Thirteen Buttonholes

Joann C. Odenwelder
PublishAmerica  (2008)
ISBN 9781605634036 
Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (3/08)


Annie is an Italian Catholic who was raised in Pennsylvania.  During World War II, she works as a seamstress sewing thirteen buttonholes on men’s uniform pants.  This is not the life that she dreams about.  She has a boyfriend named Kenny who works his family farm.  His heart is not in farming; he does it to stay out of the war.  He dreams of running his own business.  Annie’s parents aren’t very thrilled with him because he is neither Catholic nor Italian.  He also seems very self-absorbed and inconsiderate.  Annie overlooks these faults.

After Annie marries Kenny, he is successful at running his own business.  They have a beautiful home and two great children.  Life is good, and Annie appreciates this.  Taking a vacation with her sister and brother-in-law, Kenny gets the idea of moving to Texas to run a hotel.  This upsets Annie because it will take her away from her parents.  Not wanting to rock the boat, she agrees.  Kenny and her brother-in-law go ahead of Annie and her sister so that they can find a place.  When they finally send for them, the women are not pleased.  The hotel and restaurant are rundown and their living quarters are squalid.  Annie misses her beautiful home.

All four adults need to work together to get the place in good repair.  They also need to help with the care of the children.  Kenny begins really showing his true colors. Things weren’t perfect before, but now they are really heading downhill fast.  When a devastating event happens, Annie discovers that she has a great deal of inner strength.  She has to step up to be active in the decision making of the business.  She also has to hold her family together and stay strong.

“Thirteen Buttonholes” is an incredible story about one woman’s life and how she overcame adversity and personally grew into a successful business woman. Annie had no idea how strong she could be, until she found herself without any choices.  She held herself together and kept the business going.  She also had to make sure that her children were raised the best way in which she could. 

This story is written so vividly, and with a great deal of emotion.  The details of the times and places were very realistic.  It seemed more like an autobiography than a fictional story.  Annie is such a sweet person.  She seemed so real to me.  I hated to see her have to endure the heartbreak that she did.  Her relationship issues were timeless.  Most women will be able to relate to her story.  I found myself cringing when she married Kenny.  I thought she has to know that she is making a huge mistake, but like the rest of us, we tend to overlook some huge flaws in our relationships and really regret that later on. 

“Thirteen Buttonholes” is a great story.  I highly recommend it to readers who enjoy fiction from the WWII era.  This would be a wonderful selection for women’s reader groups.  It definitely will be enjoyed by all.

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