The Mitfords!

The Mitford Affair captures the big lives these women lived. In a time of disruption they erupted all over the place. They were debutants who hobnobbed with the highest stratas of society, and they advanced their causes. They were eccentric in their choices. Like slightly in-bred, cavalier Afghan Hounds they caused major disruptions wherever they went, whatever they turned their mind too. How could six sisters be so different?
I’ve totally fascinated by the “Mitfords” and their pursuits of extremes—from communism to fascism. Benedict has written an illuminating book looking at the family from mainly four points of view. Diana who divorced her husband and married Oswald Mosley, Unity who was enamoured with Hitler, who idolised him, to Diana the communist, and Nancy who may have been a spy for MI5, but at the very least was shocked by the various positions her family took. Unity and Diana were obsessed. And then there’s the high society interactions where most in the top escheolon are married to each other, so Winston Churchill is also a relative. Their positions in society were stepping stones. Well Diana’s was. Unity wanted someone to adore exclusively, and she found him. The life, the competitiveness inside the family is rather interesting. Each knows how to push the others buttons.
A very readable, insightful dare I say, exploration of what made these women particularly act in the way they did, follow their guiding star, whether disillusioned or not.
Ideas of racism, loyalty to a cause, entitlement, all that, and more are raised.

A Sourcebooks ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.

This is my first book by Marie Benedict and it made me wonder why I haven't picked her work earlier. I love historical fiction and love reads that are a balance of research and what if. The book creates the visuals in your mind as you read which makes it an amazing experience as a reader. Definitely recommend!

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for this eArc in exchange of my honest opinion.

Marie Benedict is a master. All her books are extremely well researched. The writing style is compelling and encourages long session of enjoyment with her books. A highly recommended historical fiction author.

Another exciting, enlightening and educational book about 6 sisters during the time leading up to World War 2.

Intrigue, spies, Nazis, traitors and strong women that created our history. Ms Benedict never fails to educate and entertain.

This is my sixth Marie Benedict book. I can always count on her to introduce me to or teach me something new about a historical figure or a woman who worked behind the scenes alongside a notable (usually male) historical figure. While they may not be enough for someone who is already familiar with these ladies, they are a great jumping off point for further research for those being introduced for the first time. I always end up reading more articles or books about the woman Marie Benedict features in her novels.

The Mitford Affair follows the six Mitford sisters through the time period between the two World Wars. They are at home and well-known among Britain's social and political elite, but things begin to fall apart when Diana leaves her marriage to pursue the leader of Britain's fascist organization and the sisters' extreme political leanings place them at odds with each other and with their homeland.

The story is told from the viewpoints of Nancy, Diana, and Unity. Other than Decca, we don't really see much from the younger sisters. Nancy's POV is told in first person, and the others in third person. Marie Benedict is known for writing her historical fiction novels in first person, but I actually really liked this multi-POV format better. I read Benedict's Lady Clementine last month, which was entirely in first person narrative.

The Mitford Affair to be a wonderful follow-up to Lady Clementine as they are linked in a few ways. Clemmie, Winston Churchill's wife, was a cousin of the Mitford sisters and the Churchill's position in WWII certainly factors into the Mitford sisters' story. It was interesting (and at times infuriating) to read about Hitler in a positive light from passionately fascist Diana and Unity's POV. Reading about Nancy's life makes me want to read her novels for myself.

Putting this down as my 2nd favorite Marie Benedict read. Highly recommend for historical fiction lovers!

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for a digital ARC. All opinions are my own.

I was not familiar with the Mitford sisters before reading this book. A reason that I like historical fiction so much is, like this story, they are enlightening. The focus of The Mitford Affair is on three of the six sisters, Diana, Unity, and Nancy. The women's ebullient and appealing personalities comes through the book. I easily became immersed in the time period and happenings. Set in the years leading up to World War II the political leanings and social activities of the sisters is captivating. How this one family was so involved in the history of that time period is enthralling. Even more so that their politics were so widely diverse.

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the advaced copy of this book.

