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Threads of Resistance #1
The Resistance Knitting Club
Inspired by the true story of a woman who used knitting patterns to encode intelligence during World War Two.
Guernsey, 2010. After a stroke, an elderly woman shocks her family by speaking perfect French – a language they never knew she possessed. As her granddaughter unravels seventy years of silence, a hidden wartime story emerges...
Paris, 1941. After her brother is declared missing in action at Dunkirk, eighteen-year-old Lenny Gallienne vanishes into Churchill’s secret army. In a bookshop on Rue de la Pompe, she poses as a simple shop girl while encoding intelligence from Nazi headquarters into knitting patterns. Each sweater smuggled to prisoners contains flight paths. Each scarf holds radio frequencies. Each mistake means execution.
Fellow agent, Harry Dennison, is the only person who knows her real name. But when the Gestapo close in, Lenny faces an impossible choice in the Metro tunnels beneath Paris – one that will haunt her family for generations. Because in the resistance, the most dangerous secrets are the ones you keep from those you love most.
Perfect for fans of The Nightingale, The Alice Network and The Last Bookshop in London.
Guernsey, 2010. After a stroke, an elderly woman shocks her family by speaking perfect French – a language they never knew she possessed. As her granddaughter unravels seventy years of silence, a hidden wartime story emerges...
Paris, 1941. After her brother is declared missing in action at Dunkirk, eighteen-year-old Lenny Gallienne vanishes into Churchill’s secret army. In a bookshop on Rue de la Pompe, she poses as a simple shop girl while encoding intelligence from Nazi headquarters into knitting patterns. Each sweater smuggled to prisoners contains flight paths. Each scarf holds radio frequencies. Each mistake means execution.
Fellow agent, Harry Dennison, is the only person who knows her real name. But when the Gestapo close in, Lenny faces an impossible choice in the Metro tunnels beneath Paris – one that will haunt her family for generations. Because in the resistance, the most dangerous secrets are the ones you keep from those you love most.
Perfect for fans of The Nightingale, The Alice Network and The Last Bookshop in London.
326 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 6, 2026
833 people are currently reading
2109 people want to read
About the author
Jenny O'Brien
29 books174 followersHi and thanks for stopping by.
I took up writing about twenty years ago when I first came up with a plot for a book, and I haven't stopped since. When I’m not writing, I’m ferrying around 3 teenagers or working as a nurse. I’m also an all-year-round sea swimmer.
I write what I love to read, which is romance and thrillers.
My next release, out February, 2026, is The Resistance Knitting Club, a World War 2 historical novel set in Guernsey, the UK and France. I am currently working on my third WW2 novel.
If you like my writing please get in touch - my social media links are below (I’m rarely on Goodreads so it’s best not to drop me a message here). I also have a newsletter, which you can sign up to via my website.
Jenny O
Facebook: Jenny O'Brien Guernsey Writer
Twitter: scribblerjb
Instagram: scribblerjb
I took up writing about twenty years ago when I first came up with a plot for a book, and I haven't stopped since. When I’m not writing, I’m ferrying around 3 teenagers or working as a nurse. I’m also an all-year-round sea swimmer.
I write what I love to read, which is romance and thrillers.
My next release, out February, 2026, is The Resistance Knitting Club, a World War 2 historical novel set in Guernsey, the UK and France. I am currently working on my third WW2 novel.
If you like my writing please get in touch - my social media links are below (I’m rarely on Goodreads so it’s best not to drop me a message here). I also have a newsletter, which you can sign up to via my website.
Jenny O
Facebook: Jenny O'Brien Guernsey Writer
Twitter: scribblerjb
Instagram: scribblerjb
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 258 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Leonora and James Gallienne lost their parents at a young age, they were raised by an elderly aunt in Guernsey and she taught her niece to knit. After the battle of Dunkirk James is listed missing in action and she's sure he's still alive, and Lenny becomes a member of Churchill’s secret army and signs the Official Secrets Act.
As a newly trained M16 operative Lenny’s dropped into France, to work in bookshop on Rue de la Pompe, and she sends back information in encoded messages. Harry Dennison a fellow agent is the only person who knows her real name or where she used to live and her brother’s friend. With the Gestapo onto her Lenny hides in the Metro tunnels beneath Paris, and what happens during this time will make her feel guilty for years.
The story has a dual timeline, it’s told over four parts and is set in 2010 and 1941 and is easy to follow.
An elderly Guernsey woman shocks her daughter Liz and granddaughter Anna by speaking in French, after she has a stroke and her family have to solve a seventy year old mystery and to do this uncover long buried secrets.
I received a copy of The Resistance Knitting Club by Jenny O’Brien from NetGalley and Storm Publishing in exchange for an honest review. Inspired by a true story of a women who used knitting patterns during the Second World War to encode messages inside socks, scarfs and jumpers.
