#BlogTour: The Helsingør Sewing Club by Ella Gyland @henrigyland @0neMoreChapter_ @rararesources #TheHeldingørSewingClub #EllaGy

Book Synopsis:

Inspired by the incredible true story of how the people of Denmark saved their Jewish neighbours during WW2Helsingør, Denmark, 1943In 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.An inspiring tale of the resilience of the human spirit and the power of community.

My Review:

The Helsingør Sewing Club is a beautifully written, fascinating but heartbreaking piece of historical fiction that I thoroughly enjoyed.

Firstly I hadn’t read many books set in Denmark during the war so I was unaware of what happened there and the incredible bravery of the Danish people to save their Jewish Neighbours. It was absolutely fascinating to read about this and my heart was in my mouth as I read everything they went through to try and help.

The story is told in two timelines, though it’s mainly set in 1943, one follows Inger and her involvement with the resistance in ww2. The other follows her granddaughter Cecile who is clearing out her grandmother’s flat after her death and discovering the big secret her grandmother had kept hidden. While I did prefer the war time timeline the modern story did have some beautiful moments in it too and I liked the way the two stories tied together to reveal the full story.

I thought this was a very absorbing book which I sailed through in a couple of days. I think I felt a range of emotions whilst reading experiencing some very heartwarming moments but also some truly heartbreaking ones. The tension in the book slowly increases as the Gestapo get nearer until I almost couldn’t bear it. The fact that this was based on a true story made the story even more poignant and has ensured the story has stayed with me long after reading.

Huge thanks to Rachel from Rachel’s Random Resources for inviting me onto the blog tour and to One More Chapter for my copy of this book via netgalley.

About The Author:

Ella Gyland grew up in Northern Denmark but moved to England after she graduated from the University of Copenhagen.She has worked in a variety of jobs, including the Danish civil service, before setting herself up as a freelance translator and linguist. Ella won the New Talent Award in 2011 from the Festival of Romance and a Commended from the Yeovil Literary Prize.Ella lives in London and also writes as Henriette Gyland.