Monday 4 December 2017

Book Review - The Wooly Hat Knitting Club by Poppy Dolan - Rachel Reads Randomly Book #80

Amazon UK
Title: The Wooly Hat Knitting Club
Author: Poppy Dolan
Format reviewed: Ebook
Source: Netgalley
Publisher: Canelo
Publication Date: 25th September 2017
Rating: 5 Stars


Finding happiness one stitch at a time
When Dee Blackthorn’s brother, JP, breaks both wrists not only is he in need of a helping hand – or two – but the knitting shop he owns can’t function. Sisterly duties take Dee away from her demanding job and she is unceremoniously fired amidst scandalous office rumours. Dee is certain that her hot-shot nemesis, Ben, is behind it all.

Back in the village of Fenwild where JP's shop resides, Dee bumps into Becky, an old friend who is new mum to a premature baby. Desperate to help Becky, Dee convinces JP to enlist his knitting pals to make tiny woolly hats to keep the little one warm. Seeing how grateful her friend is, Dee makes it her mission to help lots of other premature babies. When Ben turns up denying involvement in Dee’s sacking she is initially furious, but hears him out before roping him into helping the knitting cause.

But before long Dee’s good intentions backfire and she risks losing her friends, her family and Ben, who’s turned out to be not so bad after all…

What a wonderfully heartwarming story from Poppy Dolan.  There are some very strong messages that I was getting from this book which I will explain in a moment.  It is a very well written book touching on all manner of things from finding yourself after an unexpected sacking, love creeping up on you, premature babies and friendship. 

One of the most important things I have gained from this book is a reawakened knowledge about premature babies, their chances of survival and just how little clothing is available for them, which is why what JP managed to do with his knitting blog and shop is so remarkable. He fired up the crafting community and lots of baby sized hats start to get knitted. 

Actually that is putting it in far too basic terms but you get the idea. The other message I got from the book was just what an amazing thing the crafting community is, and how crafters are quite happy to help out for a good cause. That and just how relaxing knitting can be. 

Dee was a workaholic until circumstances meant that she had to spend prolonged time in her brother's haberdashery. Watching her get to grips with crafting, find her place in the world without a high powered job and be surprisingly oblivious to the obvious was all rather charming to read.  

What I also really loved where the descriptions of the craft convention Dee, JP and friends attend, not just for the fabulous stunt that JP pulled for publicity of the cause, but also for what Dee was finding at the other stalls which then lead to a hilarious scene involving an alpaca! 

This is a fabulous book and don't let the words wooly hat in the title make you think this is just a wintery book, this is an all year around fabulous story that is well worth reading. 

Thank you to Netgalley and Canelo for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

Thank you to everyone that vote for this book this week, it was an overwhelming majority and you were of course all right, I should have read this months ago when I got it!  So for the last vote of 2017 what is going to win this week?

2 comments:

  1. It sounds like a super book with an important message. And I can confirm at first hand that the crafting community is amazing, so many of us use our skills to help charity in one way or another, for instance most of the cards I make are sold in aid of charity. It's a great way of giving more than you could ever afford to give financially.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Really is an important message. And that is fabulous about your cards.

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