Denmark during the dark days of the war and the lives of three young girls caught up in the turmoil and danger of those times. They get caught up in the resistance doing what they can to help those persecuted by the Nazi's. Many years later, the granddaughter of one of them, Cecilie, finds a jewel box while sorting out her grandmother's things after her death. It belongs to someone else and Cecilie vows to return it to the family or at least try and find out who they were and why her grandmother kept it. This leads her to meet an old man and his grandson who live in Israel. With them she reads a diary that her grandmother had written during that war and had hidden within the box. As the story unfolds Cecilie learns of her grandmother's actions and courage. This story is based on a true story. Really moving. I shall read it again.

This book is a heartwarming and heartbreaking tale of a group of citizens that try to save as many Jewish Danes as possible. Told in a dual timeline it is a sweeping tale, based on facts that shows how much this group did to help.

A woman learns her grandmothers secret after cleaning out her belongings. She reaches out and finds the true story of how nearly 95% of the Jewish population was evacuated by the resistance. A must read in WWII history.

Thank you to Harper Collins Uk and NetGalley

My thanks to NetGalley and publisher HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter, for the electronic copy.

This is such an interesting read although it encompasses one of the darkest times in modern history, it's a story of selflessness, bravery and courage. Norway was under German occupation during the war but in 1943 the Gestapo became more active and decided to round-up the Jewish population for transport to their Concentration Camps. Having had a few days' warning, the local population, supported by the underground resistance movement, swung into action to move their Jewish neighbours between houses, churches and any other buildings of safety before the Germans carried out their plan. From their coast it wasn't far to transport people to safety in Sweden.

Inger Bredhal, a young woman apprenticed to a local bookbinder, becomes a member of the underground movement and ultimately helping many Jews escape.

Seventy years later after Inger's death, her granddaughter Cecilia is clearing out Inger's flat where she discovers a box of jewellery with a note that they belong to Mr & Mrs Nathan. She has no idea what this means but writes to David Nathan on the off-chance of getting some answers. David and Cecilia - together with Rafi, David's carer and great grandson - meet, and further discover a hidden notebook in the jewellery box.

The story is told between the two timelines - 1943 as Inger recorded her life at the time, and 2018 where Cecilia learns her grandmother's secrets.

Absolutely fascinating. This is extremely atmospheric - a lot of sadness - heart-wrenching moments - but love, also.

Well worth reading.

The Helsingør Sewing Club is a tale spanning the centuries. It is inspired by stories of the time during WW2 when Denmark was occupied by Germany and how the resistance was working to help Jewish people escape. The main characters - Cecilie, David and Rafi, Inger are beautifully portrayed and their relationships develop throughout the book. It was a great read, of love, courage, persistence and faith. I found it hard to put down and will definitely be recommending it to others. With thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for this copy in return for an honest review.

Thought provoking book inspired by true events. I found it very interesting to read about events which occurred in Denmark during the Second World War, events which I had no idea occurred. Well written and well worth a read. Recommend.

When Cecilie's grandmother passes away she is tasked with the job of clearing out her home. Upon doing so she makes a discovery that will change her view of her grandmother forever.
This is a dual timeline novel which the majority takes place in 1943 Denmark, where the community of Helsinger comes together to help save a majority of their Jewish population despite the ever present Nazi danger.
The story of how the people of Denmark stood together against the Nazi regime and helped their Jewish citizens get to safety is incredible because it really happened. It is a testament of what can be accomplished when everyone comes together in the name of the righteous and does the correct thing. Their bravery, fortitude and solidarity are to be learned from, even today we can learn from their wonderful history.
This is a beautiful, well researched and well written portrayal of the resilience of humanity when faced with the terrors of evil. I highly recommend it to all.
Thank you to Harper Collins publishing and to Net Galley for the free ARC, I am leaving my honest review in return.

I loved the idea of this book, set in Denmark and investigating the role the Danes played in helping Jewish people travel to Sweden to escape the occupying German army.
Apart from highlighting some important history which I knew nothing about, the novel itself is quite a let-down. The characters were not really developed and I didn’t enjoy the flipping from past to present. Any action in the story was told very briefly and superficially.
As other reviewers have said the characters and situations felt underdeveloped.
It was almost like two separate stories being told in one book.

READ MY REVIEW

Cover: I like it. Great color palette and the drawing is evocative.

I really wanted to like this book in its entirety. Big expectations, the blurb was promising, and the other reviews were glowing.

What happened then? I’m not sure. Let’s try to unravel it, because there are significant elements I want to highlight together with some puzzling features.

