Jennifer Robson

“The Gown is marvelous and moving, a vivid portrait of female self-reliance in a world racked by the cost of war.”--Kate Quinn, New York Times bestselling author of The Alice Network From the internationally bestselling author of Somewhere in France comes 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. “Millions will welcome this joyous event as a flash of color on the long road we have to travel.” —Sir Winston Churchill on the news of Princess Elizabeth’s forthcoming wedding London, 1947: Besieged by the harshest winter in living memory, burdened by onerous shortages and rationing, the people of postwar Britain are enduring lives of quiet desperation despite their nation’s recent victory. Among them are Ann Hughes and Miriam Dassin, embroiderers at the famed Mayfair fashion house of Norman Hartnell. Together they forge an unlikely friendship, but their nascent hopes for a brighter future are tested when they are chosen for a once-in-a-lifetime honor: taking part in the creation of Princess Elizabeth’s wedding gown. Toronto, 2016: More than half a century later, Heather Mackenzie seeks to unravel the mystery of a set of embroidered flowers, a legacy from her late grandmother. How did her beloved Nan, a woman who never spoke of her old life in Britain, come to possess the priceless embroideries that so closely resemble the motifs on the stunning gown worn by Queen Elizabeth II at her wedding almost seventy years before? And what was her Nan’s connection to the celebrated textile artist and holocaust survivor Miriam Dassin? With The Gown, Jennifer Robson takes us inside the workrooms where one of the most famous wedding gowns in history was created. Balancing behind-the-scenes details with a sweeping portrait of a society left reeling by the calamitous costs of victory, she introduces readers to three unforgettable heroines, their points of view alternating and intersecting throughout its pages, whose lives are woven together by the pain of survival, the bonds of friendship, and the redemptive power of love.

A Novel of the Royal Wedding

The Gown

To survive the Holocaust, a young Jewish woman must pose as a Christian farmer's wife in this unforgettable novel from USA Today bestselling author Jennifer Robson--a story of terror, hope, love, and sacrifice, inspired by true events, that vividly evokes the most perilous days of World War II. It is the autumn of 1943, and life is becoming increasingly perilous for Italian Jews like the Mazin family. With Nazi Germany now occupying most of her beloved homeland, and the threat of imprisonment and deportation growing ever more certain, Antonina Mazin has but one hope to survive--to leave Venice and her beloved parents and hide in the countryside with a man she has only just met. Nico Gerardi was studying for the priesthood until circumstances forced him to leave the seminary to run his family's farm. A moral and just man, he could not stand by when the fascists and Nazis began taking innocent lives. Rather than risk a perilous escape across the mountains, Nina will pose as his new bride. And to keep her safe and protect secrets of his own, Nico and Nina must convince prying eyes they are happily married and in love. But farm life is not easy for a cultured city girl who dreams of becoming a doctor like her father, and Nico's provincial neighbors are wary of this soft and educated woman they do not know. Even worse, their distrust is shared by a local Nazi official with a vendetta against Nico. The more he learns of Nina, the more his suspicions grow--and with them his determination to exact revenge. As Nina and Nico come to know each other, their feelings deepen, transforming their relationship into much more than a charade. Yet both fear that every passing day brings them closer to being torn apart . . . --Lauren Willig, author of The English Wife

A Novel of Italy and the Second World War

Our Darkest Night

From USA Today bestselling author Jennifer Robson—author of Moonlight Over Paris and Somewhere in France—comes a lush historical novel that tells the fascinating story of Ruby Sutton, an ambitious American journalist who moves to London in 1940 to report on the Second World War, and to start a new life an ocean away from her past. In the summer of 1940, ambitious young American journalist Ruby Sutton gets her big break: the chance to report on the European war as a staff writer for Picture Weekly newsmagazine in London. She jumps at the chance, for it's an opportunity not only to prove herself, but also to start fresh in a city and country that know nothing of her humble origins. But life in besieged Britain tests Ruby in ways she never imagined. Although most of Ruby's new colleagues welcome her, a few resent her presence, not only as an American but also as a woman. She is just beginning to find her feet, to feel at home in a country that is so familiar yet so foreign, when the bombs begin to fall. As the nightly horror of the Blitz stretches unbroken into weeks and months, Ruby must set aside her determination to remain an objective observer. When she loses everything but her life, and must depend upon the kindness of strangers, she learns for the first time the depth and measure of true friendship—and what it is to love a man who is burdened by secrets that aren’t his to share. Goodnight from London, inspired in part by the wartime experiences of the author’s own grandmother, is a captivating, heartfelt, and historically immersive story that readers are sure to embrace.

