Christmas at the Village Sewing Shop

By Helen Rolfe

What it’s about?

Can three sisters stitch their family back together?

Loretta has run the little sewing shop in Butterbury for years, while bringing up her three headstrong daughters. Her own grandmother taught her how to quilt, and Loretta always found time to sit with Daisy, Ginny and Fern, pulling together scraps of material – and their hopes and dreams – into a beautiful whole.

But this Christmas the family is coming apart at the seams: Fern feels like she’s failing at motherhood and marriage; Ginny’s passion for her job as a midwife is fading, Daisy is keeping two very different secrets – and most of all, Loretta seems to be hiding something from her daughters…

As they come together to create a beautiful new festive quilt, memories are stirred, the bonds between sisters healed, and new friendships woven. But when Loretta reveals the real reason she’s gathered them all back to the sewing shop, can the sisters mend the quilt, and their family, in time for Christmas?

Full of kindness, community and festive magic, this is a treat to curl up with this Christmas! Perfect for fans of Cathy Bramley, Jenny Colgan and Ali McNamara

What I think:

This is a slow-burning log fire of a Christmas read.

The slow pace allows the writer to create complex and relatable characters as the Chamberlain sisters come together for Christmas.

Mum, Loretta decides that this year she is going to bring her three very different adult daughters home for an extended Christmas. It definitely feels like she is hiding something from them from the This allows Daisy, Ginny and Fern to put aside their differences and come together to rekindle their sisterly bonds, reminisce about their childhoods and grieve for the losses in their lives – there is also some blossoming romance.

Fern is always striving for perfection, but she is becoming overwhelmed and feels that things are falling apart. Traveller Ginny is returning home to face a lost love and Daisy has stayed to take over the family sewing shop but has other talents too. Very different women make for some interesting family dynamics, especially with the heightened emotions of the Christmas holidays.

I really liked how the characters developed and their individual stories were part of the family narrative.

The sewing shop itself is central to the story. If you are crafty this little shop sounds like a slice of heaven. There is a real sense of community in the book that adds to the Christmas spirit.

This is a really lovely festive read that really embodies the family Christmas spirit. I really enjoyed it and it has definitely helped get me in the mood for the holidays.

About the author:

Helen Rolfe writes contemporary women’s fiction and enjoys weaving stories about family, friendship, secrets, and community. Characters often face challenges and must fight to overcome them, but above all, Helen’s stories always have a happy ending.

To learn more about Helen visit her on Twitter @HJRolfe or at www.helenjrolfe.com

Thank you to Anne at Random Things Tours for inviting me to be a part of this festive blog tour.