Technically, The Helsingør Sewing Club is almost perfect. No grammar mistakes, no imperfections, good syntax—Gyland’s writing skills are superior to the average. The characters are interesting too, with a captivating mix of sympathetic vs. unsympathetic in both timelines; plus, Inger and Cecile have powerful personalities, and they read as flawless as they can be. My favorite part is the historical one, but that’s just a matter of personal tastes.

I think The Helsingør Sewing Club suffers from two main issues: one, it’s slow. Slow stories are hard to write—and to stick to while reading—because of exposition. Here, there’s a bit too much of it sprinkled here and there, and it often hinders the flow.

Then, the switching POVs. Third limited POV is my favorite, and that’s okay. First limited POV is not my favorite, and that’s okay as well. Going from third to first in the same story is too much, though. That’s a trend that I keep encountering and—no. It’s too confusing. If I were to edit a book like this one, my top suggestion would be, pick a POV and stick to it. Aw 🙁

3 stars on GR.

Book Review “The Helsingor Sewing Club” by Ella Gyland
FEBRUARY 6, 2022 ~ NIKIPRESTON

SYNOPSIS/BOOK BLURB

The Helsingør Sewing Club

Inspired by the incredible true story of how the people of Denmark saved their Jewish neighbours during WW2

Helsingør, Denmark, 1943

In the midst of the German occupation during World War Two, Inger Bredahl 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.

Purchase Link – amzn.to/3nv7jR6

REVIEW ~ NIKI PRESTON ~ 4 STARS

The Helsinger Sewing Club is the mostly unknown story of Danish Jewish families during the Occupation in WW2. A moving and sad story that pulls at the heartstrings. The unjust treatment of people during that time. It also shines a beacon on the strength and resilience of the Jewish families in the face of such adversity. This is a story that needs to be heard, nobody should forget these atrocities. this book does the Danish People proud. I was in total awe.

I loved how the book moved between Ingar’s story during the war in 1943 and her Granddaughter Cecile in 2018. It was an effective way to highlight the differences in the their lives and showed Cecile just how brave and resourceful her Grandmother was. It helps her with her grief to find out so much more about Ingar than she ever knew.

The Helsinger Sewing club is a fantastic Novel that highlights how the Danes saved thousands of Jewish people. It is about bravery, friendship, community and love. A strong story told with grace and poise that opens our eyes to the plight of the Jewish people during an horrific time in our History. Highly recommended to all who love historical fiction based on the truth of what really happened.



Ella Gyland
Author Bio – Originally from Denmark, I have lived in London for many years, surrounded by my family, cats, books and the Scandinavian hygge I try to create everywhere I go. As a linguist I love playing with words and language, and I am addicted to story-telling. I also believe strongly in social responsibility and sustainable living.

Social Media Links –

Twitter: Ella/Henriette Gyland, @henrigyland

Website: https://henriettegyland.wordpress.com/

With Thanks for the Advance copy to..

Rachel Gilby https://www.rachelsrandomresources.com/

Ella Gyland https://henriettegyland.wordpress.com/

Harper Collins, One More Chapter https://www.onemorechapter.com/

I was initially drawn to this book as I haven't read any World War Two novels set outside of England and Germany, whereas this novel is set in Denmark and is based on an incredible true story.

We start with Cecilie Lund who has just lost her grandmother. When clearing out her flat, she finds something which leads her to unravel the remarkable story of how her grandmother, Inger Bredhal risked her life and helped the Jewish community escape from Sweden during the war.

The characters were very well written and I found it really interesting the dynamic between the main characters and the German soldiers they meet, many of whom had been sent to Denmark before being posted to the front line.

The ongoing sense of trepidation runs throughout as you know how much the characters are risking their life, what is at stake and how quickly things can change. I was quite shocked by how the situation played out, the courage and bravery was remarkable.

As the book blurb says, this is "an inspiring tale of the resilience of the human spirit and the power of community".

Thank you to @netgalley and @onemorechapterhc for the opportunity to review.

Released in the UK on January 31st 2022.

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This dual timeline novel set in 2018 and 1943 focuses on the true story of the Helsingør Sewing Club, a Danish resistance organisation who helped Jewish Danes escape across the Øresund Strait to Sweden during Nazi occupation.

In 2018 we follow Cecilie who finds a box containing jewellery belonging to another family when she is cleaning out her late grandmother’s apartment. She meets David Nathan, a Danish Jew who escaped from Denmark in 1943 with the help of Cecilie’s grandmother Inger. The jewellery belonged to his mother. A diary found in the box reveals Inger’s experiences in 1943.