The narrative is brilliant just like the main female character Lenny in this historical fiction tale about the use of ingenious idea, what it was like to live in England, Scotland and France during the war, service, bravery, sacrifice, espionage, love, loss and second chances.
Five stars from me, I highly recommend and I'm keen to read other novels by Ms O'Brien.
As a newly trained M16 operative Lenny’s dropped into France, to work in bookshop on Rue de la Pompe, and she sends back information in encoded messages. Harry Dennison a fellow agent is the only person who knows her real name or where she used to live and her brother’s friend. With the Gestapo onto her Lenny hides in the Metro tunnels beneath Paris, and what happens during this time will make her feel guilty for years.
The story has a dual timeline, it’s told over four parts and is set in 2010 and 1941 and is easy to follow.
An elderly Guernsey woman shocks her daughter Liz and granddaughter Anna by speaking in French, after she has a stroke and her family have to solve a seventy year old mystery and to do this uncover long buried secrets.
I received a copy of The Resistance Knitting Club by Jenny O’Brien from NetGalley and Storm Publishing in exchange for an honest review. Inspired by a true story of a women who used knitting patterns during the Second World War to encode messages inside socks, scarfs and jumpers.
The narrative is brilliant just like the main female character Lenny in this historical fiction tale about the use of ingenious idea, what it was like to live in England, Scotland and France during the war, service, bravery, sacrifice, espionage, love, loss and second chances.
Five stars from me, I highly recommend and I'm keen to read other novels by Ms O'Brien.
November 8, 2025
I’m a big historical fiction reader and I was impressed by a unique plot and the author’s storytelling. Author Jenny O’Brien has a wonderful ability to weave fact in with fiction, creating a story that inspires and educates.
This superb historical fiction story is anchored in the warning to never underestimate the enemy, and highlights obligation and the hope that there is in believing that the lost can be found again.
It’s a dual timeline and is set in both Iles de la Manche, Guernsey and in Paris, just before and during WW2. I learned about the iconic Guernsey jumper, Operation Dynamo, knitting for victory and the clever use of Morse code. Leonora ‘Lenny’ Gallienne was my favourite character because she refuses to accept defeat and models for others how to become a formidable force. O’Brien held my interest from cover to cover, making this a book I’d highly recommend to other historical fiction lovers.
I'm excited for book two in this new series.
I was gifted this copy and was under no obligation to provide a review.
This superb historical fiction story is anchored in the warning to never underestimate the enemy, and highlights obligation and the hope that there is in believing that the lost can be found again.
It’s a dual timeline and is set in both Iles de la Manche, Guernsey and in Paris, just before and during WW2. I learned about the iconic Guernsey jumper, Operation Dynamo, knitting for victory and the clever use of Morse code. Leonora ‘Lenny’ Gallienne was my favourite character because she refuses to accept defeat and models for others how to become a formidable force. O’Brien held my interest from cover to cover, making this a book I’d highly recommend to other historical fiction lovers.
I'm excited for book two in this new series.
I was gifted this copy and was under no obligation to provide a review.
February 17, 2026
This is such a lovely story based on a true story, a story of courage and strength of heartbreak and love. Leonora and James Galliene grew up on the Island of Guernsey bought up by an aunt after the death of their parents, Leonora (Lenny) started knitting at a young age, never knowing how much it could help later in life.
When the war starts James joins up and works for the War Office in London as an interpreter while Lenny stays on the island and knits socks for the troops but when a telegram arrives to say that James is missing in action and the island is just about to occupied by the Germans Lenny takes herself to London to get answers.
Then Lenny finds herself working for the war office and joining what has become to be known as Churchill’s secret army, months of training sees her going to France to become part of the resistance, her coding skills are brilliant and with her suggestion that Morse code be used in the knitting that is sent to the troops messages can be sent. She is in Paris with Harry Dennison an old friend of James working together in dangerous situations, things change very quickly and decisions must be made.
The danger grows, will Lenny and Harry escape in time and what will become of them in the future, this story is told in duel time lines when we first meet Lenny in 2010 and then we go back and learn her story and truly what a story I loved it from start to finish and I do highly recommend it the characters are just wonderful strength courage abound in this one and the settings so good, don’t miss this one and I am looking forward to more in the series.
My thanks to Storm Publishing and Netgalley for my digital copy to read and review
When the war starts James joins up and works for the War Office in London as an interpreter while Lenny stays on the island and knits socks for the troops but when a telegram arrives to say that James is missing in action and the island is just about to occupied by the Germans Lenny takes herself to London to get answers.
Then Lenny finds herself working for the war office and joining what has become to be known as Churchill’s secret army, months of training sees her going to France to become part of the resistance, her coding skills are brilliant and with her suggestion that Morse code be used in the knitting that is sent to the troops messages can be sent. She is in Paris with Harry Dennison an old friend of James working together in dangerous situations, things change very quickly and decisions must be made.
