Interesting read about a very interesting family. The characters were well written. I look forward to reading more by this author. I would definitely recommend this book to others.

Wow, Marie Benedict finds the most interesting women to write about, some that I didn't know existed. I didn't know anything about the Mitfords until I read this book. I think my jaw was dropped the entire time I was reading this - such a dark time prior to and at the beginning of WWII. Whether or not you have any interest in Hitler, Facism, Nazism, Germany, and Great Britian during this time period, this book definitely needs to be read. You'll find out things you never knew about. Thank you to Ms. Benedict for bringing us another amazing historical fiction.

Marie Benedict has a knack of presenting interesting women in history that you might not have heard of. In this case, the 6 Mitford sisters. I had never heard of this family and The Mitford Affair looks at their lives between the First and Second World Wars.
Very interesting, but really hard to keep all of the sisters straight. All their names plus all their nicknames made it sometimes difficult to know who was who. Two of the sisters come to be in Hitler’s inner circle before war breaks out in Europe.
An interesting look at a fascinating time in history from a unique perspective.

The Mitford sisters are up to it again, causing sensation whatever they do and wherever they go. Marriages are tested and affairs abound.

Thank you to Netgalley and publisher for an arc in exchange for my honest reviews.

Publication: January 17, 2023

It has been a few years since I picked up a book by Marie Benedict. I remember that last time I had a hard time keeping focus with the story and ended up giving up. I saw the Mitford Affair and I requested it thinking that it had been a few years since I read her last book.

The one thing that I remember from Benedict's previous book and this one is that it is so well researched! This book is practically dripping in historical aspects about this family. I applaud her for this!

As a reader, I could not get into this story and found myself skimming or putting the book down. When it comes to historical fiction, I want to be sucked in while learning something new. This book felt as though I was reading a textbook with some fictional aspects. I couldn't connect with the characters or the story.

Overall, I give this book three stars because it has so much historical fiction and has made me want to do my own research. I knocked the two stars off because as the fictional part goes, I think this book lacked.

The six Mitford sisters are the toast of the London social scene, even in the middle of a worldwide economic depression. Oldest sister Nancy concentrates on her marriage and her writing, while sisters Diana and Unity are caught up in Hitler's fascism, and become personal friends of his, as well as strong supporters of the British Union of Fascists. Meanwhile, younger sister Jessica is a devout communist and runs off to Spain with her boyfriend to fight Franco's regime.

Marie Benedict does a great job of bringing the time period between the two world wars to life, in England and Germany. The story focuses on three oldest Mitford sisters: Nancy, who is the best known sister for her writing; Diana, who was married to the head of the British Union of Fascists; and Unity, Nazi supporter and one of Hitler's fangirls who may have had an affair with him. As with all of Benedict's books, research is sound and even those who aren't familiar with this historical period will have no trouble getting into the story.

As always, Marie Benedict does a thorough job of peeling back the layers on history stories many readers have never heard. I did not know of the Mitford sisters and was intrigued to see the ups and downs of their lives as they navigated the rise of fascism and communism, especially as it pertained to Hitler’s own rise to power. This book was written well and the pace of the plot never flagged. For me, I am discovering that I grow weary of stories with the trope of the “beleaguered woman.” I recognize that history has frequently marginalized womanly passions and intellect; but having read all of Marie Benedict’s solo novels (seven in total now), I find it hard to believe that she can’t find one single instance of a groundbreaking woman who is also happily married and invested in her children. While that is my personal take, I still think readers everywhere will find something stimulating to consider in this story of family, treason, and the reasons why we might find ourselves swayed by radical ideology.

I gave up on this one before finishing. I like Marie Benedict's writing, and this book was well-written and well-researched, but I just found I couldn't deal with Upper Crust women panting after facists and Nazis (including a huge fan-girl crush on Hitler himself). Just, ugh. No.

I look forward to Marie Benedict's next book, but this one was not for me. I will still rate it a 4 because of the writing.