3.5

The (in)famous Mitford sisters - specifically Nancy, Diana, and Unity - get the historical fiction treatment from Marie Benedict. It's almost difficult to write a synopsis because I feel like if you know about the Mitford family....then you know.

You know that both Diana and Unity were associates of Hitler. Diana was married to the leader of the fascist party in Great Britain, and Unity moved within Hitler's inner circle and was sympathetic to the Nazi cause.

You know that Nancy was a prolific writer whose family was often thinly veiled within the pages of her work. She did not support her sisters' views and even reported on them during the height of the war.

If you hadn't previously heard of the Mitfords, I'd say these small tidbits are enough to raise eyebrows.

Personally, I had previously heard of the Mitfords. Not enough, however, to verify where the lines between truth and fiction cross here.

For me, this was not an easy read just for the fact that I honestly didn't like any of the characters that much. Diana and Unity's starch support of Hitler was chilling given that he was so evil, and knowing all that we know happened during this time period and its after effects. And even though Nancy was not supportive of her sisters' views, she watched from the sidelines. In fact, a lot of Mitfords watched from the sidelines either abhorring what Diana and Unity stood for, or actually supporting it.

I think that this book really showcases the division between families when they have different ideals, but also the fact that they are your family and you want to protect that regardless of what they may be involved in. I think that's why, as I said, Nancy is shown on the sidelines a lot of the time. Despite everything, she cares about her family and her sisters. And you can similarly see this in Diana and Unity. There's an underlining loyalty to their family. However, as they continue to delve deeper and deeper into their beliefs we see what they're willing to give up. I struggled to understand, probably because I do not share their viewpoints, what the endgame of everything was supposed to be. What did they think would happen if everyone gave in to Hitler and his regime? Maybe it was the fanaticism of being so rooted to a cause that there is no reason, the reason is lost.

The book is pretty slowly paced. It covers about a ten year period of time when things were heating up between Germany and Britain before the start of the War, and then just a few years into the start of the War itself. There were definitely some moments where you are left wanting. Mainly, I kept waiting for Nancy to make some kind of stand, and while she definitely gets there, it does take quite a bit.

Honestly, Nancy and Unity and Diana may be three of the more notorious Mitfords, but there's also Pamela, Jessica, Deborah, and brother Tom. I would gladly take a part two that features the other siblings. If you truly give them a good lookup, you'll see that they were all - for better or worse - noted for something throughout their lifetimes.

Thank you to Netgalley, Sourcebooks, and Ms. Benedict for the opportunity to read an ARC of this title. An honest review was requested but not required.

I have read most of Ms. Benedict’s historical fiction. Overwhelmingly her books are meticulously researched, engaging, inspiring and fascinating. Three of the four of those are true here. Even Ms. Benedict’s engaging writing and fascinating subject material cannot inspire much affection for these women.

The Mitford sisters, known as Britain’s Bright Young Things, are basically 1930s British Kardashians. Famous to the point of notoriety, stunning beauties all (particularly for their time), stylish, wealthy, and reported on feverishly, the Mitford sisters hit the lottery of life. And look what they did with it! Two fascists, a communist, a Nazi, a debutante (that would be Debo) and Nancy. Nancy, I suppose, is the one you’re meant to relate to, but somehow I found her fairly unlikeable anyways. I did empathize with her fertility struggles, especially in the face of what she called “Diana’s relentless fertility.” Otherwise she just sort of seemed bland and reactionary.

Her sister Diana on the other hand was anything but reactionary. Completely in thrall to the British fascist politician Lord Mosley, she upended her life, left her husband, deserted (at least, temporarily) her children, to pursue a married man. She planned his political trajectory like a master General, eyes attuned to every advantage she could pursue or connection she could exploit. Then there’s Unity, the sister obsessed with Hitler.

I found the novel engrossing and the women fascinating, but I can’t say as I liked them. Apparently Diana lived to a ripe old age, too. Ms. Benedict’s ability to make such polarizing women palatable enough for a full-length novel is really to be commended.

