The Queen's Coronation by Jennifer Ryan

Having enjoyed The Chilbury Ladies’ Choir, I was really looking forward to reading this, and it exceeded my expectations. It’s a fun, wonderfully researched story that gives such an engaging glimpse into what it must have been like inside the palace around the Coronation of the late Queen Elizabeth — something we’re all curious about. And it’s so much more than that, too.

It’s 1953, and London is buzzing with excitement for the Coronation — none more so than within the walls of Buckingham Palace. It’s here we meet a group of women who are destined to become the closest of friends. Caroline, assistant dresser to the Queen, loves her work, but her home life is far from ideal; pregnant after the love of her life didn’t return from the war, she married a man who went on to treat both her and her daughter terribly. Lucy, a strikingly beautiful young woman, joins the Palace staff hoping it will be the first step toward her dream of becoming a famous singer. Miranda, an ambitious American journalist, is fighting to keep her job and seizes the chance to travel to London, using family connections to chase an inside scoop on the Palace and the secret Coronation dress. And bringing them all together is the wonderful Betty, Miranda’s aunt, who shows each of them the quiet strength of friendship and family.

I loved watching these women’s stories weave together against the backdrop of such an iconic moment in history. Jennifer Ryan captures the era with warmth, charm and a real sense of authenticity, but it’s the friendships — unexpected, supportive and quietly life‑changing — that give the book its heart. It’s a beautifully written, uplifting read that left me smiling and reminded me of the power of found family and women supporting women.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/8552252003