It took me two tries to read this book, largely because I just didn't like most of the characters! But by emphasizing the "historical" in historical fiction I persevered, and found it to be well worth the effort. Told primarily from the perspective of the of the six Mitford sisters (Unity, Nancy and Diana) The Mitford affair brings into the open the collaboration with and assistance to Hitler and the voracious Nazi machine in the years leading up to World War II. The deep relationships that are formed between two of the sisters and Hitler himself are hard to read about, and the difficult question the third sister has to answer about what to reveal to authorities to save her country and the impact it will have on her sisters. When patriotism and loyalty to family collide, which do you choose? At what cost to yourself and your family? Marie Benedict does a beautiful job of laying out the dilemmas and difficult choices, even if we can never really understand why some of those choices were made. Among the plethora of World War II novels out there, The MItford Affair stands out for the way it brings out the roles of unexpected others in enabling HItler and the Nazis. A definite must read!

Publisher’s description: 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. Though they've weathered scandals before, the family falls into disarray when Diana divorces her wealthy husband to marry a fascist leader and Unity follows her sister's lead all the way to Munich, inciting rumors that she's become Hitler's mistress.

As the Nazis rise in power, novelist Nancy Mitford grows suspicious of her sisters' constant visits to Germany and the high-ranking fascist company they keep. When she overhears alarming conversations and uncovers disquieting documents, Nancy must make excruciating choices as Great Britain goes to war with Germany.

Probing the torrid political climate in the lead-up to World War II and the ways that seemingly sensible people can be sucked into radical action, The Mitford Affair follows Nancy's valiant efforts to stop the Nazis from taking over Great Britain, and the complicated choices she must make between the personal and the political.
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My review:
Fascinating and educational, like all of Benedict’s books. I had to do some further research into the Mitford family, as I did not know much. In the beginning it was a bit difficult to keep track of each sister and their various, often rabid political leanings. But it all came together as the book progressed. Nancy, the most level headed, Diana the brilliant strategist, Unity the fanatic stand out and the story is told through these three sisters. If you know about history and the family you know which sister worshipped which leader/political party.

The book does make you think, in this day and age, how far are people willing to go and change to support a leader or party? Apparently in the past, as now….quite far. The question of loyalty to family, country, and self is a major theme in the book and Nancy is especially fixated on it. I thoroughly enjoyed Cousin Winston as a real person!

Overall, I liked the book as it made me think and it made me research. I love that in historical fiction. Some of the detailed descriptions of rallies, subterfuge and secondary characters dragged a bit, but perhaps some readers need that if they aren’t doing their own background building.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for a digital copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Stars out of 5. .

I have read extensively on the Mitford sisters over the last four or five decades. Reading a fictional account of what I knew was interesting, and for those unfamiliar with the sisters would make a good introduction. I recommend Jessica’s “Hons and Rebels” as a good place to continue, along with Nancy’s novels.

Thank you to NetGalley and @SourceBooksLandmark for this ARC. This book is written from different perspectives of the 3 Mitford sisters - Nancy, Diana and Unity. Though they each take a different route in life and they don't agree on the paths each have taken, they still love each other and still run to help each other. They each made an impact with WW2, some good and some bad but these three women were a major influence. After reading The Mayfair Bookstore that surrounds Nancy Mitford's life, this was a neat followup because I had the inside story from Nancy's point of view already. Also, always love Marie Benedict! #TheMitfordAffair #MarieBenedict #Jan2023 #SourceBooksLandmark

Between the World Wars, the six Mitford sisters dominate the English political, literary, and social scenes. Though they've weathered scandals before, the family falls into disarray when Diana divorces her wealthy husband to marry a fascist leader and Unity follows her sister all the way to Munich, inciting rumors that she's become Hitler's mistress. As the Nazis rise in power, novelist Nancy Mitford grows suspicious of her sisters' constant visits to Germany and the high-ranking fascist company they keep. When she overhears alarming conversations and uncovers disquieting documents, Nancy must make excruciating choices as Great Britain goes to war with Germany.
Probing the political climate in the lead-up to World War II and the ways that seemingly sensible people can be sucked into radical action, The Mitford Affair follows Nancy's valiant efforts to stop the Nazis from taking over Great Britain, and the complicated choices she must make between the personal and the political.

Although all the Miford sisters are mentioned, the author concentrates on the lives of Diana, Unity, and Nancy's actions. It is based on much research as much is written concerning the Mitford sisters. The author also looked at original papers and journals. I had read another historical fiction that mentios Nancy as an author, but Benedict delves into much more concerning Nancy, her relationship with her other sisters, and her relationship with her parents, especially her mother. This was a fascinating book, as all Benedict's books that I have read so far are, and I learned at lot about the history and climate of the times. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read another of Marie Benedict's books about fascinating and often overlooked women in history.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author Marie Benedict and the publisher for the advanced copy of this book.

