I always enjoy the historical fiction books from this author. They offer a unique view of a point in history that I wouldn't have otherwise. These are always easy recommendations for me.

Wonderfully written historical fiction about Lady Clementine, wife, partner, confidant and love of Winston Churchill.
She is portrayed as well educated, intelligent, independent, politically aware and a strong ally for her husband. Loves her children,but would rather be in the political trenches with Churchill. She stays deeply interested in human rights regardless of Churchill’s party changes.
I love when she stands tall against her Mother-in-law, she strongly defends her relationship and their mutual trust.
Of course, she pays the price for focusing on Churchill and his overwhelming needs and demands. Not much energy is left for her children and for herself. Her anxiety gets the better of her, but she is still a strong influence on her husband.
Interesting focus on the greater good of the British people during the war and the constant power battles between husband and wife that challenge her self confidence. His tendency to diminish her worth is astonishing.
One must recognize Lady Clementine’s worth within her husbands political career and two wars. Great read!
I received a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions in this review are my own.

This book took me a while to get into. I do recommend reading it if you are in two more of a historical fiction type. I recommend this to friends and family and will read other books from this author in the distant future.

I knew absolutely nothing about Clementine, Winston Churchill's wife before reading this book.

I enjoyed the writing style. The books reads a bit like a memoir and the writing is strong.

I loved learning about Clementine. She had so much political power, but struggled balancing this with her role as a mother and her own anxieties.

I'm curious to hear from readers in the England if they are taught about Clementine in school. In Canada, we learned about Churchill but not his wife.

The book is very focused on politics- this is something I love, but know it's not everyone's cup of tea.

I'm definitely interested in reading some non-fiction about Lady Clementine.

Thank you to Sourcebooks & NetGalley for the eARC to read and review.

First line: I always feel different.

Summary: Clementine Churchill was the wife of statesman, Winston Churchill. Growing up in a lower class of the aristocracy she was not sure where her life would go until she met Winston. With the marriage brought advancement but also many challenges. Alongside him during two world wars she helped strengthen his political career as well as using her status to help the English people.

My Thoughts: When I was younger I read a lot about World War II but I never remember reading anything or even knowing about Clementine Churchill. And I knew as soon as I saw that Marie Benedict was writing a book about her that I needed to read it. Benedict does a great job of finding women in history that have been forgotten or overshadowed by their male counterparts and bringing them back to the spotlight of the general public.

I loved seeing how much Clementine did for Winston. He may never have reached the heights of Prime Minister without her help and support. And much like the Queen Mother during the Second World War, she helped the people of London during the Blitz and visited the people most affected by the bombings. She sounds like a very strong woman who cared about her family and the English people but has been forgotten. Glad that now she can be known by more through this story.

FYI: Read Marie Benedict’s other works to learn more about women like Clementine and their accomplisments.

I was attracted to this hook because I love the author, the photo cover, and historical fiction. I was intrigued by the plot of the book in that it focused on a woman who many may not know, Clementine Churchhill. I did not know a lot about that who her husband was and that they had a few kids. What I discovered was that she was indeeed a strong, informative, passionate person who helped Great Britain. She was more than just a wife and mother, but an individual who created her own path separate from her husband's and should be more noteworthy in history than just a role as mother and wife.

The author has done a great deal of research and I like that. I loved the characters and felt a real connection to them. I did feel the book was slow at times and felt like it couldn't keep my attention. I would read this book again and will read more of this author. I'm just not sure this is her best book to date.



Received as free copy from NegGalley.

I've tried to read this one multiple times, but I just can't seem to finish. I'm super bummed because I've lived everything else I've read by this author.

I learned so much about Clementine Churchill, who was the wife of Winston Churchill. Let me say she was a force to be reckoned with. She loved her husband Winston, whom she affectionally called “Pug” and he her “Cat”.
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Clementine also loved the people. She was was a strong supporter of her husband and always voiced her opinion, and Winston would not have it any other way. Their minds and vision for their country were on the same page for the most part. He adored her and valued her opinion.
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They had several children, but she was not a hands-on mom but that did not mean she did not loved them.
Winston always wanted her advice and she helped out more than most knew or wanted. The men were taken back with her “inserting” herself into what they considered not a woman’s place.
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She spearheaded women to take on jobs that the men would no longer be available to because of the war. Making bomb shelter conditions livable for the people was also a passion of hers. She was an extraordinary woman and greatly admired. Loved this book! Kept my interest.

Really enjoyed this look into Clementine Churchill! Someone you typically don’t hear much about, it was excellent to find out more about her and how she was so influential in Winston’s life and career!

