The Patchword Quilt by Paula Tiara (writing under the name Paula J. Smith)
Reviewed by Becky Mushko

Tiara's little book, The Patch-Word Quilt, is subtitled A Great Comforter! and contains a series of inspirational essays, alphabetized by topic and ranging from "Acceptance" to "Self-confidence." Pieced together, the essays form a whole book around the themes of risk and change. "Everything you do in your life," Tiara writes in her introduction, involves a certain amount of risk." She also notes: "...it seems appropriate to use the patch-work quilt as the symbol and theme for this little book. The words are not new. They've been around for centuries." She has simply pieced them together. Her hand-sized book was made small on purpose: it's meant to be carried around and used when comfort is needed. Much of the book resulted from Tiara's response to stresses in her own life. 

Though The Patch-Word Quilt, looks simple-and indeed is easy to read-it contains many complex thoughts, touches on universal experiences, and offers advice. 

"Life is an assortment of many pleasant and unpleasant experiences," Tiara writes in the first essay. "Acceptance of this gives you the strength to know that the unpleasant times will soon pass. Because of the tendency to always want more than you have now, you need to stop and look at what you presently have and accept its goodness."

The Patch-Word Quilt makes a good gift-either to yourself or someone else. The book is available from the author's website (www.SerenitysEdge.com), by phone (540-947-2468) or from many booksellers (ISBN #0-914749-01-3).