An amazing reading about Paisley from the granddaughter of a skillful tailor

A Pattern of Secrets by Lindsay Littleson invites us to step back to a crucial moment in industrial history, when large-scale mechanisation brought irrevocable changes to the Paisley weaving industry. These changes play an essential role in the story of the two main characters: Jessie, a girl born into a wealthy and privileged life, and Jim, who faces almost overwhelming difficulties in his struggle to help his family survive.

The two children are united by a shawl woven in the pattern that has made the name Paisley a household word to this day. While Jim struggles to find food and shelter, Jessie is engaged in a struggle of her own, fighting against the expectations of what should be the behaviour of a girl from a good family. Jessie's character is a childhood visualisation of Jessie Rowat, a founding member of the artist group known as the Glasgow Girls, while Jim Muir is entirely fictional, but both individuals come to life in the pages of the book.

This story resonated with me for personal reasons: my paternal grandmother had a lifelong passion for making clothes. I wish my parents could have seen the enormous potential of her skills and allowed me to play with her and learn how to make clothes myself, but unfortunately I was born in a decade when parents thought it was better for children to have plastic toys and nappies. The question on the back cover moved me deeply and convinced me to interrupt the reading I was doing on the Yazidi genocide to delve into a novel that links the past of one of my grandmothers with the city where my girls were born and where I currently live. The question, which I would still answer with a powerful "yes!" is: "Can the secrets of the past save the future?" But even if not, and this question doesn't stir any emotions, I highly recommend finding out what happened to Jessie and Jim as the story gains momentum to finally reach a truly satisfying conclusion.