Seams Unlikely by Nancy Zieman with Marjorie L. Russell

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Glass Road Media (February 4, 2014)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 098847896X
• ISBN-13: 978-0988478961

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Millions of women learned to sew while watching the inimitable Nancy Zieman on public television's, Sewing with Nancy. Many of them have Googled phrases like "stroke Nancy Zieman" in an effort to discover the reasons behind the partial paralysis of Nancy's beautiful face. Viewers purchased products Nancy used through Nancy's Notions, followed patterns she created for McCall's, and enjoyed meeting distinguished guests via the show. Now, Nancy takes her viewers behind the scenes of her life. She shares about the Bell's palsy that not only affected her appearance, but also her esteem and physical abilities. Readers learn about the growth of Nancy professionally: from addressing catalogs at the kitchen table to growing a multi-million dollar notions business - and personally: marrying Rich, then growing a family through birth and adoption. Through it all, the picture emerges of a hard-working woman who overcame various and varied obstacles to become what she is today: successful, skilled, gracious, and loved by millions of viewers.

My take on this book:
The show Sewing With Nancy has been a favorite show of mine for years, her sewing tips and projects spurred me to try my hand at this craft. I have often wondered though what her story was, and now with Seams Unlikely I get the answers to the questions I have often wondered about. Ms. Zieman allows us a sneak peek at her life, and just like watching her on the show she pulls you in making you feel like you're a friend, providing inspiration as she shares her story. Faced with a medical issue that is still visible today, she didn't let that keep her from achieving her dreams. From growing up on a dairy  farm in Wisconsin, to finding her niche with sewing as a 4-H member, I felt like her life was an open book within the pages of Seams Unlikely. I found it quite interesting to learn how she wound up in television, and how she grew her company, to the hard decisions she had to make along the way. The pictures included were like an added bonus that allowed the reader to glimpse the beginning of Nancy's Notions as well as glimpse a few behind the scene moments of the show.Anyone who has ever watched Sewing With Nancy is certainly going to enjoy learning about Nancy and her down to earth roots, but I would also recommend this book to anyone looking for a bit of inspiration, because that's what I felt as I read Ms. Zieman's story. Her inspiring story certainly encourages the reader to not let the obstacles that life sometimes throws at us keep us from achieving our goals.

A complimentary copy of this book was provided for review.