The danger grows, will Lenny and Harry escape in time and what will become of them in the future, this story is told in duel time lines when we first meet Lenny in 2010 and then we go back and learn her story and truly what a story I loved it from start to finish and I do highly recommend it the characters are just wonderful strength courage abound in this one and the settings so good, don’t miss this one and I am looking forward to more in the series.
My thanks to Storm Publishing and Netgalley for my digital copy to read and review
February 1, 2026
An incredible book based upon a true story. Lenny was a knitter. She used this skill to enhance the war efforts during WWII. I was amazed and intrigued as her efforts helped with the war. There were some sad moments. Most of the book was pleasant and intense. If you enjoy unsung heroes from WWII, this is a must read. Highly recommend.
I was blessed with a ARC. Thank you NetGalley. The opinions expressed are my own and unbiased.
I was blessed with a ARC. Thank you NetGalley. The opinions expressed are my own and unbiased.
December 10, 2025
Although it feels a bit mean to give this 2 stars I feel I have to because of how angry I was when I finished it! I really wanted to read this book because of the title and the description. I heard a history talk earlier this year, and she mentioned the women who encoded information into knitted items and I found it fascinating, so this book sounded like it would be really interesting. I enjoy wartime stories, I enjoy knitting and crochet...what could possibly go wrong?
The book starts fairly well - I was interested in Lenny, and her adventure into War Office work. I was sometimes unsettled by her attitude, but I enjoyed her secret spy training and her idea of putting morse code into the knitting with the different stitches. So far, so good. But when she is dropped in France, with a new secret identity, things started to go wrong for me. Instead of sneaking around and coding things into scarves and socks and jumpers and smuggling them to the British, she manages 1 scarf, and then that doesn't even end up getting to the right people! The story turns into more of a romance, but then even that became disappointing as, without giving away spoilers, Lenny seems very changeable and I did shout 'what?!' a few times. I persevered to the end, in the hopes that things might get better, but instead we lurch back into the present day (and I had completely forgotten that we'd started there to be honest) but we never actually see Lenny relate her spy history to her family. It felt like a rushed ending to me, and I was still feeling grumpy about the lack of knitting and the dodgy romance plot.
If you don't mind a slightly random wartime story then do go ahead because there were parts I really enjoyed reading, and had the book had a different title and blurb I wouldn't have felt half as cheated! But if, like me, you're hoping for yarn-based subterfuge then I'm afraid I would recommend you look elsewhere...
With thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my copy in return for an honest review.
The book starts fairly well - I was interested in Lenny, and her adventure into War Office work. I was sometimes unsettled by her attitude, but I enjoyed her secret spy training and her idea of putting morse code into the knitting with the different stitches. So far, so good. But when she is dropped in France, with a new secret identity, things started to go wrong for me. Instead of sneaking around and coding things into scarves and socks and jumpers and smuggling them to the British, she manages 1 scarf, and then that doesn't even end up getting to the right people! The story turns into more of a romance, but then even that became disappointing as, without giving away spoilers, Lenny seems very changeable and I did shout 'what?!' a few times. I persevered to the end, in the hopes that things might get better, but instead we lurch back into the present day (and I had completely forgotten that we'd started there to be honest) but we never actually see Lenny relate her spy history to her family. It felt like a rushed ending to me, and I was still feeling grumpy about the lack of knitting and the dodgy romance plot.
If you don't mind a slightly random wartime story then do go ahead because there were parts I really enjoyed reading, and had the book had a different title and blurb I wouldn't have felt half as cheated! But if, like me, you're hoping for yarn-based subterfuge then I'm afraid I would recommend you look elsewhere...
With thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my copy in return for an honest review.
November 17, 2025
I loved this true story. It attracted me as I enjoy knitting but, I had no idea how this helped during the war. Very interesting and now I can't wait until the second book of n this series comes out. My thanks to netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.
December 14, 2025
The Resistance Knitting Club is a very impressive story, following Lenny, an ordinary girl from Guernsey, and her journey through WWII. I love books that focus on ordinary people and ordinary towns, because it was people like them who won the war—normal individuals doing extraordinary things and showing resilience, persistence, and courage.
Lenny was a great character, and I especially enjoyed reading from her perspective. However, at times the plot felt rushed, and I would have appreciated a slower pace with the story more spread out. It often seemed as though the author skimmed over certain parts, leaving me wanting more. I also felt that the presence of knitting—and truly seeing the fruits of that labor—wasn’t explored enough. I would have liked to see more concrete outcomes from Lenny’s ideas.
Thank you to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
Overall rating: 3.25 stars
Lenny was a great character, and I especially enjoyed reading from her perspective. However, at times the plot felt rushed, and I would have appreciated a slower pace with the story more spread out. It often seemed as though the author skimmed over certain parts, leaving me wanting more. I also felt that the presence of knitting—and truly seeing the fruits of that labor—wasn’t explored enough. I would have liked to see more concrete outcomes from Lenny’s ideas.
