The Fabric of Wishful Thinking
The Fabric of Wishful Thinking
A new novel by Kathleen C. Wilson
Wilson's debut novel,
The Fabric of Wishful Thinking, is a richly researched portrait of 1910 rural Appalachia, written by an author with deep expertise in Appalachian history, craft, and culture.
Along with its compelling story, Wilson's book offers a rare look inside early Southern textile mill culture.
The Fabric of Wishful Thinking is a powerful story about families and the fractures that result from divided loyalties. Ella Hutchinson’s story offers a portrait of female resilience during a time without legal protections for mothers and wives.
It is a gripping novel about friendship, motherhood, first love, and irrevocable loss.
What readers say about The Fabric of Wishful Thinking:
When the novel ended, I was not ready to say goodbye to these characters, so I am hoping that the author will write a sequel.
Set in Southwest Virginia and East Tennessee in the early 1900s, the novel offers a sensitive, nuanced, and rich depiction of the region.
It weaves a love story that lays bare the patriarchy of the time, when both husbands and fathers could keep wives, daughters, and sons from leading happy and fulfilling lives.
Betty Fine
Professor Emerita of Humanities, Virginia Tech
Even in the meanest of circumstances, there is still beauty to be found. In this story, it is found in the stunningly creative textiles produced in the Appalachian mountains in the early 20th century.
It is also found in the true and deep love of a good man. Wilson's story is a stark reminder of hard battles won by the women who went before us, fighting for a different world and a better life for themselves and for us all.
Rita Quillen
Acclaimed Appalachian Poet, Novelist, and Ballad Singer
Wilson uses her extensive knowledge of textile production in Appalachia as backdrop for weaving a tale that shows how many ways love can hurt and can heal. And how many sacrifices love can demand.
Dr. Jean Haskell
Professor of Appalachian Studies, Co-Editor of the Encyclopedia of Appalachia
Wilson's work has been transformative in celebrating and contextualizing the material creations of real women, and now with her first novel, she explores the impacts of textiles on one community from a nuanced imaginative perspective. . . [the novel is] a new, commendably handmade Appalachian heirloom.
Dr. Ted Olson
Scholar, poet, musician, and Professor of Appalachian Studies at East Tennessee State University
A compelling and thought-provoking read.
Richard K Perkins
Author, The Tide Waits for No Woman
PREORDER HERE:
Publisher: Koehler Books
Distributor: Ingram
PUB DATE: 6/9/2026
SOFT COVER: $17.95, 979-8-89747-125-6
HARD COVER: $26.95, 979-8-89747-127-0
EBOOK: $9.99, 979-8-89747-126-3
TRIM: 6”x 9”, pages 214
FICTION / Literary
