This is one of the short stories in the Feathers of Hope charity anthology. It was my favourite story in this collection and deserves a separate review, since it far outshines the other stories in that anthology.
The Scarlet Thread is a powerful story, most deserving of five stars. It is beautiful and fulfilling! I was hooked from the first paragraph and ended up on the edge of my seat for the last bit. Then Shelest deftly tied it all together with a resounding and satisfying ending. What a brilliant story.
I was very much taken with the historical element of this story. I've read some of Shelest's other short stories set in Cossack-ruled Ukraine, but this one is by far my favourite. There was so much cultural information included in this story as well as the overarching constant of human emotions and experiences that are the same no matter when they take place. I also loved the way Shelest weaves the tradition of vishyvanka into this magical tale. The beautiful imagery and the meaning added to each of the patterns Oksana chose to add to her embroidery was simply marvelous!
Oksana is a wonderful MC. I loved how empowering this story is when seen through her eyes. And the message that no matter what we experience, out of the ashes of what came before we can always find worthiness.
It is a simple tale but it's so beautifully written and immensely moving! Definitely my favorite story in this collection!
Another thing I simply don't understand about the Feathers of Hope anthology is that the organizers didn't include this incredible illustration Elena Shelest created for The Scarlet Thread. The feel of the story is so beautifully captured in this artwork, it's a total shame it wasn't part of the anthology's experience. I had the good fortune of seeing the author post on social media about the story and include this fantastic drawing.
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