Our Fall 2026 session of the Literary Sewing Circle begins today!
The Excitements by CJ Wray
A brilliant and witty drama about two elderly female World War II veterans with a secret past who embark on one last adventure to right some historic wrongs.
Meet the Williamson sisters, Britain’s most beloved World War II veterans. Now in their late nineties, Josephine and Penny are in huge demand, beloved of journalists and producers, popping up on red carpets and at fundraisers and festivals all over the country. Despite their age, they’re still in great form—perfectly put together, sprightly and sparky, and always in search of their next “excitement.”
This time it’s a trip to Paris to receive the Légion d’Honneur for their part in liberating France. As always, they will be accompanied by their devoted gay nephew, Archie, who moved in with his aunts right after he came out. The press has always reported that these lady heroes worked for the Royal Navy and the nursing corps, but that’s their official cover. In reality, Josephine was an intelligence operative who drew maps used for the D-Day invasion while Penny was a spy and specialist at hand-to-combat, risking her teenage life in France. And this trip to Paris is not what it seems either. Scandal and crime have always quietly trailed the Williamson sisters, even in the decades after the war.
Now armed with new information about an old adversary, these much decorated (but admittedly ancient) veterans intend to settle scores, avenge lost friends, and pull off one last, daring heist before the curtain finally comes down on their illustrious careers.
A deliciously fast-paced and witty drama, The Excitements is the tale of two remarkably clever and brave women who helped save the world and survived the unthinkable, without ever losing their killer instinct... or their joie de vivre.
About the Author:
CJ Wray is the pseudonym of Christine Manby, a Sunday Times bestselling author with more than forty books to her name. Raised in the west of England, she studied psychology before embarking on an entertaining and wide-ranging career that has seen her selling kitchens, editing erotica, interviewing an armed robber, and impersonating a princess.
This round we also have some sponsors! Two lovely pattern makers with a vintage vibe reflecting some of this book's themes have offerings for our readers.
Victory Patterns from Toronto, Canada is offering a discount code to all participants (for this one, please 'officially' sign up in the comments here or on IG to let me know you are sewing along) and also a free pattern of choice to one winner in our final draw.
How To Do Fashion from Denmark is offering a paper pattern of choice shipped to the winner in our final draw, worldwide. She also notes that if you sign up for her newsletter, you will have access to a free pattern and a discount code.
This book is available for purchase in multiple formats.
You can find this title at all of these locations:
Or, of course, check your local library!
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How does the Literary Sewing Circle work? We read a book together, discuss it, and then make something inspired by our reading. As long as you can point out what inspired you from your reading, even if just a sentence, you can share your makes in our final roundup!
Anyone can join, and you can sew, knit, crochet, quilt or embroider - any textile art that you like doing - to participate. This is a reading/sewing circle, very low-key. This round we are lucky to have some sponsors too!
There is no official sign-up to worry about; just start reading along if you wish, and leave your thoughts on the book or your project on any of the Literary Sewing Circle posts. And you can follow along on Instagram too if you like: look for @sewmelwyk and the hashtag #LiterarySewingCircle (which may work intermittently!) and you'll find us.
And when the final post goes up on week 6, so does the project linkup -- you can leave a link to your finished project in the comments, whether it is on your blog, a pattern site, or even Instagram. It's easy :)
So, join in, and share!
Literary Sewing Circle Schedule
Sept 25 - Announcement & Introduction
Oct 2 - Inspiration post 1
Oct 9 -Book thoughts
Oct 16 - Author feature
Oct 23 - Inspiration post 2
Oct 30 - Final Post: book discussion wrap up & project linkup
We will have our project linkup live for two weeks after the final post to allow you to finish up and post your projects, which takes us to Nov 13, when the window to share your projects will close if you want to enter for one of the prizes.
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