"How personal is the political."
It’s been said that there are three things you shouldn’t discuss in polite company: politics, religion, and money—apparently, no one told the Mitford family. Marie Benedict’s newest book, The Mitford Affair, tells the story of sisters in the 1930s: Nancy, the level-headed, oldest sister; Diana, the beauty and wife of the Guinness heir; and Unity, the awkward teenage shadow in the elite fam. Did I mention they are cousins to Lady Clementine and Sir Winston Churchill?
When Diana announces she’s leaving her husband for British Fascist leader Oswald Mosley, Nancy knows something is up. Unity has an announcement of her own: she wants to attend finishing school in Germany, which makes Nancy’s suspicions sky even higher. When Churchill comes to Nancy with the plea to “keep a close eye on” (a.k.a. spy on) her sisters, Nancy is torn between family and country. Are her sisters true Nazis? Do they support Hitler and his movements? And have their efforts to please the men they love put their entire nation at risk?
Benedict’s books are always the perfect blend of fact and fiction—The Mitford Affair is no exception. A solid 4+ out of 5 stars for this stunning World War II tale that so few know about. If nothing else, the dysfunctional Mitfords may outdo the yearly Thanksgiving antics of your Uncle Jerry!