Jennifer Robson (born January 5, 1970) is a

Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

author of

historical fiction Historical fiction is a literary genre in which the plot takes place in a setting related to the past events, but is fictional. Although the term is commonly used as a synonym for historical fiction literature, it can also be applied to other ...

Biography

Jennifer Robson was born January 5, 1970, in

Peterborough, Ontario Peterborough ( ) is a city on the Otonabee River in Ontario, Canada, about 125 kilometres (78 miles) northeast of Toronto. According to the 2021 Census, the population of the City of Peterborough was 83,651. The population of the Peterborough ...

. Her father was a historian and her mother was a lawyer and judge."Jennifer Robson." ''Gale Literature:

Contemporary Authors ''Contemporary Authors'' is a reference work which has been published by Gale since 1962. It provides short biographies and bibliographies of contemporary and near-contemporary writers. ''Contemporary Authors'' does not have selective inclusion cr ...

''.

Gale A gale is a strong wind; the word is typically used as a descriptor in nautical contexts. The U.S. National Weather Service defines a gale as sustained surface winds moving at a speed of between 34 and 47 knots (, or ).Vera Brittain Vera Mary Brittain (29 December 1893 – 29 March 1970) was an English Voluntary Aid Detachment (VAD) nurse, writer, feminist, socialist and pacifist. Her best-selling 1933 memoir '' Testament of Youth'' recounted her experiences during the Firs ...

's war memoir ''

Testament of Youth ''Testament of Youth'' is the first instalment, covering 1900–1925, in the memoir of Vera Brittain (1893–1970). It was published in 1933. Brittain's memoir continues with ''Testament of Experience'', published in 1957, and encompassing th ...

'' and she has reread it several times since. She graduated from King's College,

University of Western Ontario The University of Western Ontario (UWO), also known as Western University or Western, is a public research university in London, Ontario, Canada. The main campus is located on of land, surrounded by residential neighbourhoods and the Thames Ri ...

and

St. Antony's College St Antony's College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Founded in 1950 as the result of the gift of French merchant Sir Antonin Besse of Aden, St Antony's specialises in international relations, econo ...

, Oxford, where she received a

Ph.D A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, Ph.D., or DPhil; Latin: or ') is the most common degree at the highest academic level awarded following a course of study. PhDs are awarded for programs across the whole breadth of academic fields. Because it is a ...

. She is a former

Commonwealth Scholar The Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan (CSFP) is an international programme under which Commonwealth governments offer scholarships and fellowships to citizens of other Commonwealth countries. History The plan was originally proposed b ...

and

SSHRC The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC; french: Conseil de recherches en sciences humaines du Canada, CRSH) is a Canadian federal research-funding agency that promotes and supports post-secondary research and traini ...

Doctoral Fellow,

Oxford University Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

. She worked as a copywriter and editor in magazine and newspaper publishing. Robson writes historical fiction set in the 20th century. She plots her novels in advance of writing. ''The Gown'' (2018) and ''Our Darkest Night'' (2021) received

starred review A starred review is a book review __NOTOC__ A book review is a form of literary criticism in which a book is merely described (summary review) or analyzed based on content, style, and merit. A book review may be a primary source, opinion piec ...

s from ''

Publishers Weekly ''Publishers Weekly'' (''PW'') is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of ...

''. The review of ''Our Darkest Night'' said, "Robson (''The Gown'') shines with this stellar WWII story" and "The brutal reality and atrocities of war are on full view with devastating clarity. Expert characterizations and perfect pacing are rounded out by lyrical prose". ''The Gown'' was called "a satisfying multigenerational epic" and noted "Robson’s meticulous attention to historical details—notably the intricacies of the embroidery work—is a wonderful complement to the memorable stories of Ann and Miriam, making for a winning, heartwarming tale". ''Publishers Weekly'' wrote that in ''Moonlight over Paris'' (2016), "Robson's historical research is evident in her great attention to detail, adding realism to a magnetic novel that's complete with actual historical figures". ''Publishers Weekly'' mentioned 2023 novel ''Coronation Year'''s slow start, but noted "Robson ramps up the action" and "Robson adds intriguing supporting characters to the mix". '' Kirkus Reviews'' gave a critical review to ''Moonlight over Paris'', saying Robson " delivers a dim tale devoid of moonlight". ''Kirkus'' called ''The Gown'' (2018) "A fascinating glimpse into the world of design, the healing power of art, and the importance of women’s friendships". Robson is married and has two children.

Selected works

* ''Goodnight from London''. William Morrow, 2017. ISBN 9780062675576 * ''The Gown''. William Morrow, 2018. ISBN 9780062884275 * ''Our Darkest Night''. William Morrow, 2021. ISBN 9780063059405 * ''Coronation Year''. 2023. ISBN 9780063297104

The Great War series

* ''Somewhere in France''. William Morrow, 2013. ISBN 9780062273451 * ''After the War Is Over''. William Morrow, 2014. ISBN 9781629533179 * ''Moonlight over Paris''. William Morrow, 2016. ISBN 9780062389824

References

External links

*
Jennifer Robson
on

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Robson, Jennifer 21st-century Canadian women writers Writers of historical fiction set in the modern age Alumni of St Antony's College, Oxford University of Western Ontario alumni 1970 births Living people People from Peterborough, Ontario Writers from Ontario Canadian historical novelists