​The Queen's Coronation

My mother remembers 1953 well: the pageantry, the parades, the excitement. A young and beautiful new queen was taking the British throne, previously the province of older, sterner men. It was a new era for a nation still recovering from war, a new era for women--or so they hoped.

The reality for women was far from ideal. The war had elevated them, pulled them into work, given them freedom, promotion, and power over their own lives, away from the authority of husbands and fathers. But once the men came home in 1945, the state was eager to give them back their position in society. Women were encouraged to return to the kitchen, dutiful housewives. Those who had to work were predominantly shop assistants and domestic servants. When they did the same job as men, their salary was just above half for working the same shift. After all, men had families families to support, while women simply frittered their income away on hats and handbags.

The characters in The Queen's Coronation show the myriad of difficulties that women faced in the 1950s. Caroline is worn rugged by her lazy, gambling husband who has control over her income and inheritance. Miranda is fighting sexism and male harassment as she forges a career in journalism. Young Lucy finds a friend who can help her become a singer, but at what price?

My mother was only 12 when Elizabeth II was coronated, part of a chorus of girls dancing down her local high street as part of the grand coronation parade. While her brothers were sent to expensive boarding schools, an education was considered a waste for her as she was prepared for the marriage mart and becoming a housewife. Three decades later, she was finally able to go to college, something she had always yearned to do. 

Find out more about The Queen's Coronation at my website:

JenniferRyanBooks.com

or pre-order at any bookstore