Thank you to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
Overall rating: 3.25 stars
February 26, 2026
I know this was based on a true story so I shouldn't be too harsh, but I felt the pacing was off to make me really emotionally invested in Lenny's choices. I was so ready to love this and give this 4 or 5 stars had she ended up with Harry, but this seemed to have the depressingly realistic message that real life doesn't always work out the way we want it to.
The title was also rather misleading. There was no knitting club or group; it was only about one woman's struggles in WWII.
Lenny, searching for her brother who is missing and presumed dead, leaves her home of Guernsey for London and joins up with the War Office. There she becomes swept up in the war effort and with nothing left to lose, becomes a female spy in France. I did find the historical details colorful, engrossing and very well done.
In training, she becomes an expert at Morse code and as she is also an avid knitter, she impresses the men with her idea to knit code into stitches. She soon teaches the other trainees to knit. But knitting is a small part of the story as it focuses on her romance with her brother's friend, Harry, also her commanding officer.
When in France, the two strike up a friendship that turns into something more. Then to rescue Lenny when she is in danger of being arrested, Harry gets left behind. It was unclear whether he was killed or missing in action just like her brother who was later recovered in France, so because so much of the book was spent on their romance, I kept hoping that he'd come back in a miracle move again just like her brother.
But alas, she ends up the wife of the vicar who took in the baby of the couple she lodged with who died in a bombing explosion. Their romance felt so rushed that I just felt sad for her that she chose comfort and security over love. It is the time and it was a true story, but still. I felt nothing for her and the vicar, unlike how I felt about her and Harry.
As a spy she also seemed somewhat incompetent, despite her skill with knitting code. She botched her first mission and needed an emergency rescue.
So I wanted to love this more than I did, but I found the romance disappointing and I was hoping for a knitting group fighting the Nazis. Instead Lenny was often a lone wolf. I did emotionally connect to her and found her a compelling character, though. So maybe this one just wasn't for me.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance review copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
The title was also rather misleading. There was no knitting club or group; it was only about one woman's struggles in WWII.
Lenny, searching for her brother who is missing and presumed dead, leaves her home of Guernsey for London and joins up with the War Office. There she becomes swept up in the war effort and with nothing left to lose, becomes a female spy in France. I did find the historical details colorful, engrossing and very well done.
In training, she becomes an expert at Morse code and as she is also an avid knitter, she impresses the men with her idea to knit code into stitches. She soon teaches the other trainees to knit. But knitting is a small part of the story as it focuses on her romance with her brother's friend, Harry, also her commanding officer.
When in France, the two strike up a friendship that turns into something more. Then to rescue Lenny when she is in danger of being arrested, Harry gets left behind. It was unclear whether he was killed or missing in action just like her brother who was later recovered in France, so because so much of the book was spent on their romance, I kept hoping that he'd come back in a miracle move again just like her brother.
But alas, she ends up the wife of the vicar who took in the baby of the couple she lodged with who died in a bombing explosion. Their romance felt so rushed that I just felt sad for her that she chose comfort and security over love. It is the time and it was a true story, but still. I felt nothing for her and the vicar, unlike how I felt about her and Harry.
As a spy she also seemed somewhat incompetent, despite her skill with knitting code. She botched her first mission and needed an emergency rescue.
So I wanted to love this more than I did, but I found the romance disappointing and I was hoping for a knitting group fighting the Nazis. Instead Lenny was often a lone wolf. I did emotionally connect to her and found her a compelling character, though. So maybe this one just wasn't for me.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance review copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 12, 2025
i really enjoyed this book. thank you to netgalley for letting me read this e arc in exchange for an honest opinion
November 16, 2025
The story of a woman during the Second World War who devised a way to knit code into knitted garments giving the allies information about the enemy and how she had to evade capture from the Germans.
Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.
November 22, 2025
Gripping and beautifully written, this histfic WWII tale reveals a unique kind of spy craft: Knitting codes and messages into scarves and sweaters given to prisoners. Unputdownable!
January 30, 2026
This book surprised me in the quietest, most emotional way. At first, I found myself slowing down on purpose. The writing is gentle and easy to follow, but it carries so much weight underneath. I wanted to sit with the story instead of rushing it, especially knowing it was inspired by real acts of resistance.
Lenny’s story stayed with me. The idea of using something as ordinary and domestic as knitting to pass intelligence during the war is both brilliant and terrifying. Every stitch felt dangerous. Every small decision carried real consequences.
What truly moved me, though, was the emotional aftermath. This book is not just about bravery during the war, but about what happens after. The silence, the trauma, the love that changes shape over time. The later chapters completely broke my heart and then gently stitched it back together.