A Novel

Goodnight from London

A daring young woman will risk her life to find her destiny in this atmospheric, beautifully drawn historical debut novel—a tale of love, hope, and danger set during the First World War. Lady Elizabeth Neville-Ashford wants to travel the world, pursue a career, and marry for love. But in 1914, the stifling restrictions of aristocratic British society and her mother’s rigid expectations forbid Lilly from following her heart. When war breaks out, the spirited young woman seizes her chance for independence. Defying her parents, she moves to London and eventually becomes an ambulance driver in the newly formed Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps—an exciting and treacherous job that takes her close to the Western Front. Assigned to a field hospital in France, Lilly is reunited with Robert Fraser, her dear brother Edward’s best friend. The handsome Scottish surgeon has always encouraged Lilly’s dreams. She doesn’t care that Robbie grew up in poverty—she yearns for their friendly affection to become something more. Lily is the most beautiful—and forbidden—woman Robbie has ever known. Fearful for her life, he’s determined to keep her safe, even if it means breaking her heart. In a world divided by class, filled with uncertainty and death, can their hope for love survive. . . or will it become another casualty of this tragic war? The paperback includes a P.S. section with additional insights from the author, background material, suggestions for further reading, and more.

A Novel of the Great War

Somewhere in France

An aristocratic young woman leaves the sheltered world of London to find adventure, passion, and independence in 1920s Paris in this mesmerizing story from the USA Today and internationally bestselling author of Somewhere in France and After the War is Over. Spring, 1924 Recovering from a broken wartime engagement and a serious illness that left her near death, Lady Helena Montagu-Douglas-Parr vows that for once she will live life on her own terms. Breaking free from the stifling social constraints of the aristocratic society in which she was raised, she travels to France to stay with her free spirited aunt. For one year, she will simply be Miss Parr. She will explore the picturesque streets of Paris, meet people who know nothing of her past—and pursue her dream of becoming an artist. A few years after the Great War’s end, the City of Light is a bohemian paradise teeming with actors, painters, writers, and a lively coterie of American expatriates who welcome Helena into their romantic and exciting circle. Among them is Sam Howard, an irascible and infuriatingly honest correspondent for the Chicago Tribune. Dangerously attractive and deeply scarred by the horror and carnage of the war, Sam is unlike any man she has ever encountered. He calls her Ellie, sees her as no one has before, and offers her a glimpse of a future that is both irresistible and impossible. As Paris rises phoenix-like from the ashes of the Great War, so too does Helena. Though she’s shed her old self, she’s still uncertain of what she will become and where she belongs. But is she strong enough to completely let go of the past and follow her heart, no matter where it leads her? Artfully capturing the Lost Generation and their enchanting city, Moonlight Over Paris is the spellbinding story of one young woman’s journey to find herself, and claim the life—and love—she truly wants.

Moonlight Over Paris

The International bestselling author of Somewhere in France returns with her sweeping second novel—a tale of class, love, and freedom—in which a young woman must find her place in a world forever changed. After four years as a military nurse, Charlotte Brown is ready to leave behind the devastation of the Great War. The daughter of a vicar, she has always been determined to dedicate her life to helping others. Moving to busy Liverpool, she throws herself into her work with those most in need, only tearing herself away for the lively dinners she enjoys with the women at her boarding house. Just as Charlotte begins to settle into her new circumstances, two messages arrive that will change her life. One, from a radical young newspaper editor, offers her a chance to speak out for those who cannot. The other pulls her back to her past, and to a man she has tried, and failed, to forget. Edward Neville-Ashford, her former employer and the brother of Charlotte’s dearest friend, is now the new Earl of Cumberland—and a shadow of the man he once was. Yet under his battle wounds and haunted eyes Charlotte sees glimpses of the charming boy who long ago claimed her foolish heart. She wants to help him, but dare she risk her future for a man who can never be hers? As Britain seethes with unrest and post-war euphoria flattens into bitter disappointment, Charlotte must confront long-held insecurities to find her true voice . . . and the courage to decide if the life she has created is the one she truly wants.