This book was interesting and informative, as I knew very little about Winston Churchill and his wife, Clementine. Unfortunately, I found the chapters to be a little choppy and at times hard to follow the timeline. I also really struggled with Clementine herself. I just didn't like her, which made it hard for me to love the book. I'm not sure how true to life the Clementine character in the book is in comparison the the actual Clementine. Maybe she really was that unlikable in real life. But, because of my feelings for the character, the book was just okay for me. I would rate this book a 3, rounded down from 3.5..

to read this book thanks to NetGalley. I am a huge fan of this author and was thrilled to be approved for this title. It did not disappoint and I loved it. It was one of her best yet. The book was amazingly written and I was very invested in the characters snd the story. This one is a must read for all historical fiction fans. I will always be a fan and can’t wait for her next book. Thanks again to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

I originally received this book as a digital advance reader copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I wasn’t able to start it before my copy expired and the galley was archived; therefore, I borrowed it from my local library because I was still intrigued by the publisher’s description. And I had heard such wonderful things about the author Marie Benedict that I really wanted to read one of her novels.

Unfortunately, I tapped out at around the hundredth page of the book because I couldn’t stand how Clementine’s character was written. The author’s attempts to highlight Clementine’s importance to her husband, and therefore in history, resulted in the character coming across as self-important and neurotic. And Winston Churchill, as a supporting character, came across as simpering and rather helpless. It just wasn’t a palatable read for me. I maintained it on my Currently Reading list for quite some time because I felt like maybe I was missing something that the (smarter?) five star readers picked up on. But, after several months, I realized that I should just file it into my Dust Bin because there was very little anyone could say that would motivate me to pick it back up again.

Two and a half stars, rounded up.

Alright, I feel like I must have missed something here because I didn't enjoy this nearly as much as the other reviewers. I did receive a free copy, and more to the point I requested said copy. I love historical fiction, I love stories about women by women, and I've always enjoyed this particular period. The perspective was one I wasn't especially familiar with having read more on Winston than Clementine, but I knew enough of her to know she was headstrong, intelligent, and struck an impressive figure even standing next to her impressive husband. When there was a sort of expectation that she maybe stand a step behind him, she held her own and stood on equal footing. I liked Clementine Churchill, and I was excited for this.

And yet, it just...didn't quite strike the right chord for me. I do wonder if it has to do with the historical fiction aspect of the narrative, and if maybe what I was really looking for was some creative nonfiction. This isn't a bad book, and I think perhaps I was not the intended audience because I can tell it is not a bad book, it just didn't work for me, personally. I also feel like all my "meh" reviews right now should come with a disclaimer because I'm so deep in a book slump right now that it kind of feels like nothing I'm reading is striking the right chord, or striking a chord at all.

The Good: obviously the characters, but more importantly the characterization. Marie Benedict does an excellent job, in my opinion, of capturing who Clementine Churchill was. Behind every successful man, there stands a woman, and all that. Except Clementine Churchill was not the quietly supportive wife of a politician. She was a highly intelligent woman-sharp as a tack, clever as all hell-she was nervy and unflinching, ambitious and strong with a core of steel. Clementine was a towering woman, and so, so much more than just the wife of Winston Churchill, so much more than a politician's wife, and Benedict captures her beautifully.

I also appreciated the directness with which Benedict wrote about her, clear and vivid, neither vindicating nor condemning her for what she struggled with. Parenting, namely, was something neither of the Churchills especially excelled at, but you get a firm sense of guilt for this. I loved how well she captured that. Clemmie loved her children, but there was no doubt that her first priority was Winston, and that both of them prioritized his job.

The Not-So-Good: to be clear, it isn't really bad, per se, but it takes long a minute for things to pick up because we do cover a lot of ground in the beginning. I was kind of bored, to be honest? Not often do I find myself looking forward to the world wars, WWII in particular, but considering that's when the actual story picked up I found myself skimming trying to get to a point where I knew something had to happen. That's when Clemmie truly shines, when her tenacity and her determination to bring women to the war effort picks up, when we see how fluidly and how impressively she brought Winston through his lows, and how gracefully she celebrates the highs. How groundbreaking and impressive she was navigating their political roles, surpassing what anyone thought a politician's wife should be or could be capable of. She gives just as much as he does, often more, but we don't really see that until he becomes Prime Minister. Necessary for the narrative flow? Yeah, probably. It was still a really dense first hundred pages or so.

Overall, I liked it. It was okay. It wasn't my favorite, and I won't pick it up again, but I didn't have to force myself to finish it. Once it picked up, I enjoyed it well enough. I just wish it had been a little more something, a little deeper into Clementine as a mother, or Clementine as a political powerhouse, a little punchier, a little faster paced, a little...I don't know. Umph-ier? Is that a thing?