I usually love a Marie Benedict novel and was initially excited to receive an advance copy; however, this one was just not for me. I had high hopes because I love historical fiction and a dysfunctional family. Especially sister relationships that are dysfunctional!

I didn't like any of the characters and didn't have anyone to root for. There was no plot and I found myself skimming more pages than I wanted to.

On to the next!

The Mitford Affair
Review Score: 4 Stars

Five Key Feels

-I was shocked to learn that this is based on a real family.

-I loved seeing this timeframe though the eyes of Nancy, Diane, and Unity.

-It was wild to feel the tension building leading up to World War 2.

-Nancy’s story in particular was so interesting to me.

-I found myself bummed by the ending, I wanted more from the story!

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The Mitford Affair was nothing short of a wild ride. Seeing Unity’s actual obsession with Hitler, Diane’s plotting (and leaving her husband, what?), and Nancy’s struggle with how her family was nothing short of intense.

This book was so well written. Engaging, even if you know a little bit about this particular family.

With that being said, I did not love the ending. Really, I disliked how abrupt the end was. I wanted more details, to follow the sisters though the war and see their outcomes, and that was not how the book ended. I really wanted more of a resolution.

All in all, I still definitely recommend The Mitford Affair! It is so interesting!

The Mitford Sisters tells the extraordinary story of the Mitford family through the years leading up to and during World War 2. Like many aristocratic families of the time, the Mitfords were rich in ancestry only. They often relied on friends and relatives to give them shelter and help them make ends meet. Despite this, they traveled with a high profile crowd of authors, politicians and socialites. The Mitford sisters focuses on three of the sisters in particular and describes their place in the family and how they molded themselves to stand out amongst their siblings. The novel gives the reader plenty of opportunity to explore what motivates each sister. The choices that they make during this challenging time in British history has far reaching effects on their family and the nation. This novel encouraged me to research the Mitford sisters a bit more to learn about their fascinating lives.

Marie Benedict is one of my go-to authors for historical fiction. She always brings to life women of historical importance that we haven’t really heard about. I was so excited to be able to rad an ARC of The Mitford Sisters, a story of six sisters and a brother that takes place during WWII. This English aristocratic family was well connected in society, cousins to Winston Churchill. Told from the POV of three of the sisters, we catch a glimpse of how within this one family, that political division was common in England. Each sister leads her own life, some which went totally against societal norms and acceptability. Diana divorced her husband, infatuated with the leader of the British Fascist Movement. Unity became an extreme Fascist, aligning herself as a Nazi sympathizer and obsessed with Hitler. One sister was a communist. Nancy, a traditional English citizen, was a writer who used her pen to write against Fascism. As war with Germany looms on the horizon, each sister is on a path of their choice but still attempt to maintain their familial bonds together. Well written, Benedict makes these sisters come to life and you can’t but shake your head how a person can make choices to let go of all they know, all they’ve been taught, to follow evil and lies. Each try to deny reality, but there is only one who is unafraid to note the hypocrisy and stand up for goodness. As all of Benedicts books, this is well worth reading. From the beginning to the end, this story keeps you engaged.

Many thanks to #netgalley #mariebendict #themitfordsisters for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I have long enjoyed Marie Benedict's novels and this one was no different. I knew very little about the Mitford sisters and their involvement in fascism, communism and Nazism. While I know this is historical fiction it was still enlightening and I found myself unable to put the book down for long as I was curious about what was going to happen next. Benedict's description of post WWII England and Germany was spot on.

Atmospheric, Immersive…
The history of the Mitford sisters comes alive on the page in this sweeping and glamorous tale of six sisters between the wars and the personal and political choices they have to make. Atmospheric and immersive with a beautifully written narrative, a credible and well crafted cast and clever, compelling storytelling.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC.

I cannot get enough of the Mitford sisters. They are an endlessly fascinating family and I yum up pretty much everything that has their names. Ms Benedict has provided an extremely readable account of Nancy, Diana and Unity's movements in the lead up to WWII. The perspective shifts between the three women and Ms Benedict has done a great job of giving the women a voice. My only criticism is that the chapters are very short so thing flick between the women a little too quickly for my brain to keep up at times!

I really enjoyed this and think it is a worth addition to the historical fiction oeuvre.