Christmas at the Village Sewing Shop

Helen Rolfe

AS Christmas draws near, can three sisters stitch their family back together? Christmas at the Village Sewing Shop is the enchanting new novel from Helen Rolfe, the much-loved author of feelgood women’s fiction and a writer whose stories feature idyllic rural locations where problems are real, broken hearts are mended, family comes first, and love and friendship blossom.

Employing all the warmth and charm of Maeve Binchy, and a special brand of kindness that she has made her own, Rolfe (pictured below) weaves together the warmth of community, the bonds of family love, romance and festive magic in a story guaranteed to bring laughter, tears and miles of smiles.

Loretta has run the little village sewing shop in Butterbury for years while bringing up her three headstrong daughters. Her own grandmother taught her how to quilt and some of Loretta’s most precious memories are sitting with her three girls, Daisy, Ginny and Fern, and stitching together scraps of material... as well as their hopes and dreams.

But this Christmas the family is coming apart at the seams. Fern feels like she is failing at motherhood and marriage, Ginny’s passion for her job as a midwife is fading, and Daisy (who is keeping two very different secrets) is desperate to prove she has changed since her wild younger years. But 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 bond between the sisters begins to heal and new friendships are woven. But when Loretta reveals the real reason she has brought them all home, can the sisters mend the quilt, and their family, in time for Christmas? Rolfe knows what makes people tick – their fears, their disappointments and their need for love – and this sparkling concoction, set in the kind of charming rural village where many of us would love to live, serves up lashings of domestic drama, a big helping of romance, plenty of soul-searching, and a cast of lovable characters. So if it’s good cheer, a warm hug, and a comforting slice of festive spirit that you’re seeking this Christmas season, head off to beautiful Butterbury and you’ll definitely feel the love!
(Orion, paperback, £7.99)