There is love here, but it’s complicated and honest. There are choices that don’t feel clean or easy, just human. And there is so much quiet strength in how this story honors sacrifice across generations. This was a beautiful, emotional read that I’ll be thinking about for a long time.
Lenny’s story stayed with me. The idea of using something as ordinary and domestic as knitting to pass intelligence during the war is both brilliant and terrifying. Every stitch felt dangerous. Every small decision carried real consequences.
What truly moved me, though, was the emotional aftermath. This book is not just about bravery during the war, but about what happens after. The silence, the trauma, the love that changes shape over time. The later chapters completely broke my heart and then gently stitched it back together.
There is love here, but it’s complicated and honest. There are choices that don’t feel clean or easy, just human. And there is so much quiet strength in how this story honors sacrifice across generations. This was a beautiful, emotional read that I’ll be thinking about for a long time.
November 24, 2025
Lenny wakes up in 2010 speaking French, shocking her family because they never knew she spoke another language. We get Lenny's story starting in 1940 when she gets a letter that her brother is missing in action and presumed dead. She goes to the War Office in London to find answers but finds herself joining the war effort. During her training to become a spy, she devised a method of hiding morse-code messages in knitted clothing to pass classified information which is adopted by the SOE spy network.
This book sounded good and it lived up to my expectations. It is full of excitement, danger, and romance. I couldn't stop reading it. It's just as emotional as it is entertaining. I did cry.
It's a mix of drama, thriller, mystery, romance, and spy novel. Exploring love and loss in a moving journey. The quick moving plot kept me invested. I appreciate that it wasn't stuffed full of flowery descriptors. It is a well-told story full of heart.
The main character, Lenny, is well-developed, likable, and believable. I enjoyed her excellent character development. However, I found the other characters to be a bit one dimensional and harder to connect with. I started to connect with James, but then his story gets brushed over in the end. I also would have liked to know what happened with some of the side characters.
My biggest complaint is that I wish there was more involving the knitted messages.
This would be a great read for those who love historical fiction.
Thank you to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for the e-arc. All opinions are my own.
This book sounded good and it lived up to my expectations. It is full of excitement, danger, and romance. I couldn't stop reading it. It's just as emotional as it is entertaining. I did cry.
It's a mix of drama, thriller, mystery, romance, and spy novel. Exploring love and loss in a moving journey. The quick moving plot kept me invested. I appreciate that it wasn't stuffed full of flowery descriptors. It is a well-told story full of heart.
The main character, Lenny, is well-developed, likable, and believable. I enjoyed her excellent character development. However, I found the other characters to be a bit one dimensional and harder to connect with. I started to connect with James, but then his story gets brushed over in the end. I also would have liked to know what happened with some of the side characters.
My biggest complaint is that I wish there was more involving the knitted messages.
This would be a great read for those who love historical fiction.
Thank you to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for the e-arc. All opinions are my own.
March 3, 2026
An interesting WWII spy story about Lenora and how she introduced the troops to knitting! It seems British spies were taught the knit scarves and socks with hidden messages knitted in the pattern. While morse code is dots and dashes, and knitting is knit and purl stitches Lenora taught the men to use a knit stitch for each dot and a purl stitch for each dash and they were soon knitting secret messages into their knitting. The novel recounts her time as a spy, as well as her time after the war as she grabbles to put her life back together again. She suffers much loss due to the war but ultimately finds forgiveness and love.
March 9, 2026
When her brother is reported missing, 18 year old Lenny Galliene makes her way to London to seeking more informations. Lenny brings along her knitting as she is an expert knitter, she makes socks for the soldiers n weaves messages into the socks searching for her brother. Unable to obtain information on her brother she secures a job with the war office and then manages to get into the training program to become spy. She has difficulty learning code until she puts it into her knitting n is then asked to teach the others in the group how to knit n incorporate code. Mentoring her is Harry a friend of her brother. Once in France she encounters a shocking situation which impacts many.
March 14, 2026
I really wanted to rate this book higher—it combines two of my favorites things: books and knitting. But I expected much more in the plot about the actual mechanics of and work done by the knitting resistance during WW II. In this book, the main character was a knitter and came up with the idea of knitting code into socks or sweaters (jumpers), but then never really did it. It felt like the plot was contrived around the fact that she was a knitter.
February 7, 2026
This is a big story told with a dual timeline. The book opens in 2010 with an elderly stroke victim suddenly speaking in French. The victim’s family are shocked as she had always maintained that she didn’t know any foreign languages. The story then shifts to 1941, and we follow eighteen-year-old Lenny Galienne as she travels from Guernsey to London, determined to learn more about a war office report declaring her brother missing in action and presumed dead.
I usually give anything relating to the war a very wide berth as I find myself feeling too emotional, but there must be something in the air as this is the second time I’ve embarked on a book themed around WW2 in recent weeks. This is not an easy read as we visit the atrocities inflicted during both the Blitz and the German occupation of France. There is much loss, and I found those incidents to be heartbreaking yet carefully handled. The details leaned on the facts and not the potential for drama. This felt fitting as death became an awful way of life during wartime.
