***** 'if you love Garak, you'll love this book!'
"A Stitch In Time", which relates Garak's life story up to the start of DS9, his struggles during the final episodes of Season 6 though the beginning of the end of DS9, and his 2-3 months of life on Cardassia after the Series Finale, was at it's time of publication my favorite Trek book to date. The 3 plot lines (filled with continuity from the series) are interwoven, which is how I would recommend reading the book the first time, but the next time I read it, I paid attention to notes I kept while reading the book the first time, and separated the 3 story threads. If anyone's interested in how this would work, a rough chronology is featured below the character list.
Characters (not complete - I'm rereading it now)
Procal Dukat (Gul Dukat's father]
Corbin Entek
Elim Garak / 10 Lubak
Alon Ghemor / 5 Lubak
Koval
Odo
Quark
Mila
Rom
Enabran Tain
Gul Toran / 4 Lubak
Random Continuity Notes:
Page 065 - Garak is about to start studying the Barzan Wormhole; this wormhole was featured in the 3rd Season TNG episode "The Price", and then again in the 3rd Season Voyager episode "False Profits".
Page 224 - several worlds are mentioned by Garak as settings for some of his missions, all of which were seen or referenced in previous Trek episodes; these worlds include Tzenketh (DS9's "The Adversary", "Paradise Lost", "By Inferno's Light"), Loval (DS9's "Return To Grace"), Kora II (DS9's "Duet"), Orias III (DS9's "Defiant"), Celtris III (TNG's "Chain of Command, Parts I & II"), & Lamenda Prime (DS9's "The Homecoming").
Page 228 - first mention of Skrain Dukat; he's first encountered by Garak on page 271.
A Stitch In Time Chronology:
Thread 1: 2319-2369
Garak's youth at Bamarren through his arrival at Terok Nor.
Part 1, Chapter 02 [pages 010 - 014]
Part 1, Chapter 04 [pages 016 - 019]
Part 1, Chapter 06 [pages 020 - 027]
Part 1, Chapter 08 [pages 030 - 037]
Part 1, Chapter 10 [pages 041 - 052]
Part 1, Chapter 12 [pages 060 - 063]
Part 1, Chapter 13 [pages 064 - 079]
Part 1, Chapter 15 [pages 085 - 096]
Part 1, Chapter 16 [pages 097 - 104]
Part 1, Chapter 18 [pages 110 - 121]
Part 1, Chapter 19 [pages 122 - 125]
Part 1, Chapter 21 [pages 131 - 139]
Part 1, Chapter 23 [pages 141 - 147]
Part 2, Chapter 02 [pages 154 - 162]
Part 2, Chapter 04 [pages 165 - 171]
Part 2, Chapter 06 [pages 172 - 177]
Part 2, Chapter 08 [pages 182 - 205]
Part 2, Chapter 10 [pages 208 - 217]
Part 2, Chapter 12 [pages 224 - 235]
Part 2, Chapter 14 [pages 240 - 248]
Part 2, Chapter 16 [pages 258 - 280]
Part 2, Chapter 18 [pages 282 - 306]
Part 2, Chapter 20 [pages 314 - 334]
Part 3, Chapter 01 [pages 337 - 346]
Part 3, Chapter 03 [pages 349 - 359]
Part 3, Chapter 05 [pages 369 - 375]
This section ends during "Emissary"; the pilot episode of DS9.
Thread 2: 2374-2375
Just before "Tears of the Prophets" - just before "What You Leave Behind, Part I".
Part 1, Chapter 01 [pages 007 - 010]
Part 1, Chapter 05 [pages 019 - 020]
Part 1, Chapter 09 [pages 037 - 041]
Part 1, Chapter 11 [pages 052 - 060]
Part 1, Chapter 14 [pages 079 - 085]
Part 1, Chapter 17 [pages 104 - 109]
Part 1, Chapter 20 [pages 125 - 131]
after "Tears Of The Prophets", but before Garak meets Ezri in "After Image":
Part 2, Chapter 01 [pages 151 - 154]
Part 2, Chapter 03 [pages 162 - 165]
Part 2, Chapter 07 [pages 177 - 182]
Part 2, Chapter 11 [pages 217 - 224]
Part 2, Chapter 15 [pages 248 - 258]
Part 2, Chapter 19 [pages 307 - 314]
Thread 3: January-March 2376
Just after "What You Leave Behind, Part II".
Prologue [pages 001 - 004]
Part 1, Chapter 03 [pages 014 - 016]
Part 1, Chapter 07 [pages 028 - 030]
Part 1, Chapter 22 [pages 139 - 140]
Part 2, Chapter 05 [pages 171 - 172]
Part 2, Chapter 09 [pages 205 - 207]
Part 2, Chapter 13 [pages 235 - 239]
Part 2, Chapter 17 [pages 280 - 282]
Part 3, Chapter 02 [pages 346 - 349]
Part 3, Chapter 04 [pages 359 - 369]
Part 3, Chapter 06 [pages 375 - 387]
Epilogue [pages 391 -393]