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.
Readers love The Resistance Knitting Club:
‘If I could give this book a billion stars, I would. It was impossible to put down. It is filled with surprising twists... It leaves you with a feeling of unity, compassion, and the warmth of a forever love.’ Reader review, 5 stars
‘Heart wrenching and captivating that turns into the most remarkable story. Grab your tissues keep them close, this is a true feminist heroine playing a vital part that will have you absolutely sobbing your heart out.’ Reader review, 5 stars
‘Just a warning...don’t think that you will just read a couple of chapters... Five hours later, I had missed dinner, but I’d finished the book... a spectacular read.’ Reader review, 5 stars
‘Oh wow, this is a super addictive read. I’m not a knitter but I was fascinated by the concept of using various stitches to encode information. O’Brien manages to seamlessly entwine fact and fiction in this wonderful story of love and heroism... I’m betting this will end up being a movie!’ Reader review, 5 stars
‘For fans of The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah, this book is for you!... the reader will discover a heroic woman who sacrifices so much to help the ones that she loves. A terrific read!’ Reader review, 5 stars
‘A compelling and fast-moving story with a few twists. The way that knitting is used as code is intriguing and the characters are really thought provoking. Once I started, I could not stop reading.’ Reader review, 5 stars
‘A beautifully written, engaging historical fiction story that completely won me over... If you enjoy books like The Nightingale or The Alice Network, this one fits right alongside them. A truly lovely read and an easy 5 stars for me.’ Reader review, 5 stars
‘An absolutely brilliant, five-star read!’ Reader review, 5 stars
‘This WW2 fiction book was amazing, I loved it. Wow it was such a rollercoaster of a read – heartbreaking, sad, uplifting, courageous... Highly recommend.’ Reader review, 5 stars
‘Wow, this is a must read. It’s fascinating, who knew knitting could be so interesting!... I really enjoyed this book, it has to be my new favourite.’ Reader review, 5 stars