Leonore, or Lenny as she prefers to be called, followed a challenging path, and I admired her strength of spirit. She is determined to discover what had happened to her brother, but that soon turns into a driving desire to assist in the war effort. A dangerous yet fulfilling decision. Her pioneering method of sending coded messages behind enemy lines was both inspiring and jaw-dropping once I realised it wasn’t a work of fiction. I can only hope to display such bravery under similar circumstances.
We also meet Harry Dennison, a former teammate of Lenny’s brother. Initially, Harry and Lenny have a tolerant relationship, but their experiences deepen their connection, accelerated by their terrifying circumstances. I imagined Harry as one of the heroes I recall from so many films of the era. Perhaps played by David Niven…
There is a terrific supporting cast, but I don’t want to mention them for fear of including a spoiler. I do hope you find the camaraderie and grit of the French Resistance as compelling as I did.
As the story unfolds, there are tears, but the whole book is ultimately uplifting, and the ending is hard-won. The past caught up with the present, and the reader is treated to a satisfying conclusion that answers all the questions raised along the way, leaving me feeling hopeful that there were some happy endings despite those most desperate of times.
I usually give anything relating to the war a very wide berth as I find myself feeling too emotional, but there must be something in the air as this is the second time I’ve embarked on a book themed around WW2 in recent weeks. This is not an easy read as we visit the atrocities inflicted during both the Blitz and the German occupation of France. There is much loss, and I found those incidents to be heartbreaking yet carefully handled. The details leaned on the facts and not the potential for drama. This felt fitting as death became an awful way of life during wartime.
Leonore, or Lenny as she prefers to be called, followed a challenging path, and I admired her strength of spirit. She is determined to discover what had happened to her brother, but that soon turns into a driving desire to assist in the war effort. A dangerous yet fulfilling decision. Her pioneering method of sending coded messages behind enemy lines was both inspiring and jaw-dropping once I realised it wasn’t a work of fiction. I can only hope to display such bravery under similar circumstances.
We also meet Harry Dennison, a former teammate of Lenny’s brother. Initially, Harry and Lenny have a tolerant relationship, but their experiences deepen their connection, accelerated by their terrifying circumstances. I imagined Harry as one of the heroes I recall from so many films of the era. Perhaps played by David Niven…
There is a terrific supporting cast, but I don’t want to mention them for fear of including a spoiler. I do hope you find the camaraderie and grit of the French Resistance as compelling as I did.
As the story unfolds, there are tears, but the whole book is ultimately uplifting, and the ending is hard-won. The past caught up with the present, and the reader is treated to a satisfying conclusion that answers all the questions raised along the way, leaving me feeling hopeful that there were some happy endings despite those most desperate of times.
March 3, 2026
I had such high hopes for this book, and it started strong, on track to be a 4-5 star read for me, but seemed to lose focus in the second half. As an avid knitter, I’m fascinated by stories about the brave women who encoded secret messages into knitted garments during WWII, so I was very excited to come across this historical fiction novel, allegedly based on a true story.
Unfortunately, very little of the book had to do with knitting, let alone as a means for transmitting critical intelligence about the opposition. Most of Lenny’s scant knitting time was spent making baby sweaters (or, unbelievably, two men’s sweaters in an impossibly short time). Also, there was simply no “resistance knitting club,” unless you count the brief description of her fruitless efforts to teach her male colleagues how to knit. As far as I could tell, she made one encoded scarf, which didn’t even make its way into the hands of anyone who could make use of the message.
I consider the book to be more of a romance, rather than a story about knitters’ invaluable contributions to the war effort. This is especially disappointing as the story suggests that Lenny is the one who invented this means of communication. When given any credit, she genuinely dismisses her importance in the war effort, basically shrugging it off and saying that she only came up with it to learn Morse code.
The love story (stories?) felt rushed and kind of arbitrary. I don’t want to give away any spoilers, but I will say that I ultimately found Lenny’s brother to be one of the least likable, thoughtful, or consequential characters in the book, which made all the sacrifices made on his behalf feel extremely frustrating. Another anticlimactic and confusing aspect was that there’s no evidence in the book that Lenny ever ended up sharing her wartime story with her present day family. Why not? What was the point of bringing the story to the present?
I enjoyed the book for the most part, but felt the title and synopsis were misleading. Come for the story of a young woman coming of age as a wartime operative, not for the story of how valuable knitters’ contributions were during WWII.
Unfortunately, very little of the book had to do with knitting, let alone as a means for transmitting critical intelligence about the opposition. Most of Lenny’s scant knitting time was spent making baby sweaters (or, unbelievably, two men’s sweaters in an impossibly short time). Also, there was simply no “resistance knitting club,” unless you count the brief description of her fruitless efforts to teach her male colleagues how to knit. As far as I could tell, she made one encoded scarf, which didn’t even make its way into the hands of anyone who could make use of the message.