After the War is Over

Coronation Year

"Lady Elizabeth Neville-Ashford, has struggled against both her mother's expectations and the restrictions early 20th-century British society imposes upon women of "gentle breeding". Lilly longs to make a difference, to have a life of substance and meaning. Only one person other than her beloved brother Edward ever listened to what she really wanted-Robert Fraser, Edward's best friend. But that was many years ago when he was visiting and Lilly was young, and she is certain Robbie has long forgotten her. Robbie Fraser knows he shouldn't have come to the lavish ball given by Edward's parents, the Earl and Countess of Cumberland. This world is far removed from the hospital in Whitechapel where he works as a surgeon. In his work, he is fêted and admired by his colleagues and friends, yet his accomplishments count for nothing to the privileged few attending the Neville-Ashford gala. As he plots his quiet escape, he is stopped by a vision of loveliness-Lilly. He finds her utterly captivating. She believes he is the man of her dreams. In a few short weeks, the world is engulfed by war. As the lights go out across Europe, Robbie becomes a trauma surgeon in a field hospital on the Western Front, while Lilly breaks free of convention, as well as from her disapproving parents, leaving home and eventually becoming an ambulance driver with the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps. When she is transferred to the same field hospital where Robbie works, she hopes to strengthen the growing bond between them. Yet how can love survive the class restrictions that separate them and the horrors and suffering of the Great War?" --

Hazel Gaynor

Jessica Brockmole

Lauren Willig

Beatriz Williams

Heather Webb

Marci Jefferson

Kate Kerrigan

Evangeline Holland

Top voices in historical fiction deliver an unforgettable collection of short stories set in the aftermath of World War I—featuring bestselling authors such as Hazel Gaynor, Jennifer Robson, Beatriz Williams, and Lauren Willig and edited by Heather Webb. On the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month... November 11, 1918. After four long, dark years of fighting, the Great War ends at last, and the world is forever changed. For soldiers, loved ones, and survivors the years ahead stretch with new promise, even as their hearts are marked by all those who have been lost. As families come back together, lovers reunite, and strangers take solace in each other, everyone has a story to tell. In this moving anthology, nine authors share stories of love, strength, and renewal as hope takes root in a fall of poppies. Featuring: Jessica Brockmole Hazel Gaynor Evangeline Holland Marci Jefferson Kate Kerrigan Jennifer Robson Beatriz Williams Lauren Willig Heather Webb

Stories of Love and the Great War

Fall of Poppies

Quando scende la notte

Een tijd om nooit te vergeten

Albert Fuentes Sánchez

El vestido

Le ricamatrici della regina

International bestselling author Jennifer Robson once again delights readers with this touching short story of a young woman who has the unexpected opportunity to rekindle love with the wounded American soldier she never forgot. On the 11th of November, Daisy Fields celebrated the end of the Great War in the embrace of the only man she ever loved. But years later, the only thing she has left of that single, perfect kiss is the fading memory of her beloved’s face. When a family tragedy reveals the existence of a letter that has the power to change the course of her life, can Daisy find the soldier she thought was gone forever, or has the truth been buried for far too long? Originally published in the moving collection Fall of Poppies: Stories of Love and the Great War, this e-book also includes an excerpt from Robson’s new novel, Moonlight Over Paris, available now.

