It's been so long since I requested this book for review that I'd forgotten what the blurb said. I made the decision not to look at it before I read the book so that I came to it with no preconceptions. Regular readers of my reviews will know of my fascination with the Mitford family and my love for Nancy's books. Therefore, I've been eagerly anticipating diving into this one and it didn't disappoint.

The book focuses on the 1930s, from the time just after Diana left Brian Guiness for Sir Oswald Moseley until World War Two and as the blurb says (I've re-read it now), much of the plot deals with Nancy's choice between love of family and duty to her country and her own beliefs. The narration flits between Nancy, Diana and Unity and provides an insight into the thinking of each sister. This allows a degree of sympathy to develop for Diana and Unity, not just Nancy. I found this interesting, as by and large, the biographical books I've read about the family do not really do this. Unity is generally dismissed as the insane Hitler fanatic and Diana as being so sexually obsessed with Moseley that her own beliefs and ideals are subsumed into his. Although this is fiction, I'd like to think that deplorable as I find their beliefs, they were at least genuinely held ones, rather than the two sisters being nothing more than puppets of the men in their lives.

Nancy also comes out of this far better than in other books I've read. Her betrayal of Diana is usually portrayed as being borne out of spite and jealousy rather than a genuine belief that she posed a danger to Britain.

Although much of the inner workings of the Mitford minds must be, by necessity, invented, they each remain true to the characters and their real life motivations. I've read several biographies of the sisters and at no point in this book did I ever find myself thinking that something didn't ring true.

I didn't learn anything new (I hadn't expected to - it is a fiction book after all) but it was definitely an interesting read and I'd recommend it to anyone interested in the Mitford family or in this period of history in general.

Interesting read about one of my favorite periods of american history. I was not aware of the Mitford sisters, and I learned a lot.

I love Marie B's books but this one was just entirely too political for my brain. I love her stories about women in hidden places in history, but this one was just a case of wrong time for me.

I want to thank Source Books Landmark and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review The Mitford Affair by Marie Benedict. She has previously written The Only Woman in the Room, Carnegie’s Maid and The Personal Librarian.
Yes, we know the outcome of WWII but what is the historical connection with the British Mitford families
daughters?
The novel begins in London in 1932. One sister becomes a Nazi sympathizer and follows Hitler everywhere. Another divorces a wonderful husband to be with a Fascist, and a third writes fiction to protect the family aristocratic name. Turns out they are second cousins to the Churchill’s.
The Mitford Affair gives the reader a very interesting account as Hitler advances through Europe. Ms Benedict’s characters are so well defined!
This absorbing work publishes 01/17/2023.

My first #ARC! Big thanks to Sourcebooks and NetGalley for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

This is my second Marie Benedict read. As a fellow Pittsburgher and historical fiction lover, I’m a fan.

I didn’t know much about the Mitford sisters before picking this up. My only familiarity came from watching Peaky Blinders, in which Diana was a character (and she suuuucked).

Marie Benedict writes from the perspectives of three of the six socialite Mitford sisters, two of whom (Diana and Unity) forged close ties with fascism and the Nazis in the lead-up to WWII. I can’t imagine the difficulty and discomfort while writing from a character’s perspective with such ideals. Frankly, it made me uncomfortable as a reader.

My biggest takeaway is that this book asked some relevant questions, some that I think are especially applicable to today’s polarizing political climate. What do you do when someone in your family holds political values that vehemently oppose yours? How can we separate the personal from the political (is it even possible)?

It’s a thought-provoking book that I enjoyed, and I plan on reading much more by Marie Benedict.

I want to thank Marie Benedict for bringing the Mitford sisters to my attention. I have no idea how I never heard of them before. My head is no longer buried in the sand, and I have gone down the long path to google everything about them and their dynamic, insane life. If you are like me there were six Mitford sisters. Each one as different from looks, to political beliefs, to the way in which they conducted themselves in public. One just as fascinating as the next. Known as the Bright Young Things of their time. Benedict focuses mostly on three of the sisters, Diana, Unity, and Nancy.

Unity has always been fascinated by fascism, Germany, and Hitler. She has made it her mission in life to meet the man of mystery and extreme power. Not caring what people say about her, she has one goal in life. To meet Hitler. Diana gave up her first marriage to become the mistress of M, or the next great fascist leader of Great Britain. She is the puppeteer behind the scenes. Making M believe he is the one in charge and making things happen, when it is really Diana. Nancy is the sister I connected to the most. She was not fascist and voiced her opinions just as loudly as her sisters. Trying to get them to see reason. That Germany and Hitler were not the next great thing. As war is declared and sides must be chosen. Who will be on the right side of history?

