1--What is the title of your latest release?
CORONATION YEAR
2--What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?
Come stay at the historic Blue Lion hotel for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953 - and help to foil disaster while you’re there!
3--How did you decide where your book was going to take place?
I knew right away that it would be set in London, but where exactly? Since I wanted my characters to watch the coronation procession pass by, I decided it would be a hotel. And since the exact hotel I imagined never existed, I created the Blue Lion. If you go to the place I describe in the book you’ll find a very nice public house, but no hotel. Sorry!
4--Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life?
Absolutely! Edie is exactly the sort of person I’d like to have as a friend. And she serves a really delicious afternoon tea at her hotel.
5--What are three words that describe your protagonist?
Lonely. Hopeful. Brave.
6--What’s something you learned while writing this book?
So many tiny details about the history of coronations. My kids have already refused to watch the king’s coronation in May with me because they are convinced I will bombard them with all those bits of historical trivia!
7--Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done?
I edit as I go -- I was an editor for many years and I can’t stop myself from polishing as I go along.
8--What’s your favorite foodie indulgence?
Really good sourdough bread from Blackbird Bakery in Toronto. A slice of it with a smear of really good unsalted butter is life changing.
9--Describe your writing space/office!
We renovated our home last year and my former office, which was about the size of a broom closet, was transformed into a gorgeous room with a vaulted ceiling, enormous windows, and a desk that runs the width of the space. My architect calls it the “Cathedral of Writing.”
10--Who is an author you admire?
How can I pick just one? I will say I especially admire Kristin Harmel, who has done so much in recent months to raise funds for breast cancer research and support for women undergoing treatment. And all while going through treatment for breast cancer herself, working on her next book, being a mom, and always having a kind word to share with her readers and fellow writers.
11--Is there a book that changed your life?
I think every book I read changes me a little. It pushes against the boundaries of my world view and challenges me to imagine the interior life of others. It forces me to see and listen and learn, and in so doing embrace the world we share that much more. If I were to cite a specific book that made me feel this way, I remember first reading Charlotte’s Web as a child and having that exact experience. To this day I cannot kill a spider!
12--Tell us about when you got “the call.” (when you found out your book was going to be published)/Or, for indie authors, when you decided to self-publish.
For me the key moment was the call I got from Kevan Lyon, my literary agent, to offer me representation. I had been turned down so many times before, but she was so enthusiastic about my work, and knowing that she believed in me helped me to believe in myself. I would walk on hot coals for her, and I know that is true of her other writers. That call from her changed my life, and I’ll never forget it.
13--What’s your favorite genre to read?
Historical fiction — what else?
14--What’s your favorite movie?
When Harry Met Sally. Love, love, love. Princess Bride is a close second.
15--What is your favorite season?
Autumn, especially those few weeks before and after Canadian Thanksgiving at the beginning of October.
16--How do you like to celebrate your birthday?
My birthday is on January 5, so quite often we are away on a post-Christmas holiday. For my 50th birthday I was in Venice with my husband, which was just as perfect as you can imagine!
17--What’s a recent tv show/movie/book/podcast you highly recommend?
For the maybe five people alive who haven’t yet tuned into Ted Lasso, please do so. It is EVERYTHING.
18--What’s your favorite type of cuisine?
I love traditional English cooking -- which does not have to be all about heavy meals and overcooked meat. My favorite meal, by far, is roast chicken with sage and onion dressing (my Mum’s recipe), mashed potatoes, gravy, and Yorkshire pudding. Just thinking about this is making me hungry!
19--What do you do when you have free time?
I read! My idea of heaven is going on holiday and reading basically the whole time, with a bit of swimming and beach-walking thrown in.
20--What can readers expect from you next?
I’m still working out the finer details, but it will be another historical novel set in 20th-century England. Beyond that I’m not quite ready to share!
A Novel
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.
Historical [William Morrow Paperbacks, On Sale: April 4, 2023, Paperback / e-Book, ISBN: 9780063074149 / eISBN: 9780063074156]
Jennifer Robson first learned about the Great War from her father, acclaimed historian Stuart Robson, and later served as an official guide at the Canadian National War Memorial at Vimy Ridge, France. A former copy editor, she holds a doctorate in British economic and social history from the University of Oxford. She lives in Toronto, Canada, with her husband and young children.
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