Casting Off is a beautiful and poignant story. It is complicated so may seem confusing, but it all comes together in such a wonderful and clear way. There is mystery, adventure, history, and love.
There are multiple flashbacks and several characters who seem unrelated. One of the best characters is a child! One old man has so much depth to his character you just won't believe it. One father is peripheral but a good story because of the town's feelings about his poor wife and helping her.
Of real interest to me was the many knitting patterns and their meanings. The story centers around the history of the Irish fisherman sweaters. There is a lot more to them than pretty patterns and colors. They are distinctive enough to use in identifying those lost at sea.

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This is a nice feel good book. The main character experienced a tragic event and hasn't been able to let go. As part of her career, she travels to the western islands of Ireland where she starts rediscovering herself.

I love Irish culture and have been fortunate enough to visit. Dickson did a great job capturing Irish culture and the importance and significance of the Irish sweaters.

The ending became predictable, but overall, a very good read.

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When a young woman travels to a remote Irish island, she thinks she's there to study the islands particular knitted crafts, but finds herself tangled up in the lives of its residents. This is a somewhat uneven book. There are some very nice images in here, but it bogs down with minutiae as the author takes three paragraphs to describe something that could have been described in ten words.

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