The Palace Women by Jennifer Ryan

This charming novel follows the lives of three women working at Buckingham Palace in the lead-up to Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation in 1953. The Queen’s Assistant Dresser Caroline is trapped in a loveless marriage, but then the love of her life reappears after a long absence. But can she contemplate a new, happier life, factoring in the implications for her daughter?

Meanwhile, Junior Wardrobe Assistant Lucy dreams of becoming a famous singer, but is the young man who says he will introduce her to music producers and other influential people genuine, or is he taking advantage of a naïve young woman from the country who is new to London?

Miranda has a job on the Coronation Planning Committee, but in reality, she is an undercover journalist from New York who needs a scoop to save her job.

Each woman is at a crossroads in her life in this novel of female friendship and resilience. Can friendship and courage help them find their dreams? In this novel, we get glimpses of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip as she gets ready for her coronation, another young woman at a significant moment in her life.

The Palace Women is a delight from start to finish, with well-crafted characters to

care for, and a page-turning, heartwarming, slightly nostalgic plot. Fabulous!

Reviewer: Karen McMillan

Pan Macmillan