Benedict brings each and every sister to life. Their vibrancy, brilliance, and craftiness become apparent as each page is turned. You are drawn into their world and are left questioning how all these siblings turned out to be so different, with so many varying degrees of politics. I love how real history collides with fiction to bring these women back to life. Thank you to Marie Benedict and Sourcebooks Landmark for this riveting book.

Novels featuring the Mitford sisters, either singly or as a group, have been popular in the last few years. Benedict is a master of historical fiction featuring famous women or women who have not gotten their due so I wish she'd chosen a different subject of her latest novel, Those who aren't familiar with the family will find this to be a good introduction, Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC,

Marie Benedict never fails to find women live in the shadows of great men yet have the power to change or affect history. The Mitford sisters certainly fit this category and Ms. Benedict has recreated their stories in a way that is so fascinating. Diana and Unity, especially, who flirted and dined with Hitler putting even their lives on the line to support him. Even while he threatens their own Homeland. They are a study in what can happen to women who become enthralled with powerful men. My sympathies lied with their sister Nancy who tried to make sense of the insanity surrounding her sisters actions and treason and ultimately had to make a decision to protect her beloved country. This book has definitely inspired me to do more research on these fascinating sisters.



Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for the ARC,

I always enjoy the subjects of Marie Benedict's historical fiction novels. She brings such interesting characters to life and the Mitford sisters are no exception. Each sister has their distinct viewpoints that counter each other and makes for quite an interesting family dinner, to say the least. Highly recommend this read if you want a break from historical fiction about royals.

Marie Benedict has done it again! This time she has taken the mystifying Mitford sisters, excavated their place in history and then retold it in her latest historical fiction novel. The Mitford sisters were the "It" girls of their generation. Often referred to as "bright young things" they lived a life of privilege. However, two of the sisters became ardent Fascists fanatic about Hitler and the Nazis and one an unflinching Communist. Ms Benedict tries to answer why and how these young women, especially Diana and Unity, embraced Fascism with such zeal. Their sister Nancy, a writer, seems to be the only level-headed one and must decide between family loyalty and country. The author's afterward/interview along with discussion questions help to bring into focus the difficulty of writing this tale, not to mention the parallels we are seeing in today's world. Perhaps the best explanation of the Mitford sisters political demise is the historically repeated phenom called the madness of crowds.

Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for my chance to read this book early.

Between the World Wars, the six Mitford sisters—each more beautiful, brilliant, and eccentric than the next—dominate the English political, literary, and social scenes. Their family bonds are severely strained when Diana, divorces her husband to begin an affair with a married up and coming Fascist leader and Unity, follows her sister to Munich to indulge her consuming obsession with the Nazi's charismatic leader. Her sisters' extreme actions force Nancy Mitford to make an agonizing decision which may destroy their family forever. Marie Benedict weaves a fascinating tale of Britain in the years between wars from the glittering social events to the growing Fascist movement among the British people. Looking at Hitler portrayed in a positive light through the eyes of Diana and Unity Mitford was difficult and challenging. Marie Benedict's masterful storytelling shines the light on the growing darkness that invaded Britain and other countries in the lead up to World War II. I highly recommend this book!

Once again, Marie Benedict has written an excellent historical fiction. Having read other stories of the Mitford sisters, I was curious how this story would be. Ms. Benedict focuses on the three older sisters, Nancy, Diana & Unity. As written at the end of the book, in the discussion/thank you, I too, found it hard reading about these intelligent, well to do family members who worshiped Hitler. Fast paced, easy to follow (each chapter is a different sister, at a different time period), and wonderfully written. Thanks to NetGalley, Ms Benedict, and Sourcebooks for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Overall: I’m fascinated by the Mitford sisters and have read several biographies about them as well as many of Nancy Mitford’s books. This work of historical fiction looks at the lives of three of the sisters, Nancy, Diana, and Unity, in the years leading up to World War II. Diana famously divorces her wealthy, handsome young husband, with whom she had two small sons, to become the mistress of the married Oswald Mosley, leader of the British fascists. Unity, known in the family for her eccentric behavior, becomes obsessed with Hitler and moves to Germany to become part of his social circle. And Nancy, already a successful novelist, tries to understand her sisters’ growing devotion to fascism while coping with a failing marriage and infertility. And the Mitfords’ cousin Winston Churchill makes several appearances. Told in chapters that rotate between each sister’s point of view, the reader has an intimate vantage point on the major events and players in the lead-up to the war.