A Short Story from Fall of Poppies: Stories of Love and the Great War

All For the Love of You

From USA Today bestselling author Jennifer Robson—author of Moonlight Over Paris and Somewhere in France—comes a lush historical novel that tells the fascinating story of Ruby Sutton, an ambitious American journalist who moves to London in 1940 to report on the Second World War, and to start a new life an ocean away from her past. In the summer of 1940, ambitious young American journalist Ruby Sutton gets her big break: the chance to report on the European war as a staff writer for Picture Weekly newsmagazine in London. She jumps at the chance, for it's an opportunity not only to prove herself, but also to start fresh in a city and country that know nothing of her humble origins. But life in besieged Britain tests Ruby in ways she never imagined. Although most of Ruby's new colleagues welcome her, a few resent her presence, not only as an American but also as a woman. She is just beginning to find her feet, to feel at home in a country that is so familiar yet so foreign, when the bombs begin to fall. As the nightly horror of the Blitz stretches unbroken into weeks and months, Ruby must set aside her determination to remain an objective observer. When she loses everything but her life, and must depend upon the kindness of strangers, she learns for the first time the depth and measure of true friendship—and what it is to love a man who is burdened by secrets that aren’t his to share. Every Time We Say Goodbye, inspired in part by the wartime experiences of the author’s own grandmother, is a captivating, heartfelt, and historically immersive story that readers are sure to embrace.

Every Time We Say Goodbye

Píše se rok 1924 a do Paříže, vzpamatovávající se z hrůz první světové války, přijíždí mladá londýnská aristokratka Helena Montagu-Douglas-Parr. Osmadvacetiletá žena prožila nejen fatální onemocnění, ale i zrušení zasnoubení ze strany vyvoleného muže, což ji mezi urozenou anglickou společností naprosto znemožnilo. S povolením rodičů se zapisuje do ročního kurzu na pařížské výtvarné akademii a ubytovává se u své volnomyšlenkářské tety. Doufá, že v anonymním prostředí si oddechne od neustálých pomluv a že se jí podaří splnit si dětský sen – stát se malířkou. Město, vstávající z popela jako bájný Fénix, však přináší daleko silnější zážitky. Helena je rychle vtažena do světa ztracené generace a v kruhu amerických krajanů se setkává s avantgardními malíři, spisovateli i žurnalisty. Mezi nimi potkává Sama Howarda, novináře, pracujícího pro Chicago Tribune. Inteligentní a vzdělaný Sam, válečný veterán s pohnutou minulostí, ji fascinuje víc než jakýkoliv jiný muž, kterého dosud potkala. Ze společenského hlediska je to však naprosto nevhodný partner. Helena si ovšem uvědomuje, že i ona se mění. Dobře vychovaná anglická dívka, kterou kdysi byla, svědomitá, poslušná a vědoma si svého společenského postavení, je navždy pryč. V tónech jazzové hudby zvolna odplouvá starý svět a Helena musí najít nový smysl života i místo, kam patří. *** „Autorka se mistrovsky vrací k době první světové války... Je to dojímavá a nezapomenutelná kniha.“ Pam Jenoffová, autorka bestselleru Winter Guest „Robsonová dokáže mistrně zobrazit jemné historické detaily, které čtenáře přenášejí nazpět v čase i prostoru. Líbila se mi každá stránka.“ Renee Rosenová, autorka románu White Collar Girl „Měsíční svit nad Paříží přináší okouzlující portrét Města světel 20. let. Ze stránek sálá elegance londýnské aristokracie i podmanivost pařížské umělecké scény. Tento dojemný milostný příběh ve mně vyvolal přímo bolestnou touhu vrátit se zpět v čase.“ Kristina McMorris, autorka románu The Edge of Lost *** Jennifer Robsonová patří k nejprodávanějším kanadským autorkám historických románů pro ženy. Vystudovala ekonomiku na Oxfordské univerzitě, pracovala jako editorka a v současné době je spisovatelkou na plný úvazek. Žije v Torontu s manželem, dětmi, psem a kočkou. Více o autorce na www.jennifer-robson.com.

Měsíční svit nad Paříží

Perfect for anyone who's captivated by The Crown, The Gown 'will dazzle and delight' (Independent)! The Gown is 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. London, 1947: Besieged by a harsh winter, burdened by shortages and rationing, the people of post-war Britain are suffering despite their nation's recent victory. For Ann Hughes and Miriam Dassin, embroiderers at the famed Mayfair fashion house of Norman Hartnell, a glimmer of brightness comes in the form of their unlikely friendship and being chosen for a once-in-a-lifetime honour: taking part in the creation of Princess Elizabeth's wedding gown. Toronto, 2016: Heather Mackenzie seeks to unravel the mystery of a legacy from her late grandmother. How did her beloved nan, who never spoke of her old life in Britain, come to possess the priceless embroideries that so closely resemble the motifs on the stunning gown worn by Queen Elizabeth II at her wedding almost seventy years before? And what was her nan's connection to the celebrated textile artist and Holocaust survivor Miriam Dassin? With The Gown, Jennifer Robson takes us inside the workrooms where one of the most famous wedding gowns in history was created to tell a story of women whose lives are woven together by the pain of survival, the bonds of friendship, and the redemptive power of love. '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' The People's Friend

