St. Jude's Book Club

Our Current Read

Meeting on Nov 4, 2025 @ 12pm

Coronation Year by Jennifer Robson

The lives of three very different residents of London’s historic Blue Lion hotel converge in a potentially explosive climax on the day of Queen Elizabeth’s Coronation.

It is Coronation Year, 1953, and a new queen is about to be crowned. The people of London are in a mood to celebrate, none more so than the residents of the Blue Lion hotel.

Edie Howard, owner and operator of the floundering Blue Lion, has found the miracle she needs: on Coronation Day, Queen Elizabeth in her gold coach will pass by the hotel’s front door, allowing Edie to charge a fortune for rooms and, barring disaster, save her beloved home from financial ruin. Edie’s luck might just be turning, all thanks to a young queen about her own age.

Stella Donati, a young Italian photographer and Holocaust survivor, has come to live at the Blue Lion while she takes up a coveted position at Picture Weekly magazine. London in celebration mode feels like a different world to her. As she learns the ins and outs of her new profession, Stella discovers a purpose and direction that honor her past and bring hope for her future.

James Geddes, a war hero and gifted artist, has struggled to make his mark in a world that disdains his Indian ancestry. At the Blue Lion, though, he is made to feel welcome and worthy. Yet even as his friendship with Edie deepens, he begins to suspect that something is badly amiss at his new home.

When anonymous threats focused on Coronation Day, the Blue Lion, and even the queen herself disrupt their mood of happy optimism, Edie and her friends must race to uncover the truth, save their home, and expose those who seek to erase the joy and promise of Coronation Year.

St. Jude's Book Club

What we have read and are planning to read next...

Date	Title	Author	Rating	Comments
Feb 2026	A Death in the Parish	The Reverend Richard Coles
Jan 2026	Jennifer's Vow	Kevin R Coleman
Dec 2025	The Messy Lives of Book People	Phaedra Patrick
Nov 2025	Coronation Year	Jennifer Robson
Oct 2025	Family Family	Laurie Frankel	4/5	This was an emotional read for many of the group. While this story ended positively for all the characters, we discussed how adoption can be very difficult for some families as well.
Sep 2025	The Book of Lost Names	Kristin Harmel	4.5/5	We considered what bravery means, the importance of a name, and the ways people resist injustice in both big and small ways. While many of us felt that there were a few too many coincidences to make Eva's story 100% believable, it made each of us consider how our own small acts of resistance can combat the injustices we see today.
Aug 2025	In The Upper Country	Kai Thomas	5/5	In the Upper Country gave us a lot to think about - not just through its characters and plot, but through the history and themes it brought to life. We explored ideas of freedom, belonging, and justice, and we considered how the stories within the novel connect to our own understanding of the past. While many of us will likely have to read it a second or third time to be able to follow all of the stories, we all learned so much about both the untold history of Canada and ourselves.
Jul 2025	The Clementine Complex	Bob Mortimer	2.5/5	Members were very split in their feelings about this book. Some thought it was hilarious, with many laugh-out-loud moments. Others found it impossible to connect with the characters and didn't enjoy the frequent swearing in the dialog. We were all able to appreciate the detailed descriptions and silly moments with the squirrels.
Jun 2025	The Jane Austen Society	Natalie Jenner	5/5	We were incredibly priviledged to be joined by author Natalie Jenner for this meeting. She shared the story of how this book came to be, and inspired us all. The group definitely wants to read the next book in the series.
May 2025	The Reading List	Sara Nisha Adams	5/5	We were all really touched by this book. It brought up some incredible discussions about loneliness, grief, mental health struggles, and the importance of community.
Apr 2025	The Rose Code	Kate Quinn	5/5	This book was loved by everyone, even those who were reading it for the second and third time!
Mar 2025	Anxious People	Fredrik Backman	3.5/5	This was a re-read for some of the group, which gave us the opportunity to discuss what a second reading of a book can bring. The way that the narrator omitted descriptions of many of the characters until later in the book added to the mystery and caused some confusion.
Feb 2025	The Lost Apothecary	Sarah Penner	4.5/5	Another big hit with our group! This book spawned a lot of discussion about difficult marriages, women's roles in society, and when/if murder is ever acceptable.
Jan 2025	Remarkably Bright Creatures	Shelby Van Pelt	4.5/5	This was a great choice for our first book. Many people in the group said that this isn't something they would normally pick up, and they were pleasantly surprised at how much they enjoyed the book.

Our ratings:

5 - Loved it! A new favourite!
4 - Really liked the book. Would recommend to others.
3 - It was a good book but not my favorite.
2 - It was just okay.
1 - I really didn't enjoy this book at all.