I consider the book to be more of a romance, rather than a story about knitters’ invaluable contributions to the war effort. This is especially disappointing as the story suggests that Lenny is the one who invented this means of communication. When given any credit, she genuinely dismisses her importance in the war effort, basically shrugging it off and saying that she only came up with it to learn Morse code.
The love story (stories?) felt rushed and kind of arbitrary. I don’t want to give away any spoilers, but I will say that I ultimately found Lenny’s brother to be one of the least likable, thoughtful, or consequential characters in the book, which made all the sacrifices made on his behalf feel extremely frustrating. Another anticlimactic and confusing aspect was that there’s no evidence in the book that Lenny ever ended up sharing her wartime story with her present day family. Why not? What was the point of bringing the story to the present?
I enjoyed the book for the most part, but felt the title and synopsis were misleading. Come for the story of a young woman coming of age as a wartime operative, not for the story of how valuable knitters’ contributions were during WWII.
December 2, 2025
As a knitter, as soon as i read the title and the blurb i rushed to request the arc as i was very interested in picking this up. Unfortunately i was very disappointed by this book. The pacing didn’t work, it was a very slow start but the 1st part was the only part where knitting had some relevance.The only knitting club in this book is in the first few pages and we got to see the idea come to fruition only for it to be dropped in part two to give space for a half hearted romance and the search for her brother while things seemed to happen around our main character with her having a mostly passive role. The brother plotline was interesting enough but because of the expectations i had around the knitting club and the other plotlines it wasn’t enough to keep me interested.
I wanted female friendships, spy work, a strong female character that got away with stuff from being overlooked and a knitting club - didn’t get much of any of it.
I’d like to thank netgalley and storm publishing for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review
I wanted female friendships, spy work, a strong female character that got away with stuff from being overlooked and a knitting club - didn’t get much of any of it.
I’d like to thank netgalley and storm publishing for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review
February 9, 2026
I love a good dual timeline historical fiction novel, and this was an excellent one. I’m also a knitter so this title especially appealed to me.
The story of an elderly lady who, after having a stroke, begins speaking fluent French, much to her family’s surprise as they had no idea she could speak French!
We then go back to her young life in 1940 Guernsey, just before German occupation, as she receives news her brother is missing in action. She is compelled to travel, at the age of 17, to London to find out more. At the war office she is surprised to be offered a job, and then progressed to training to be a spy in a newly set up elite group.
We follow Lenny as she is then posted to Paris, her knitting a constant comfort for her, and a way to pass messages home via patterns in socks and scarves. I was flabbergasted to read this was actually a thing during the war. How brilliant.
A heartfelt story of the difficult reality of life during the war in London and in Paris. The undercover lives of spies and the French Resistance. The fact it was virtually impossible to trust anyone. Love, loss and an incredible strong wartime spirit make this an absolutely addictive read which moved me to tears a number of times.
I am here for the next novel from Jenny.
The story of an elderly lady who, after having a stroke, begins speaking fluent French, much to her family’s surprise as they had no idea she could speak French!
We then go back to her young life in 1940 Guernsey, just before German occupation, as she receives news her brother is missing in action. She is compelled to travel, at the age of 17, to London to find out more. At the war office she is surprised to be offered a job, and then progressed to training to be a spy in a newly set up elite group.
We follow Lenny as she is then posted to Paris, her knitting a constant comfort for her, and a way to pass messages home via patterns in socks and scarves. I was flabbergasted to read this was actually a thing during the war. How brilliant.
A heartfelt story of the difficult reality of life during the war in London and in Paris. The undercover lives of spies and the French Resistance. The fact it was virtually impossible to trust anyone. Love, loss and an incredible strong wartime spirit make this an absolutely addictive read which moved me to tears a number of times.
I am here for the next novel from Jenny.
February 18, 2026
Great book about never giving up and love for family during WWII.
This story is set in Paris in 1941 when Lenny goes there to find out what happened to her brother after she was told he was missing in action at Dunkirk. Lenny is told her brother is dead and decides to help with the war effort in Paris. She goes into training to be a secret agent for Churchill and uses her knitting to learn Morse code. She is the only woman in the training.
The story is also set in Guernsey in 2010 long after the war. When she finally tells her grandchild that she was a secret agent during WWII in Paris and spoke French. Her children and grandchildren had no idea!
This story is set in Paris in 1941 when Lenny goes there to find out what happened to her brother after she was told he was missing in action at Dunkirk. Lenny is told her brother is dead and decides to help with the war effort in Paris. She goes into training to be a secret agent for Churchill and uses her knitting to learn Morse code. She is the only woman in the training.
