The Sisters: The Saga of the Mitford Family
by Mary S. Lovell
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Book Summary Information
Author: Mary S. LovellEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2003-03
ISBN: 0393324141
Number of pages: 640
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
Book Reviews of The Sisters: The Saga of the Mitford Family
Book Review: The Sisters is a group biography of the Mitford Sisters of England
Summary: 5 Stars
The Sisters is a long (530 pages) group biography of the Mitford siblings. The Mitfords were an aristocratic English family whose triumphs, tragedies and politcal passions make for fascinating reading.
Sydney Bowles married David Freeman Mitford in the Edwardian era. Mitford had served in the Boer War and would later be wounded in World War I. He loved to hunt, fish and enjoy country activities. David was a member of the House of Lords; a man who could explode in anger but who was, nevertheless, a loving father. his wife Syndey was colder in personality but also loved her large family. The Mitford Children were:
Nancy-She was the eldest daughter whose husband left her for another woman. Nancy was a popular novelist and writer known for her wit as a bright young thing in the 192o's-30's. Her great love was Gaston Paleweski, a French governmental offical, who never married her. Her most famous novels are "The Pursuit of Love" and "Love in a Cold Climate." She spent most of her life living and working in Paris.
Pam was married to a brilliant scientist Brian Jackson., She had earlier been courted by John Betjeman the famous British poet laureate. She was one of the lesser known of the siblings. She loved country pastimes and avoided the spotlight.
Jessica was perhaps the most famous of the sisters. She was a Communist who fought in the Spanish Civil War. (she later renounced her party membership). Jessica never forgave her sister Diana for her fascists beliefs. She was the author of "The American Way of Death" and "The American Way of Life.' She spent a good deal of her life living in the Oakland area and became an American citizen. Her second husband was a Jewish lawyer. She was the most left wing of the sisters.
Diana was the wife of the notorious Oswald Mosley. Mosley founded the British Fascist Party and was in sympathy with the Nazis. He and Diana were imprisoned for 31/2 years during World War II. Diana was a beautiful woman but her political beliefs were in accord with Nazi beliefs. She admitted to being a friend of Hitler.
Unity was smitten with Nazi Party beliefs. Hitler was her idol and she lived in Munich for several years. She was a confidant and friend of the Fuhrer. She attempted suicide by a gunshot wound to the head at the beginning of World War II. The attempt failed; she died a shell of her former self in 1948.
Deborah was married to The Duke of Devonshire. She is most noted for her renovation and maintenance of their great home Chatsworth. Her husband's brother Billy was engaged to Kathleen Kennedy of the famous American Kennedy Clan.
Tom was the only Mitford son. He was also an admirer of Hiter. He was killed during World War II.
The Mitfords were certainly far from perfect! Extreme politcal beliefs, racial prejudice and cruelty to one another all are evident in their story. They were also a great family producing novelists and intellectuals who have made important contributions to the progress of the human story.
The Mitfords were related to the Winston Churchill family and knew many of the leading authors and politicians of their time. Consider that Diana knew both Hitler and Churchill as friends! People such as Evelyn Waugh, Maya Angelous and luminaries in the British upper classes stride throught the book's pages.
Mary S. Lovell's book is detailed and objective in reporting the activities of the Mitfords. It is an excellent book shedding light on British society in the twentieth century and the interactions among a family of gifted individuals.
Summary of The Sisters: The Saga of the Mitford Family
"[A] balanced, well-researched, and beautifully written biography....[an] exceptional achievement."?Bay Area Reporter, Tavo Amador
The Mitford girls were probably the most spectacular sister act of the twentieth century."?Vogue This is the story of a close, loving family splintered by the violent ideologies of Europe between the wars. Jessica was a Communist; Debo became the Duchess of Devonshire; Nancy was one of the best-selling novelists of her day; the ethereally beautiful Diana was the most hated woman in England; and Unity Valkyrie, born in Swastika, Alaska, would become obsessed with Adolf Hitler. 24 b/w photographsArtists, Architects & Photographers Books
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