Available for future selection
The Gown
A Novel of the Royal Wedding
Jennifer Robson
Historical Fiction / Post-War London / Royal History
Synopsis
London, 1947. In a city still scarred by war, two young embroiderers at the famed house of Hartnell are chosen for a commission that will captivate the world: Princess Elizabeth's wedding gown. Decades later, a granddaughter in Toronto uncovers her grandmother's hidden connection to that dress. Jennifer Robson stitches together a luminous story of friendship, craft, and the ordinary women behind an extraordinary moment.
Author spotlight
Jennifer Robson
Join the Guild's live author Q&A series and recorded replays on the Events page to go deeper on Jennifer Robson's work.
See events →Available for future selection
Not scheduled this month
Each month, the Guild offers four books across different genres: two fiction and two non-fiction. Read any or all of the picks. Only this month’s selections have a four-week reading schedule.
Next month’s four books will be chosen at random from the other available titles, keeping the two-fiction, two-non-fiction balance. There is no fixed reading order or schedule for the remaining collection.
More books can be added to the website at any time. New additions can be selected before books already available in the library.
Discussion
Bring these to the table
Prompt 01 · The Gown
“What did the embroidery work reveal about the women's inner lives?”
Prompt 02 · The Gown
“How does the novel contrast royal spectacle with post-war hardship?”
Prompt 03 · The Gown
“Which friendship in the book moved you most?”
Prompt 04 · The Gown
“What do we gain by telling history through the people behind the scenes?”
Prompt 05 · The Gown
“How did the dual timeline change your understanding of the characters?”