The story is also set in Guernsey in 2010 long after the war. When she finally tells her grandchild that she was a secret agent during WWII in Paris and spoke French. Her children and grandchildren had no idea!
February 11, 2026
5 well deserved ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I wish I could give more than 5 stars. This story was unputdownable (I know that's not a real word, but it should be)
Such an incredible read, full of suspense and quite sad at times. I thoroughly recommend this book if you like true war heroine and hero stories of WW2. Brilliant
I wish I could give more than 5 stars. This story was unputdownable (I know that's not a real word, but it should be)
Such an incredible read, full of suspense and quite sad at times. I thoroughly recommend this book if you like true war heroine and hero stories of WW2. Brilliant
February 18, 2026
The Resistance Knitting Club is a WWII story of a group of spies using knitting to pass code to the POWs, and across country boarders. Lenny picks up and moves to London in the thick of the war. This decision changes the course of her life, and we get to watch it happen.
I gave this rating because the last third felt very predictable. I was enjoying the story up until that point. While the ending was fine… that’s all it was. I would definitely read the next book in the series.
⭐ Final Score: 3.5
📅 Pub Date: Feb 6, 2026
Thank you to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for the advanced copy. All thoughts are my own.
I gave this rating because the last third felt very predictable. I was enjoying the story up until that point. While the ending was fine… that’s all it was. I would definitely read the next book in the series.
⭐ Final Score: 3.5
📅 Pub Date: Feb 6, 2026
Thank you to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for the advanced copy. All thoughts are my own.
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March 9, 2026I chose this book because of the title and that it was based on fact. I was therefore disappointed that there was little mention of how the knitting was used, the type of messages, the impact, etc. Also, there was no knitting 'club'. The story was fine, but more of a romance than what I was expecting.
December 2, 2025
This novel was thrilling but also emotional. It moves at a good pace which kept me engrossed and it had many twists. I found myself shouting "No!" at one point and then realised I had tears in my eyes. A truly good read.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.
February 10, 2026
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
After reading this book, I realized that I've barely readen books based during the war.
It was quite a fresh take for it to have been written not on a soldier, but a woman... A woman who lived through it and tried to manage through it.
The story didn't particularly make me feel anything (I didn't feel sad, nor hope, nor joy), which is why I didn't rate it as 5 stars. However, it was catchy and made me want to know what will happen next.
I wonder on what the 2nd story will be about.
After reading this book, I realized that I've barely readen books based during the war.
It was quite a fresh take for it to have been written not on a soldier, but a woman... A woman who lived through it and tried to manage through it.
The story didn't particularly make me feel anything (I didn't feel sad, nor hope, nor joy), which is why I didn't rate it as 5 stars. However, it was catchy and made me want to know what will happen next.
I wonder on what the 2nd story will be about.
February 11, 2026
I have read that the author of this book wrote it as it combined two of her greatest pleasures – reading and knitting. That resonated deeply with me, as they are also two of my favourite things to do and were what initially attracted me to this book.
If you would like to read my full review please visit my blog at:
https://leftontheshelfbookblog.blogsp...
If you would like to read my full review please visit my blog at:
https://leftontheshelfbookblog.blogsp...
March 11, 2026
I was really looking forward to this. I saw it on my sister’s to be read list, and thought I’d really like it. Unfortunately I didn’t love it as much as I’d hoped. I just didn’t connect with the characters. With historical fiction, that connection feels especially important to me. It was not bad, just a bit of a let down
March 12, 2026
Wanted more knitting…
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Lenny is a young girl forced to grow up fast in the midst of WWII. She desperately wants information about her missing brother and signs up to help fight the war. During training she invents a way to translate morse code into knitting and the army implements it to pass secret messages during the war.
This historical fiction has knitting, intrigue, and romance. Lenny has a truly brilliant moment with the morse code conversion. The first half of the story is very smart and quick to read. I blew through it in one sitting.
The second half of the story is more emotional. It focuses on the anxiety Lenny is feeling through the war as a female spy. Unfortunately we never directly view the impact of Lenny’s brilliant coding. Her scope is limited as the first person narrator.
This was a very enjoyable. The main characters were well described and the writing was easy to follow.
*** Many thanks to Netgalley and Storm Publishing for providing a free copy of this eARC in exchange for an honest review. ***
This historical fiction has knitting, intrigue, and romance. Lenny has a truly brilliant moment with the morse code conversion. The first half of the story is very smart and quick to read. I blew through it in one sitting.
The second half of the story is more emotional. It focuses on the anxiety Lenny is feeling through the war as a female spy. Unfortunately we never directly view the impact of Lenny’s brilliant coding. Her scope is limited as the first person narrator.
This was a very enjoyable. The main characters were well described and the writing was easy to follow.
*** Many thanks to Netgalley and Storm Publishing for providing a free copy of this eARC in exchange for an honest review. ***
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