.

My Rating:  4 Stars

The Unlikely Yarn of the Dragon Lady Information here.

Giveaway

Enter the giveaway for your own copy of The Unlikely Yarn of the Dragon Lady here https://www.audrajennings.com/2021/09/win-copy-of-unlikely-yarn-of-dragon-lady.html

Meet the Author, Sharon J. Mondragón

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 http://www.sharonjmondragon.com and follow her on Facebook (Sherry  Mondragón) and Twitter (@SJ_Mondragón).  

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QOTD:

Is The Unlikely Yarn of the Dragon Lady on your TBR?

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