Thank you muchly to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

2.5 half stars for some engaging moments. Yet generally I find this a shallow book. It should be pointed out that this is not a biography, but a novel based on the authoress's perceived image of the Clementine Churchill.
I am sure that Ms Churchill was an exceptional woman. But this book does not bring her justice and recognition (as the authoress sure hoped, I give her that). First, I believe the Clementine/Winston Churchill marriage was a strong union, yet here in the novel its strength is diminished and the love (I mean the mature love of the partnership of more than 30 years) is not presented believably. Also the personal unique characteristics are presented as almost a caricature - the husband comes off as an childish moron and the wife as both a mother figure to her man and an unbalanced woman full of anger. While they might have these things in themselves, I do believe that they as individuals and their marriage was much more than the picture presented.

The part based on the war was most interesting. I was glad to see Ms Churchill's efforts recognized.

I see the effort to bring the interesting females forward in the authoress's writings, but I think that the feminist fervor and certain sensationalism do not bring the true characters out. The truth in itself simply is enough.

I have never read or studied anything about Clementine Churchill, Winston Churchill’s wife. While I was looking forward to learning about Lady Clementine, I was not drawn in enough to be invested in the story. I was impressed with Clementine and the strong and forward-thinking woman that she was.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

Lady Clementine is an interesting look at Clementine Churchill. Engaging and well researched! I love how Marie Benedict brings the women in history to life.

Classic Marie Benedict. Insightful. Real. Well developed characters. Thought provoking story. Beautifully written. Highly recommended. Five stars.

An engaging story. I learned a lot about this woman of history. This author has a brilliant way of telling a story so that you are part of the scenery. You're right there with the characters. Highly recommend!

Clementine Churchill was a complicated woman married to a complicated man, Winston Churchill. 'Lady Clemetine' covers decades of their marriage. Clementine was Winston's backbone, nurse, shoulder, editor, and so much more.

The cost of this on her other relationships must have been great. The book does not shy from that. It was also a different time where children were seen not heard and two World Wars happened in a couple of decades. Both she and WInston had less than stellar parents and both promise to be better. The book demonstrates how they failed, including leaving the children in the care of nannies for months at a time to leave the country, be it for the needs of the UK or a cruise. The book crammed a LOT into one book and feel like it took a bit away from what the book could have been.

I appreciated learning more about Clementine but was also disappointed in the person (especially after some googling). NOT the author's fault.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC.

Lady Clementine

by Marie Benedict

I had to work hard as I read Lady Clementine by Marie Benedict to differentiate my feelings about Clementine Churchill as the wife of a historical figure, Winston Churchill, Prime Minister of England during World War II, and Clementine, a character of historical fiction fleshed out by the author based on background information. In this book, which was both interesting and informative, I struggled because I just didn’t like Clementine. The story of her fight to be a changing force in a time when women had no power seems genuine, but I just could not identify with her inner turmoils. Part of her stress is a result of the “poor little rich girl” syndrome. For example, she complains multiple times of the difficulties of trying to live the rich life style her husband’s rank and tastes demand while on a limited budget and with an inadequate number of domestic servants. My biggest moment of disgust was when, for her nerves, she has to get away from it all for an extended retreat by herself at a facility in France and bemoans the fact that she can only afford to take her personal maid with her to care for her needs. She has to leave the rest of the domestics at home to care for the house, Winston, and the children. I realize that as I am not part of the aristocracy, understanding her dilemma is a reach for me, but I find it ironic that Clementine focuses much of her time and energy on helping women who can’t take fifteen minutes to themselves much less several months. The part I can empathize with is her struggle to balance efforts to promote and aid her husband with her own self-efficacy and the responsibilities of her family. Her family, except for her youngest daughter Mary, turn out to be the losers in this battle.

Although not a page turner, Lady Clementine is well written and prompts me to want to read some nonfiction about the Churchills. There is no doubt that they played a pivotal role in the defeat of the Nazis in World War II. If I don’t find them very likable, despite the more intimate conversations between them as “Pug” and “Cat,” the fault may be that they are both politicians, but in different ways. Politicians, in general, are self-concerned, and Winston and Clementine live that out in the pages of this book. They do good works but are always concerned about how those works reflect back on them.

I would like to extend my thanks to Netgalley and to Sourcebooks Landmark for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 4/5

Category: Historical Fiction

Publication: January 7, 2020—Sourcebooks Landmark

Memorable Lines:

“Since I was a young boy, I’ve had the unerring sense that my future and that of Great Britain were inextricably intertwined. That I would be called upon to rescue our nation in a time of tremendous turmoil.”

My husband’s discerning eye perceives all but the threats standing right in front of him, and it seems that I may have to serve as the sentinel of his personal landscape and the gatekeeper of our shared ideals and our marriage.

If he had slapped me, I could not have been more wounded. He only thinks about my identity and my worth in terms of the possessive, in terms of what I mean and what I do for him. I realize for the first time how dependent I’ve been on Winston for his admiration and how reliant I am for his permission to assume my own power, even if it is power derived from his own. No longer.