In 1943 we follow Inger, together with her cousin Gudrun and Gudrun’s best friend Bodil as Inger and her cousin both end up working to help as many Jews as possible to escape.

I found this such an interesting story which highlights the bravery of the men and women who sought to aid their Jewish friends, neighbours and countrymen to escape from the Nazis. There were romances in both timelines, and I was particularly moved by the character of Bodil, and her dilemma. Many of the characters in the 1943 timeline took such incredible risks in order to help the founders of the Helsingør Sewing Club, who were also characters in the book.

The Helsingør Sewing Club is a well-written story and I found myself completely immersed in the various branches of the story. The bravery of so many Danes is a strong indicator of the humanity that they showed, in direct contrast to other countries that did not assist their Jewish population to the same extent. Denmark had a 98.5% survival rate of Danish Jews by the end of World War II, which is proof of the work that many Danes did in becoming involved with assisting their compatriots, and this poignant book is a tribute to those men and women.

I love historical fiction when written well because it inevitably inspires me and leads me to do more research into a particular moment in history, and this book did exactly that.

A surprise of a book. This took me to an area of the war and world that I didn't know very well. The writing takes us from Denmark under German occupation to the UK and the modern day. The story telling is beautiful and captures the changing emotions of the family and friends we are following and how the war, occupation and death impacts them. The German soldiers start in the background and then very much shape the lives and ends of the group we are following. The link to the present day is well done with most of the focus on the past and small glimpses of the impact decades later.

Having recently been to Copenhagen and Helsingnor I was drawn by this book's title and was pleased to find my quick visit to the town provided some background knowledge of the geography of the place.
In August 2018 Cecilie Lund is clearing out the basement of her beloved grandmother's apartment when she comes across some jewellery. A name on the outside jogs her memory of a letter inside her grandmother's flat and she gets in touch with David Nathan, who fortuitously is coming to visit Copenhagen shortly.
Through Cecilie's journal which is discovered in the box with the jewellery and David's memories, Cecilie is able to piece together her grandmother's life during WW2, something she had never spoken about but which showed exceptional bravery and conviction.
I had no knowledge of the fate of Danish Jews during the war but this book describes well the determination of the Danish people that this small part of their population should not be ripped away and sent to the camps in the east. Ella Gyland evokes a strong sense of the time, the pressures and fear that people lived under during the German occupation of Denmark and the conflicting issues that drove their actions and reactions. It is a story of hope, courage and humanity, but told with effect and without any sugar coating.
An enjoyable read.

This is based on incredible true events of how the people of Denmark saved their Jewish neighbours during World War 2. This book is so well written and is based on a true event .Written in two timelines 1943 and 2018 the story begins when Cecilie is clearing out her late beloved Grandmothers home and she comes upon a mysteries package. Cecilie starts to investigate and the story unfolds to tell how very brave her Grandmother really was during the War .This is truly a story of immense bravery friendship and love. I just loved this book from page one. .Many thanks to Harper Collins, One more chapter and NetGalley for the early read

This is such an amazing and gripping story! In modern day Helsingør, Denmark, Cecilie is clearing out the flat of her recently deceased grandmother when she comes across a box of jewellery whose owner is unknown to her. Wondering how her grandmother ended up with someone else’s precious items she tries to track down the owner. Soon a diary is discovered and Cecilie begins to find out more about her grandmother’s past and the amazing things she did during world war two.

The book begins with Cecilie’s story but soon switches to the past, in 1943, where we follow Inger, Cecilie’s grandmother, as she settles into her new life in Helsingør, living with her aunt and uncle and working at a bookbinder’s. Inger’s story takes time to build up and I have to admit that when I started reading this I did worry that I wasn’t going to enjoy it as much as I had hoped as I could see the obvious surprises in the story of the resistance at work in Helsingør, long before Inger gets involved. However after a little time inger begins to get more involved in the dangerous work of the resistance and the story becomes so much more interesting that I just couldn’t put it down!

I don’t want to give away what happens but things become more and more tense and interesting as we learn more about the resistance movement and how the ordinary people of Denmark pulled together to save their Jewish neighbours. Inger’s own story is interesting and I love how she develops as a character and how determined she is to help no matter what. The dog was a lovely addition as a character and I love how the dog is involved in some tense and important moments during the story. While the book mostly follows Inger, and is written in the first person perspective in her chapters, there are other chapters that focus on her cousin and friend, as well as modern day Cecilie’s tale, and I found myself drawn to both of these characters and their own stories too.