Třeskutá zima roku 1947 byla jednou z nejkrutějších, jaké poválečný Londýn zažil, a tak je oznámení o zasnoubení princezny Alžběty a poručíka Philipa Mountbattena radostnou zprávou pro celý národ. Ann a Miriam, vyšívačky zaměstnané u slavného módního návrháře Normana Hartnella, mají to štěstí pracovat přímo na princezniných svatebních šatech. Tato jedinečná příležitost by mohla změnit celý jejich život.O více než půl století později objeví torontská novinářka Heather v pozůstalosti své babičky fotografii se slavnou výtvarnicí Miriam Dassinovou a několik nádherných výšivek, o nichž nikdy neslyšela. K jejímu úžasu odpovídají vyšívané aplikace zdobení na svatebních šatech královny Alžběty II. Co měla její babička společného s královskou svatbou a se známou výtvarnicí? A proč se o svém životě v Anglii nikdy ani slovem nezmínila? Ve snaze odhalit tajemství babiččiny minulosti se Heather vydává na osudovou cestu do Londýna...

Šaty pro královnu

Ein Kleid, das ein ganzes Land zum Träumen bringt ... London 1947: Das ganze Land fiebert der Hochzeit von Kronprinzessin Elizabeth entgegen – allen voran die beiden Freundinnen Ann und Miriam. Sie sind überglücklich, dass sie als Stickerinnen am Kleid der zukünftigen Königin mitarbeiten dürfen. Doch ihr Glück ist nicht von Dauer ... Toronto 2016: Nach dem Tod ihrer geliebten Großmutter Ann findet die Journalistin Heather kunstvolle Stickereien, die dem Blumenmuster auf dem Hochzeitskleid der Queen entsprechen. Was hat es damit auf sich? Und warum hat Ann nie über ihr Leben in England gesprochen? Heather begibt sich auf Spurensuche nach London und stößt auf eine dramatische Geschichte ...

Roman

Der Stoff der Träume

London, 1947. A várost emberemlékezet óta nem sújtotta ilyen kemény tél, a városlakók az éhezéssel küzdenek, az életet szigorú jegyrendszer szabályozza. A háború utáni Nagy-Britanniában az alig két évvel korábbi győzelem ellenére csöndes kétségbeesés uralkodik. Ann Hughes és Miriam Dassin Norman Hartnell híres mayfairi divatházának hímzői. A két nő között barátság szövődik, és életük visszafordíthatatlanul megváltozik, amikor vissza nem térő lehetőséget kapnak: részt vehetnek Erzsébet hercegnő menyasszonyi ruhájának elkészítésében. Toronto, 2016. Egy emberöltővel később Heather Mackenzie megpróbálja megfejteni a nagyanyja által ráhagyott néhány hímzett virág titkát. Vajon hogyan került az értékes hímzés - amely megtévesztésig hasonlít II. Erzsébet királynő hetven évvel korábban viselt, lenyűgöző menyasszonyi ruhájának díszítéséhez - szeretett nagyijához, aki sohasem beszélt angliai életéről? És milyen kapcsolatban állt nagyanyja a híres textiltervezővel, a holokauszttúlélő Miriam Dassinnel? Jennifer Robson a történelem egyik leghíresebb menyasszonyi ruháját készítő műhelyébe kalauzol el minket. Kulisszatitkokról rántja a leplet, derít fényt, miközben elsöprő erejű képet fest a rengeteg áldozattal kivívott győzelem ára által megrázott angol társadalomról, és felejthetetlen hősnőket kelt életre, kiknek sorsát a túlélés fájdalma, a barátság, és a megváltó erejű szeretet köti össze.

Jennifer Robson

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