Happy publication day to The Gown by Jennifer Robson, and thank you to HarperCollins Canada for an advance copy of this book!

I am an unapologetic follower of the royal family, so I was extremely excited to hear about The Gown - and thrilled to be able to read it early. I’ve seen it be compared to the Netflix show The Crown, and to a certain extent that makes sense - but this book intentionally shows the royal family from a distance. The real focus is on two of the women who embroidered Princess Elizabeth’s wedding dress. It’s a great angle to approach a fascinating moment in history.

The story explores two time periods and 3 point-of-views, but it is still very linear and easy to follow. Some books jump around so much that I tend to get pulled out of the story just trying to keep it all straight in my head. Thankfully, Robson pulls it off very well; it was very easy to get drawn in.

I’m struggling to describe how beautifully written this book is, from the descriptions of the embroidery process to the stark reality of post-WWII London. The story jumps off the page and comes alive! But Robson’s greatest strength are her characters - they are solid and very real. Miriam and Ann’s struggles are heart-breaking, and you can’t help but feel for them. It can get pretty heavy, touching on the Holocaust, sexual assault and PTSD - but each is handled with care and respect.

There is a bit of a mystery to the tale as well, and I love how it was all revealed in the end. So so so good.

Funny enough, I have Goodnight From London sitting on my bookshelf waiting to be read; I had no idea it was the same author! Now I can’t wait to dive in.