Author Miriam Kelly Ferguson weaves an interesting tale in her debut novel, “Weaver.” The story follows the life of a mentally challenged and deeply troubled woman who channels her pain through the craft of weaving a rug. These skills are instrumental in helping this young woman cope with her life’s challenges.
In this century, crafting is a multibillion-dollar business for over three-quarters of American households, which have at least one family member who engages in a craft-type hobby on a weekly basis. The National Institutes of Health conducted studies that show crafts, such as rug weaving, have physiological and psychological benefits. Arts and crafts therapy is also commonly used to engage the elderly and help rehabilitate disabled and mentally disadvantaged individuals and those with substance abuse problems.
In “Weaver” (paperback; published by Earthatone Books, $16.95), Almena Johnstone, a young woman thought to be mentally slow, is thrust back to her insular hometown. She expects nothing more than a lonely, unfulfilled life. Her passion is weaving, but her past is ugly. Her isolation is broken when a new family moves nearby. However, the neighbors she comes to adore arrive with a history of violence, trauma and sexual abuse. This sordid history soon alters the course of Almena’s life.
Ferguson was born and raised on the eastern shores of Maryland. A graduate of Hofstra University, she participated in the Hurston Wright Foundation’s fiction workshop. She is also a fellow of the North Country Institute and Retreat for Writers of Color and a member of the renowned Harlem Writers Guild. Her writings have appeared in Harlem World magazine, Impact News and Hamilton Stone Review. She resides in Harlem and is currently working on her next book.