3.5 stars // I've read a couple other book from Marie Benedict before and liked them, and was intrigued by the premise of this.

I had never even heard of the Mitford sister before, so I learned a LOT and was fascinated by their story after getting to know them. However, the INCREDIBLY abrupt ending really threw me off. There was no sort of closure for anything and that was disappointing. However, I did enjoy learning more about this family and this perspective of WWII.

Absolutely incredible. Understanding how Hitler came to power is scary. Seeing how easy citizens were manipulated to believe that Hitler was "making Germany great again" is terrifying to see as we are currently living in times of the American people glorifying Trump. Thank you for writing this incredibly interesting and timely book.

I had never heard of the Mitfords before reading this book, and their story was fascinating. I sincerely wish I had liked this book better, but there were a few glaring problems with it. Firstly, I thoroughly disliked all the characters. They were interesting, certainly, but even Nancy came across as spineless and undecided, except toward the ending. Secondly, and I think more seriously, I didn't like the way the book was written so surface-level. I understand in a way, because the book spans several years, across 3 different POVs, but I felt like readers never got to experience much depth to any of them. It certainly makes the reading experience easier, but also far less interesting. I would have loved a deeper dive into the characters; perhaps then I would have understood them better. The book did pique my interest in this family, and I'm curious now to read a nonfiction book on the Mitfords. I suppose in that case, this book did its job, and I'm happy I got the chance to read it.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my ARC; all opinions are my own.

The perfect book for a book club. I picked this book because the author comes highly recommended in powerful historical stories featuring women. I wasn’t disappointed.

The Mitford family is one of the elites in England. The six sisters and a brother make up a formidable pack. Youth, beauty, and brilliance, there’s no stopping the sisters. But how do two of these sensible siblings fall for some extremely powerful fascist leaders?

The story is told through narratives of three sisters Diana, who divorces her wealthy husband to marry Mosley a Fascist leader. Unity, who follows Diana to Germany and ends up becoming very close and personal with Hitler. Nancy, who is a writer of books and who grows increasingly suspicious of her sisters’ trips to Munich and Berlin.
Ultimately she decides to disclose enemies of her country to the government even though they are her sisters after she finds shocking and incriminating evidence.

I went into the story not knowing anything about the plot. Initially a few chapters I thought I was reading something like the Bridgertons with wealthy people’s annual balls and pursuit for suitors so I felt disinterested. But once Diana began her pursuit of Mosley, I was hooked. Three-quarters into the book and I couldn’t help but look up the Mitford sisters on the internet. The writing was so convincing and detailed. And true enough the sisters very much existed and did have powerful connections with German leaders before the World War.

Dominant characters, a fascinating war story and scandalous family dynamics make up for a very original and engaging read.

The only hiccups were some glaring grammatical errors that should be corrected in the paperbacks but otherwise, readers who are not aware of the Mitfords will thoroughly enjoy this story.

Readers looking for brilliant historical fiction that is character-oriented and more so women need not look any further.

Thank you Netgalley for the e-ARC and happy publishing day to Marie Benedict and the publishing team for The Mitford Affair.

"From New York Times bestselling author Marie Benedict comes an explosive novel of history's most notorious sisters, one of whom will have to choose: her country or her family?

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."

One of two Mitford books this week. You'd think they'd spread them out a bit... It's not like EVERYONE is writing about the Mitfords now is it?

Thanks to Sourcebooks Landmark for the free book.
This book was very interesting. While I knew a bit about the Mitford family, I have never really gone in depth into these sisters, and Benedict does not hold back when sharing about them. This book is told from Nancy, Diana, and Unity's POV. This added a very shocking part to the book. I did not know about Diana and Unity's foray into Nazi-ism and they personally knew Hitler, which kept me somewhat turned off of the book. I know that this was the point, but I just didn't want to spend that much time with fascists - two of the POVs were a bit much for me. I also found the plot to be slow until the last 30% of the book. I did admire Nancy and her courage, though. I think this will be good for historical fiction fans, especially those extremely interested in this family.