Likes: The book is based on solid research and contains plenty of period detail. I could picture Nancy’s little cottage, Diana’s glorious wardrobe, and the restaurant where Unity sits waiting for Hitler. Nancy, Unity, and Diana emerge as distinct characters, each with her own perspective on the world. The book also does a good job of identifying their common desire to be a part of larger world events, to matter in the world and be seen as important, and how it resulted in different outcomes for each.

Dislikes: I found it extremely difficult to spend time looking at the world from Diana and Unity’s perspectives. Interestingly, the author chose to narrate Nancy’s sections in the first person, but used the third person for Diana and Unity, which I think reflects an appreciation of the difficulty of asking the reader to identify too closely with their abhorrent views. However, I found the jumps between first and third person took me out of the narrative. The Mitfords’ famous made-up languages and nicknames require a lot of explication, which also at times interrupted the flow of the book. I missed Decca, my favorite Mitford and a fierce anti-fascist, who only appears briefly.

FYI: anti-Semitism, violence, attempted suicide, infertility, loss of a child, infidelity.

The Mitford Affair, Marie Benedict (Publish Date: 1/17/23)

I always enjoy books that tell little known stories from history or at least stories that were previously unknown to me. The Mitford Affair delivers on this front telling the story of the six Mitford sisters and their activities during the years leading up to World War II in England and Germany.

The book opens in 1932 at the opulent London house of sister of Diana whose husband is an heir to the Guinness fortune during a coming of age ball for her sister Unity. Soon, Diana leaves behind her opulent life for the fascist movement in England. As the story unfolds in alternating chapters told from different perspectives, Diana and Unity, in their own separate ways, become attracted to the rising Nazi movement in Germany and Hitler himself.

This book addresses well, the tensions between our family of origin versus families we create over time as well as the conflicts that occur when your family members are on opposite sides of the political spectrum. The book shows how people can be easily influenced by those close to them while choosing to ignore all contradictory facts. I give this book 4 stars and much enjoyed a historical fiction book that is more than just the typical World War II book.

I received this book in an exchange for a honest review. Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebook Landmark.

The Mitford Affair is the latest from Marie Benedict and it continues her tradition of writing about women from history , in this instance the glamorous and somewhat infamous Mitford sisters. Set largely in the years between the first and second world wars, the book is largely centred on three of the sisters , Nancy, Diana and Unity. In the thirties the sisters were part of England' s literary and society sets , friends with writers like Evelyn Waugh and connected by marriage to politicians like Churchill. Diana divorces her aristocratic husband because of an affair with Sir Oswald Mosley, head of the British Union of Fascists , whom she later marries, and becomes an ardent supporter of Fascism both at home and abroad in countries like Italy and Germany where Mussolini and Hitler are coming into power. Unity moves to Germany and develops a close friendship with Hitler, who refers to her as his Valkyrie. She believes in him absolutely and is happy to introduce Diana and her husband who are keen to form an alliance with Hitler. Nancy is shocked by how quickly her sisters have embraced their new politics and with a war with Germany looking increasingly likely she is asked to pass on information about their movements to the British government., but betraying family is never an easy choice.
I had a vague awareness of this family of sisters but I was still shocked by the full story and found the author's account of events completely gripping. I was worried about keeping track of the characters, especially given their propensity for using multiple nicknames for one another, but each was given a distinctive voice and personality , and I found each of them fascinating for different reasons. I also really enjoyed seeing the same events from different perspectives and this is something the author uses effectively here. The contrasting demands of family loyalty and sibling rivalry really add to the dynamics of the book.
Overall a fascinating and engaging account of a most unusual family.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

This is one of the most disturbing war books that I’ve read. Yet, it’s an important one with impressive research that made it an unexpected history lesson.

The Mitford family has a large home in London in 1932 for the six sisters: Nancy, Diana, Pamela, Unity, Jessica and Deborah as well as one brother, Tom. The reader not only has to keep track of these names but also their nicknames. Diana is Bodley Head. Why? Nancy said her head was too large for her body. Nancy is also Naunce, Unity is Bobo, Deborah is Debo, Pamela is Woman and Jessica is Decca. It’s enough to make my brain cells explode.

