By Marie Benedict
This book is about Lady Clementine Churchill, wife to the Prime Minister of Britain during WWII. I have to say, I was hoping for a bit more from this one. I absolutely loved Benedict’s last novel about Hedy Lamarr, and was hoping for this to be in the same vein.
It is a solid historical fiction book, and I did learn a bit, but I was hoping to learn so much more. I wanted to learn some salacious tidbits that can only be discussed now after the major players are dead. I wanted to learn that she was Prime Minister all but in name, and was actually a secret spymaster. In these hopes I was sadly disappointed.
The most scandalous thing I learned was that we Americans have all been pronouncing her name incorrectly. It should not be reminiscent of an orange, but rather “rhyme with Josephine”. This was a revelation on par with how to say “Hermione Granger” decades ago!
“Clemmie” did fight for women’s rights, worked on sanitation and reform of the filth that was air raid shelters, and did help write many of Winston’s great speeches, but somehow it was not as compelling a read for me. It says great things for her level of success that I, a woman almost 100 years later, take many of the things she fought for as my due.
I sadly couldn’t find her very likeable. She had five children, but only seemed to ever care for the youngest. She helped her husband’s political career, but mostly by working around him than providing candor or genuine feedback. She fought for women’s rights and employment, but was wealthy enough to be able to go on holiday, completely alone, whenever her nerves or depression got to be too much.
She had insight into many world leaders during horrific times, and was able to speak plainly to them, winning her respect and a place where many women weren’t “allowed”. I found myself continually frustrated she did not apply this same forthrightness with herself or her spouse. But again, it is fiction, so maybe she did…
Soundtrack
Come Josephine in My Flying Machine by Fred Fisher and Alfred Bryan
I Got Rhythm by the Gershwins
The Last Time I Saw Paris by Noel Coward
Pros & Cons & Potential Spoilers
Pros
- Britain is on the winning side of both World Wars…just in case…
- I enjoyed seeing her paired with Eleanor Roosevelt, even though briefly
- There are quite a few moments of bravery and courage during the war that Benedict did move me to tears over – fire watch, touring the city after/during bombing, women and children inside the air raid shelters
Cons
- Wasn’t a big Winston Churchill fan after this either – his leadership cannot be argued but him personally – I was not impressed.
- I really wanted to see pictures of the places and the people – I know not every book includes them, but I really wanted them here
- The pronunciation reveal doesn’t occur until 2/3 of the way through the book