"Chiaverini's fourth offering in her Elm Creek Quilts series weaves a modern-day family mystery around a pre-Civil War tale of bravery, deception and the Underground Railroad... Chiaverini manages to impart a healthy dollop of history in a folksy style, while raising moral questions in a suspenseful narrative." --Publishers Weekly

The latest in the Elm Creek Quilt series explores the lore surrounding the use of quilts to signal runaway slaves traveling the Underground Railroad. Sylvia Compson, owner of Elm Creek Farm and the last of the Bergstrom family line, is intrigued when a quilting student shows her a quilt that complicates the family legend of her ancestors' involvement in the Underground Railroad. She finds old quilts hidden away in the attic, accompanied by a memoir written by Gerda, the spinster sister of the Bergstrom patriarch. The quilts and the memoir raise questions about the Bergstrom family's history that trouble and intrigue Sylvia. Chiaverini switches between passages in Gerda's memoir and current-day events at Elm Creek Farm, including genealogical and historical research, taking the reader back and forth between the present and the past to reveal a long-forgotten family secret. Fans of the three previous Elm Creek Quilts novels will enjoy this latest installment." --Booklist

"THE RUNAWAY QUILT is a fascinating tale, exploring women's roles in our past and present. Jennifer Chiaverini will surely garner a large audience with this one." --Jo-Ann Mapson, author of BAD GIRL CREEK and ALONG CAME MARY

"Jennifer Chiaverini brings a new depth and maturity to THE RUNAWAY QUILT, her best book yet. Whether you believe quilts were used to signal passengers on the underground railroad, you'll know that the original residents of Elm Creek Manor used the products of their hearts and hands to aid runaway slaves." --Sandra Dallas, author of THE PERSIAN PICKLE CLUB and ALICE'S TULIPS