The sisters are socially connected and a phone call away from Cousin Clementine who is married to Winston Churchill. The book follows three sisters: Nancy, Diana and Unity until 1940 when the British were at war with Germany.

It starts with a wonderful ball in honor of Unity who at 18 years old is now introduced into society. Her 22-year-old sister, Diana, is married to Bryan Guinness, heir to the famous brewery. At the ball, she meets Sir Oswald Mosley, founder of the British Union of Fascists. It’s almost like she’s hypnotized into his corner. Soon after the celebration, she decides to divorce her husband with their twin boys to have an affair with this married man who has no intentions of leaving his wife. She is a strong believer in his mission.

The prominent sisters in the story are divided – two are in Hitler’s inner circle, one is a communist and one is observing and writing stories. I can’t even imagine what a family gathering would be like. It’s a book you can’t put down hoping that at some point there will be a strong awakening.

Marie Benedict once again takes us into a world that is unknown to many of us. She knows how to find plots that are important to the current times. She skillfully captures the ugliness of this period with the Mitford sisters and parents and makes us think about how it compares to families now with secrets and different political views. It leaves the reader with this question: can we can learn from the chilly effects of the past?

My thanks to Marie Benedict, Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for allowing me to read this advanced copy with an expected release date of January 17, 2023.

In my opinion, Marie Benedict is among the best of the current writers of historical fiction. Here, once again, the author has succeeded in writing an absorbing story that is based upon historical fact. Unlike in her earlier novels, this time she tells the story of six important characters (rather than one) who were sisters. They were so different from each other that it is hard to believe that they had the same parents.

The family included one son, Tom and many daughters. There was Nancy, the novelist. Diana was beautiful, married to one of (those) Guinnesses but she left

Bryan to be with the Fascist Oswald Mosley. Unity was somewhat of a fanatic who was deeply enamored of Hitler while Jessica was a Communist. There were also younger sisters Debo and Pamela.

Benedict tells her chapters from different characters points of view. She often has characters detailing their experiences in the same time frame.

There is a very rich history in this family. Readers will enjoy learning more about the Mitfords in this well written story.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for this title. All opinions are my own.

This is the second book I've read about the Mitford sisters and I liked this one way more than the other one.
In The Midford Affair you get three points of view: Nancy, Unity and Diana. This makes the book very fast paced and the fasist/nazi points of view from Unity an Diana makes this book way more interesting than a book from just Nancy's point of view. Because her life might be eventfull, but a whole book about her can become boring.
So this was a great book. I would definitely recommend it if you like books about high society and ww2.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the copy.

While I’m not much into historical fiction the cover of this book captivated me as did the title. I really enjoyed the writing and how it depicts the characters and the role of sisters.

Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy for the purpose of this review.

“How very personal is the political.” This phrase, or some variant of it recurs multiple times in The Mitford Affair, and perfectly sums up the theme of the book. While, in superficial terms, it covers the lives of Mitford sisters, it explores the deeply personal and political narrative between them, where Nancy found herself conflicted by the fascist beliefs and actions espoused by two of them, Diana and Unity.

Marie Benedict does a great job capturing the nuances of all three sisters, especially in terms of allowing the reader to go back and be in the moment with them, balanced with a bit of self-awareness of what would come from a historical perspective. Many people will question why Nancy didn’t come forward about her suspicions sooner, but Benedict perfectly captures the complexity of her emotions, with these being her sisters she deeply cares about, with only true signs of impact on their personal welfare motivating her to act.

I also was surprised how well the portrayals of Diana and Unity worked for me. But Benedict provides a lot of nuance to their portrayals. Unity in particular is interesting, because I didn’t expect I’d find her to be particularly tragic, but Benedict walks that line between making the reader sympathize with her for her decline in mental state and for Nancy’s sake, while condemning her actions while consorting with Hitler and other high-ranking Nazis. Diana, who got off easier by comparison (in terms of long term consequences), alienated me more, but I could also understand how she figured into the overall message, given she was introduced to fascist ideals because of her lover-turned-second husband.

This is another solid offering from Marie Benedict, and I’d recommend it to anyone who enjoys women-centric historical fiction.