Hope on the Inside

Hope On The Inside by Marie Bostwick. New York: Kensington, 352 pages. Discussion Questions. ****

Hope Carpenter's four children are grown and her husband recently accepted an early retirement package, Hope struggles to find meaning in her life. She recalls her mother telling her "Make up your mind to be happy, Hope. Whatever comes your way, find the happiness in it. That's the real trick of life." When downsized from her job as a Family and Consumer Science teacher and faced with dwindling resources, Hope and Rick decide to sell their house and move from Portland to Olympia to be closer to their daughter, McKenzie. When they buy a condo, life seems even more restrictive, due to the lack of outdoor activities and the loss of friends. When Hope accepts a job as a craft teacher at the local prison, Hope has to deal with the prison rules and Rick with the idea of his wife earning the money to support them. The idea of teaching women to quilt and to help the women develop a skill draws Hope closer to them. It's a win-win situation until one of the inmates is cut with what looks like a rotary cutter blade from the sewing room and Hope violates the prison rules.

Bostwick writes realistic stories about the complexity of relationships and the curves that life throws at each of us. It's how we respond that proves who we are and shows our resourcefulness. Hope is such a likable character and anyone who quilts can relate to her passion in teaching the inmates to sew. A thoroughly enjoyable book!

I received a digital copy for a review.

Other books by Marie Bostwick:

The Promise Girls

From Here to Home


Marie lives in Oregon with Brad, her husband of thirty-five years. When not writing, she enjoys quilting, reading, cooking, spending time with family and friends, and especially playing with her grandkids. Marie travels extensively, speaking at libraries, bookstores, quilt guilds, and at quilt shows. She has been a featured speaker at the Paducah Quilt Festival and the Houston International Quilt Festival and has given keynote addresses at both the Florida Writers Association and La Jolla Writers conferences. To learn more about Marie Bostwick, visit her website.