So many things happen in this book, both happy and sad moments. There are some lovely heart-warming moments and heart-breaking ones too. The fear felt by the Nazi occupation and the true horror of the way the Nazis treated Jews and anyone who went against them is shown well and there were some moments that had me quite shocked. As the story builds towards the ending a lot of things happen and the chapters switch between characters showing what happens. I’ll admit there were some very sad moments near the end but also a lovely conclusion to the overall book and I when I finished reading this I was left feeling a mixture of sad and happy.

In the beginning I didn’t feel like I enjoyed Cecilie’s story as much as the story of the past, but as things in the past are revealed and we then get to know more about Cecilie and the people she meets in 2018, I started to enjoy the modern day story too. Cecilie’s story helps to fill in some blanks of the past and the whole overall ending is a good and satisfying one. There are some dark moments mentioning the brutality of the past especially with the Nazis though these aren’t gory and more shocking, there are also some obviously offensive views and one use of the f and one use of the s swear words.

What makes this story so special for me is that it is inspired by the true events of Helsingør at the time. There really was a ‘Helsingør Sewing Club’ which helped to save so many Jews and this book made me want to check it out so I’ve since been reading up about it and it’s fascinating what amazing lengths the people of Denmark went to in order to save their fellow countrymen, and some real people involved in resistance are actually characters in the book.

I have really enjoyed this book, it introduced the real-life story of the Helsingør Sewing Club and has a wonderful and moving story of some people involved at the time. The story might be quite fictional but what happens is a good representation of the sort of things that happened at the time in Helsingør and the story is so full of both shocking moments and more heart-warming ones too that it really will keep you reading into the early hours. Although it did take me abit of time to really get into the story, once Inger joins the resistance, I just couldn’t put this book down! I would recommend this book to anyone who loves WWII fiction as well as anyone who is interested in a page-turning story with wonderful moments amongst the brutal realities of life in 1943 Denmark. It’s a wonderful read and a book I’ll definitely be looking at again!

For more reviews and bookish posts visit: https://www.ManOfLaBook.com

The Helsingør Sewing Club by Ella Gyland is a historical-fiction book taking place in Denmark during World War II. Ms. Gyland grew up in Denmark, moved to England, and is now an author, translator, and linguist.

Cecilie Lund is clearing her grandmother’s flat when she discovers her diary. It turns out that Inger Jensen, Cecilie’s grandmother has a secret.

Inger Bredhal moved from Copenhagen to a small village for safety and work. Living with her aunt and uncle, Inger assimilates in village life when she discovers something strange is going on.

Risking her life, Inger than joins the Danish underground helping to smuggle Jews o Switzerland.

It is a well-known fact that the Danish underground, and the Danish people have managed to save most of Denmark’s Jews from the Nazi killing machine. This novel personalized this momentous achievement. It is a wonderful introduction because one does not need to know anything about these events, as The Helsingør Sewing Club by Ella Gyland walks you through in an easy-to-read manner.

The book tells the story from two points of view. One in 2018 of Cecilie Lund who is trying to unearth whatever surprises her grandmother has in store for her posthumously. The other is that of Inger Bredhal, the grandmother, and her experiences during World War II.

While I appreciate the story, as well as the hardships the Danish people faced while the Nazis are tightening their stranglehold around the country, the narrative was somewhat bloated. I didn’t enjoy many of the flowery descriptions, as they did not setup a scene or even a sense of time and place; in addition, I found myself skipping some of the war romances.

I did, however, enjoyed the interaction between Ingrid and David. I thought that plot device worked well not only to personalize the events, but also to highlight the history.

I would have loved it if the author had added a list of sources, as well as notes. It is always a benefit to have a few pages highlighting what was real history, and what was fictional. I feel that it adds much to the story at large.

In 1943, Inger Brehdal leaves Copenhagen to live with her aunt and uncle near Helsingør and takes a job as an assistant to a bookbinder. With tensions rising in German-occupied Denmark, it isn't long before she realises the people she knows are involved in resistance work to protect and assist the Jewish people trying to flee to Sweden.

In 2018, after Inger's death, her granddaughter, Cecilie Lund goes through some of her belongings and finds jewellery in an old cigar box belonging to someone called Mrs. Nathan. In addition, letters from David Nathan in Tel Aviv prompt her to contact him so she can return his mother's belongings. When the two meet up, wheelchair-bound David is accompanied by his great-grandson, Rafi, who is also his carer. After exchanging the cigar box, a hidden diary is found inside, and as they read each entry, surprising answers and closure to events in the past are found as well as a path to the future.

