The Helsingør Sewing Club is inspired by stories of the Danes helping Jews to safety during the German occupation of Denmark in WW2. Gyland is a superb storyteller and I was hooked from the very start - the book bounces between 1943 and 2018 and its not immediately apparent how the two timelines are connected. The main characters - Cecilie, David and Rafi, Inger and her family and colleagues - are beautifully portrayed and their relationships develop throughout the book.
I loved this book and will definitely be recommending it to others.
With thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in return for an honest review.

An interesting novel set during the German occupation of Denmark during WW2. It’s not often one comes across a book set in this country, where generally little is known of the Danes work in assisting Jewish refugees to safety in Sweden. It’s a book of two halves; 1943 and 2018 which merge as the granddaughter of the key character in the former story learns of her recently departed grandmother’s life and loves during the war years. A good storyline, for the most part narrated by a young woman who becomes an asset to the resistance. An quick easy read, a bit skimpy on detail, that essentially is about strength, commitment and love. Enjoyable but predicted.

My thanks to NetGalley and One More Chapter / Harper Collins for this early copy in exchange for an honest review.

During the German occupation of Denmark in 1943, Inger Bredhal becomes involved in the saving of many Jews to Sweden.
In 2018, Cecilie Lund, Inger's grand daughter makes a discovery when clearing out her grandmother's flat after her death.
Cecilie begins to delve into the secrets she has unearthed and in doing so reveals a grandmother who gave everything in helping others.

This will definitely be a contender for my top book of 2022!

The Helsingor Sewing Club was inspired by the true story of how the people of Denmark saved their Jewish neighbours during WW2. Gyland highlights ordinary people performing extraordinary acts of bravery fueled by the simple humanitarian principle that we must help those in need.

This is the first historical fiction set in Denmark where I’ve read about how the Danes regarded the Nazi occupation and what life was like at this time in history. Rather than tell us, Gyland writes about her protagonist, Inger Bredhal, being brought to tears at the kindness of her employer sharing a cup of real coffee with her as she’d almost forgotten what it tasted like. Gyland reveals the guilt the young Danish girls felt at being excited about going to a dance when there were so many who’d lost so much. She could have stated it, but rather chose to show readers through the girls’ actions in the dress shop.

Not only is Gyland a master at showing not telling, she is also highly skilled at immersing readers in her narrative. Her vivid descriptions and her attention to detail are outstanding. It allowed me to read and have the narrative play out like a movie reel at the same time. This simple statement about a coffee shop visit reveals what I’m trying to say: “she was nursing a rapidly cooling cappuccino on a wet October day.”

As if having superior skills at showing not telling and being able to immerse readers in her narrative wasn’t enough, Gyland is legendary when it comes to a double timeline. I’ve never seen one so well done. What stands out is that she is able to keep readers in the dark about how the two timelines will eventually mesh. In fact, one skill she used was not naming one of the characters until it had the biggest impact. I really felt like the author respected the intellect of her readers….a skill few employ. I’m giddy with excitement at finding a new author who sets the bar high for historical fiction.

This five-star historical fiction needs to be on your book pile come January 31st, 2022.

I was gifted this spectacular advance copy by Ella Gyland, Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter, and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

This is a well written book. I’m not blown away by the story but it is well written. It takes place in Denmark which is from a different perspective than other World War II. Inger and her granddaughter Cecille are the main female characters. The story goes back and forth from around 1943 - the grandmother’s life to the granddaughters lifetime around 2018. (I think I have that right!) It was an interesting story but not one that captivated me. You have to be paying close attention to get the meaning of the “sewing club”. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an advance copy for my honest review.

This was an amazing book and I like that it was inspired by true events and true stories. I couldnt put it down, it was captivating, gripping and engaging. the writing was good and the characters were developed well. A really good read perfect for any historical fiction fans.

Over the years I have many books about the resistance helping to save Jewish people from the Gestapo and the concentration camps. This book is based in Denmark and told the story of how the Danish Jews were helped to escape to Sweden. The history side was good but basically it was a romance. I was expecting more from this book. Easy to read but it was a bit formulaic.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK for the advance copy of this book.

This book is based on the true story of the people of Denmark protecting their Jewish population during WW2. It was a lot lighter than I was expecting and the Prologue led me to believe. However it picked up towards the end. An interesting story but a bit too much of a romance for me. With thanks to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for the e-ARC of this title to review.

A great page turner in the covid era... a great escape for an afternoon, a day at the beach, a vacation or plane read to divert ones thoughts from everyday life. And we think our lives were difficult.. Think again. Hats off to these heroes.

I love historical fiction especially those stories that are based on actual events. This book ticked all the boxes. It tells the story of how the people of Denmark saved their Jewish neighbours during WWII by assisting them to escape to Sweden.
It is dual time line story set in 1943 and 2018. Cecilie is clearing out her grandmother, Inger’s , apartment following her death and comes across a box containing jewellery that doesn’t belong to her grandmother and a hidden diary detailing life during the war. This sets Ceilie on a path to find the owner of the jewellery and to find out more about her grandmother.
There is a love story both in the past and the present time line but above all it is a story of bravery, courage and heroism.
A must read for historical fiction lovers.

This was a sweet book. A common literary device of a modern character with chapters from the past. I loved the past characters much more than the current one. The current characters seemed to move at warp speed through emotions despite the book taking place over a couple of days. The past was written well but described cleanly. Just when you thought the nazis would do some dastardly things, it would fade-to-black and the story would continue. I don’t think you need to explicitly state how terrifying the nazis were but it also was a bit too clean for me. I also wished there was more backstory on the real group this book is based on. I’m curious to know more about that. Thank you NetGalley for this review copy.

Set in Denmark in the 1940s and now. Cecilie, a divorced teacher, finds jewellery and a diary in her late grandmother's cellar; it leads her to discover what her relatives did to help fellow Danes, who happened to be Jewish. Although there is a sense of menace from the Germans, especially the Gestapo, there is no explicitness in what they do. The story is about Inger (grandmother) her family, friends, neighbours and other Danes and their kindnesses to others. The sense of community runs strongly through the novel which is based on actual events.

Recommended.

With thanks to NetGalley and One More Chapter for an ARC.

Inspired by the incredible true story of how the people of Denmark saved their Jewish neighbours during WW2..
This book is so well researched and all the more poignant as it is based on a true event .Written in two timelines 1943 and 2018 the story begins when Cecilie Lund is clearing out her late beloved Grandmothers home and she comes upon a mysteries parcel .This starts Cecilie to investigate and the story unfolds to tell how very brave her Grandmother really was during the War .This is truly a story of such courage ,bravery ,love and friendship .A very enjoyable read .Many thanks to the Publisher ,the Author and NetGalley for my free copy in return for an honest review .

The Helsingor Sewing Club by Ella Gyland

In the midst of the German occupation during World War Two, Inger Bredhal joins the underground resistance and risks her life to save members of Denmark’s Jewish community and help them escape to Sweden.
Copenhagen, 2018
Inger’s granddaughter, Cecilie Lund, is mourning her death when a mysterious discovery while cleaning out Inger’s flat leads past and present to intersect. As long-held secrets finally see the light of day, Cecilie learns the story of her grandmother’s courage and bravery, and of the power of friendship, love, and standing for what’s right…even when you have everything to lose.
I love books like this and this one did not disappoint . A heartbreaking and heart rendering story of Inger , told through the eyes of her granddaughter Cecilia nearly 70 years later. Cecilia finds out things about her grandmother's life during the time of the war , and the struggles , and the lengths she went to to help the Jewish community. An absolute gem of a book.