A Quilt of Dreams

Set in Grahamstown, South Africa, during 1990, at the height of political unrest and in the waning days of apartheid, A Quilt of Dreams is the bittersweet story of two people, strangers to each other whose lives are deeply intertwined – one a heavy-drinking white man and the other the young daughter of a black activist.
Reuben Cohen van Tonder battles with unresolved grief and his search for inner peace. Vita Mbuli innocently resolves to banish the bad luck that has plagued her family for generations. Unexpectedly for both, their private ambitions will culminate in a wondrous resolution of personal and national triumph. With the magic lyricism and deep insight that marked A Time of Angels, this novel captures the harsh and brutal realities and injustices of South Africa’s past, interlacing them with enchantment, tenderness, forgiveness and hope.
Opening Lines:
Editions:

Paperback:
ISBN 978-0-06-056244-1
Published by African Sun Press
315 pages

Paperback: (UK and Commonwealth):

Hardcover: (UK & Commonwealth)
ISBN 0-5930-5531-4
Published by Bantam Press
315 pages

Hardcover: (USA & Canada)
ISBN-13: 978-0-06-056244-1 ISBM-10: 0-06-056244-7
Published by William Morrow
315 pages
Dedication:
Reviews:
“A compelling tale, providing a rich context for an extensive web of characters.”
“An enthralling story, consummately told.”
“Patricia Schonstein has done it again: A Quilt of Dreams is characteristically opulent, textured and full of magic.”
“Poignant and sensitive.”
“Schonstein engages all the emotions in this raw and touching novel.”
“A beautiful blend of narrative threads … told luminously … with Schonstein’s trademark touch of fantasy and lyricism.”
“Exquisitely written.”
“An opulent dark compulsive read.” (Four stars)
“Exquisitely crafted … a small masterpiece … long may she continue to write.”
“Beginnings seldom come better than the intriguingly detailed and masterfully spaced first paragraph of A Quilt of Dreams.”
“A rich and complex piece of writing.”
“Magical.”
“Patricia Schonstein has once more unleashed her magic.”
“Brilliant and bittersweet.”
“She writes so superbly about hope and redemption, you’ll wish there were more pages.” (Five stars)