There has been a resurgence in interest in the 1930s and 1940s, thanks to shows like The Crown and The Pursuit of Love. Families like the Mitfords are complex and fascinating but seem to be relegated to niche books and pub quizes, or have been until now. Winston Churchill is on of those figures in modern history who is referenced everywhere but the focus is on the man and his quirks. Well, we are finally exploring some of the women in his life- his daughters! And I’ve got to say, this has been one of my favourite books of 2021. Today I’m chatting about The Churchill Sisters by Rachel Trethewey and why you need to read it.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing an eARC and an Advanced Listening Copy in exchange for an honest review.
The Churchill Sisters: The Extraordinary Lives of Winston and Clementine’s Daughters, Rachel Trethewey
Bright, attractive and well-connected, in any other family the Churchill girls – Diana, Sarah, Marigold and Mary – would have shone. But they were not in another family, they were Churchills, and neither they nor anyone else could ever forget it. From their father – ‘the greatest Englishman’ – to their brother, golden boy Randolph, to their eccentric and exciting cousins, the Mitford Girls, they were surrounded by a clan of larger-than-life characters which often saw them overlooked. While Marigold died too young to achieve her potential, the other daughters lived lives full of passion, drama and tragedy.
Diana, intense and diffident; Sarah, glamorous and stubborn; Mary, dependable yet determined – each so different but each imbued with a sense of responsibility toward each other and their country. Far from being cosseted debutantes, these women were eyewitnesses at some of the most important events in world history, at Tehran, Yalta and Potsdam. Yet this is not a story set on the battlefields or in Parliament; it is an intimate saga that sheds light on the complex dynamics of family set against the backdrop of a tumultuous century.
Why You Should Read This…
Full admission of guilt- I knew really nothing about Winston, Clementine, or the rest of the Churchill family save for what was shown on The Crown. I tend not to wade into politics, and obviously that is what he is known for. However, this biography of his daughters is one of the most interesting books published in 2021.
Much like the Mitford sisters, each of Winston and Clementine’s children were radically different. Their daughters in particular took very different routes in life, and had very different relationships with their parents. I found their life trajectories the most interesting aspect of the book, though! Many people will be interested in their service during the Second World War, but I found their lives after far more interesting. Specifically, Sarah’s career as an actress was fascinating, and I think if you enjoy the Golden Age of Cinema, you will love reading about her.
Juliet Stevenson’s narration of the audiobook is fantastic- I could not imagine a better narrator. Obviously she is a talented actress, but her audiobook narration is so soothing to listen to while still conveying such emotion and excitement. Biographies can be difficult to narrate; they often sound like a textbook of someone’s life. Stevenson’s has made anything but a textbook here!
Note: this is more of an academic biography- there are footnotes to your heart’s content. However, it still reads like fiction, and you don’t need any sort of background to enjoy it.
Is The Churchill Sisters on your to-be-read list?
Cheers,
The Historian
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