The Coronation Year: A Novel by Jennifer Robson
The Coronation Year: A Novel by Jennifer Robson
Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks
Genre: General Fiction (Adult), Historical Fiction, Romance
No. of Pages: 400
My Rating: 4 Stars
My Thoughts
I requested this on first sight, after really enjoying “The Gown” by Ms. Robson, and the opportunity to read an early copy of this terrific follow up novel (thank you so much, WMP!) was greatly appreciated and enjoyed.
The story here is a full in jump back to 1953, told in three concurrent parts, and I loved the intimate peek at everyday people who are living through history (living right now (February 2023) in a newly post-pandemic time, mourning the loss of Queen Elizabeth II while still being excited about Charles's coronation, this novel is particularly timely).
Historical events amidst the lives of the people secondarily involved is something that the author writes well and this new novel, with its mystery and romance mixed in with the coronation year of Queen Elizabeth II was engaging and kept me reading. I completely enjoyed this one.
If you're reading this after reading The Gown, you'll be pleased to see some familiar characters.
Recommended.
Thank you to William Morrow Paperbacks and NetGalley for the DRC!
Description
The USA Today bestselling author of The Gown returns with another enthralling and royal-adjacent historical novel—as the lives of three very different residents of London’s historic Blue Lion hotel converge in a potentially explosive climax on the day of Queen Elizabeth’s Coronation.
It is Coronation Year, 1953, and a new queen is about to be crowned. The people of London are in a mood to celebrate, none more so than the residents of the Blue Lion hotel.
Edie Howard, owner and operator of the floundering Blue Lion, has found the miracle she needs: on Coronation Day, Queen Elizabeth in her gold coach will pass by the hotel’s front door, allowing Edie to charge a fortune for rooms and, barring disaster, save her beloved home from financial ruin. Edie’s luck might just be turning, all thanks to a young queen about her own age.
Stella Donati, a young Italian photographer and Holocaust survivor, has come to live at the Blue Lion while she takes up a coveted position at Picture Weekly magazine. London in celebration mode feels like a different world to her. As she learns the ins and outs of her new profession, Stella discovers a purpose and direction that honor her past and bring hope for her future.
James Geddes, a war hero and gifted artist, has struggled to make his mark in a world that disdains his Indian ancestry. At the Blue Lion, though, he is made to feel welcome and worthy. Yet even as his friendship with Edie deepens, he begins to suspect that something is badly amiss at his new home.
When anonymous threats focused on Coronation Day, the Blue Lion, and even the queen herself disrupt their mood of happy optimism, Edie and her friends must race to uncover the truth, save their home, and expose those who seek to erase the joy and promise of Coronation Year.
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