Coronation Year
An enthralling historical novel, perfect for fans of The Crown
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- 4,49 €
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- 4,49 €
Publisher Description
The 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. Perfect for fans of The Crown.
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London, 1953. A new Queen is about to be crowned, and at the historic Blue Lion Hotel, the lives of three residents are about to change in unexpected ways.
Edie Howard, owner of the hotel, needs a miracle to rescue it from closure. Now, it will become a sought after spot as the young Queen's carriage passes by on Coronation Day, offering Edie the chance to save her business from financial ruin.
Stella Donati, an Italian photographer and Holocaust survivor, lives at the Blue Lion. Her coveted position at Picture Weekly magazine opens a different world, giving her a purpose she thought she had lost with everything else she knew.
James Geddes, a gifted artist, has struggled to make his mark since his return from active service in the war in a world that disdains his Indian heritage. The Blue Lion affords him sanctuary and a welcome. Yet as his friendship with Edie deepens, he begins to suspect that something is badly amiss.
When anonymous threats focus on Coronation Day, Edie, Stella and James are determined to save their home, their livelihoods, and to expose those who seek to destroy them and the joyful promise of Coronation Year.
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Don't miss The Gown - an enthralling historical novel about one of the most famous wedding dresses of the twentieth century - Queen Elizabeth's wedding gown - and the fascinating women who made it:
'Will dazzle and delight' Independent
'Robson succeeds in creating a riveting drama of female friendship, of lives fully lived despite unbearable loss, and of the steadfast effort required to bring forth beauty after surviving war' Independent
'A great tale of female friendship' People's Friend
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Three strivers come together during the pomp of Queen Elizabeth II's 1953 coronation in Robson's pleasant latest (after Our Darkest Night). Edie Howard, 32, owns the Blue Lion hotel, which she inherited after her parents died. With business slow, Edie worries the 400-year-old hotel will fail. That is, until she learns the queen's procession will pass in front of the building, giving her a chance to boost room rates and serve afternoon tea to tourists. Her first guest after hearing the good news is family friend Stella Donati, who has been living in Rome and looking for photography work. The coronation provides her with her first assignment in a while, with a gig for a London magazine. Then there's Jamie Geddes, a man who worked in bomb disposal during the war. An Oxford-educated (if struggling) artist, he receives a commission to paint the queen's procession and finds a room at the Blue Lion with a perfect view for the day. After a slow setup, Robson ramps up the action, first with a romance between Edie and Jamie, followed by a bomb threat at the Blue Lion on the day of the procession. As Edie, Jamie, and Stella work to save the hotel, Robson adds intriguing supporting characters to the mix, including eccentric, peevish boarders and a fussy, unhinged assistant manager. Readers are in for a treat.