Most of the time when I read a dual timeline novel, it's the modern story that grabs my attention the most, so it surprised me, that with this novel, it's the historical events that kept me turning the pages. I'd have preferred the whole narrative to focus solely on the events of 1943 and the heroic work of the Danish resistance and what they achieved. While the narrative focuses on the parallels between Inger and Cecilie's lives as well as Inger's role in helping David; It's the subplots about Gudrun, Inger's cousin, and her friend, Bodil which piqued my interest the most. Their plights highlight the realities of normal people trying to live during difficult times and the challenges they faced and endured. Therefore, because my focus lay with the drama in 1943, I don't feel it's spoilt my enjoyment in any way. For me, the implied romantic thoughts, both historical and contemporary were a bonus.

The written words shock, triggering an emotional response from the reader, but only from the events as they happen and not from the characters themselves. Yet the author still manages to surprise, when she not only tells of reactions from the Danish, we also get to see a scenario from a German's perspective too. It's a pause for thought as you learn that enemies are vulnerable too as intense feelings and actions temporarily blur the lines of what they should or shouldn't do… often with dire consequences.

Overall, The Helsingør Sewing Club is a fascinating insight into the essential role played by the Danish people and how they bravely helped their most vulnerable citizens during WWII. The romance was secondary to me, but it still provided a satisfying and thought-provoking ending.

***arc generously received courtesy of One More Chapter via NetGalley***

This story begins in 2018 in Copenhagen when Cecile Lund is clearing her beloved late grandmothers flat. As she unlocks the door she picks up several letters which she puts to one side for her mother to deal with. In the cellar she finds a wooden cigar box containing jewellery. A slip of paper states that the contents belong to Mrs Nathan and Mr David Nathan. Cecilie had never seen her Grandmother wear any of this jewellery so is mystified. She then realises that one of the letters on the doormat says the sender is D Nathan, Tel Aviv. She writes to David and they arrange to meet. Cecilie is curious to find out more about her grandmother Inger’s secrets. In 1943 Inger Bredhal moves to Helsingor to begin a new job as a bookbinder. She is lodging with her aunt Marie and uncle Poul and cousins Gudrun and Jens. David Nathan is Jewish and attending the synogogue one day the Rabbi warns the congregation that there are rumours that all Jews will be arrested by the Germans and deported within a week. Through Inger’s job at the bookshop she becomes involved in the Danish resistance and bravely risks her life by helping to hide the Jews unable to get out of Denmark before the arrests begin. This story is based around true events during WW11 and is written in a dual timeline which is easily followed. I have read many books recently of this era and am thoroughly enjoying them and learning about the women who were so brave in the face of adversity and saving so many lives. This is my first read by Ella Gyland and I look forward to reading more. My thanks to Sara Roberts, One Chapter and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this gripping book.

This fascinating dual timeline novel showcased the bravery of the Danes in the second world war and their determination to protect and help the Jewish community against the Nazi regime. It was a revelation to me that 90% of Dutch Jews survived. Along with my recent reading of The Hidden Village by Imogen Matthews, this story has made me have great respect for the Danes and provided me with hope that there is a good in humanity.

In both time periods, there was a good sense of place allowing me to visualise the locations and added to my desire to visit Denmark and Copenhagan. Like many dual timelines, I was drawn to one protagonist’s voice than the other and it was Inger and her comrades that won here. I wanted to know more about Bodil and Gudrun so would have been happy to read this story as a single timeline. This would allowed more space to be devoted to them and dig deeper into the resistance movement. I wanted to feel more emotionally connected to them all as I felt I was being kept as an observer rather than in their heads. This detachment did help me cope when the expected dark themes were discussed.

With the title The Helsingør Sewing Club I kept expecting to hear about sewing machines and thread but only discovered why it was called that towards the end so to save you scratching your heads while reading, Helsingør Sewing Club was a code name for the resistance. If the community’s phones were tapped it would sound as if they were discussing the village’s sewing circle.

Historical fiction-based-on-fact are some of my favourite style of books and this was no exception.
Inspired by the true story of how the people of Denmark helped to get many of their Jewish neighbours to safety in Sweden during WW2, this book has been well-researched and the writing style drew me in making me want to keep reading. I was vaguely aware of the Danish people’s attitudes/response but this really brought it to light for me.
Written in two timelines (1943 and 2018) the story follows Inger in 1943 as a young women who gets involved in the /risks her life to save members of Denmark’s Jewish community, and her granddaughter Cecile in 2018, who comes upon a mysterious box whilst clearing her grandmother’s house after her recent death.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, but feel that the title doesn’t quite work – there is just one brief mention as to where it comes from & this feels like it was perhaps an over-editted section – if the title remains, it really needs more more about the “cover stories” that were used!