Absolutely captivated by this book, and read it faster than anything in recent memory. The first couple of chapters had me worried, as they were packed full of names and nicknames that felt impossible to keep straight, but once I got past all that, the plot-driven story was beautifully told and clearly very well-researched. Perfect for fans of the Mitfords, of course, but also for lovers of any of historical fiction, or readers who want to understand the mind of someone whose political leanings take an inexplicable U-turn.

I really enjoyed The Mitford Affair by Marie Benedict. I loved to hate Diana and Unity Mitford. While Nancy wasn't so hot herself, at least she was able to go towards the right path. This book really made me think that if I were in Nancy's shoes, would I put my love for my family first (who I know is in the wrong) or my love for my country first (defending what is right)? Thank you NetGalley for an advanced read - I hope this is a read that historical fiction fan pick up and enjoy!

5 Stars: LOVED THE BOOK! HIGHLY RECOMMEND TO EVERYONE!
4 Stars: Very Good book! I would recommend it if it's within your genre
3 Stars: Good Book within its genre - recommend reading but not necessary
2 Stars: Ok Book. I would try the author again/not this author's best work
1 Star: It may be a good book for someone else, but not for me

--Disclaimer - I love to read books, but I am not the best reviewer!

Marie Benedict returns with another well-researched historical novel, this time featuring the Mitford Sisters during the 1930's. Focusing on Nancy, Diana, and Unity, Benedict delves into the different paths each sister took and how the years before and during the early part of the world unfolded for each. While Nancy struggles with her marriage and working on her novels, Diana finds herself further enmeshed in the British fascist movement and Unity becomes enthralled by Hitler. This particular novel of Benedict's is a bit harder to read than her past novels mostly due to the content with Unity being so enamored by Hitler and his regime, as well as how Diana keeps ingratiating herself into the fascist agenda . Readers of World War two historical fiction will find this one interesting, but should be aware a lot of it deals with characters who are or will become pro-Hitler. The author's note would have been better suited placed at the beginning to explain the perspectives of the Mitford sisters.

I had a hard time getting into The Mitford Affair by Marie Benedict. I think it was how Diana and Unity Mitford romanticized Hitler and what he stood for. If Marie Benedict had stated the book with her author’s note I don’t think I would have been so bothered by it. I normally love how Marie Benedict picks a heroine from history and tells her story to bring more awareness to the public. This was just very hard to find the good in the Mitford sisters. Nancy was very Toronto turn in information that she had on her sisters. It took Unity’s attempted suicide for her to finally make a stand. I have two sisters and I do think that would be a very difficult decision to make.

The Mitford Affair by Marie Benedict. Pub Date: January 17, 2023. Rating: 4 stars. I was so excited to be approved for this much anticipated novel by Marie Benedict. I have read some of her other books and really enjoyed all of them. Based during WWII, this is a novel about the Mitford Sisters and their varying lives throughout the war. I learned so much about the Mitford Sisters and how the war affected their family due to two sisters and their mother being Hitler supporters and the others struggling with their actions during the war. The novel paints the picture of high society during the war and how the war affected the lifestyles of this population. I was engrossed in all of the lives of the sisters and the pacing of the story was top notch. I highly recommend this novel for historical fiction readers. Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review. #netgalley #themitfordaffair

At turns horrifying and thought-provoking. Marie Benedict’s latest shines a spotlight on not one woman’s history but on that of the entire Mitford family - and particularly of sisters novelist Nancy and fascist / Nazi-sympathizers Diana and Unity - during the pre-World War II years in England and Germany and during the tumultuous beginning of the War. The issues of fascism, white supremacy, anti-semitism, and the relationship between the personal and the political are all too relevant to the present day, with several of the historical scenes readily evoking recent events and hence rendering this obviously well-researched novel an important, reflective read for our time. I cannot, however, state it was an enjoyable tale, due to the often utterly appalling content. And while Benedict is a skilled writer, the pacing in this particular book is at times uneven.

Further, though I happened to be aware of much of the history of the various Mitford sisters prior to delving into Benedict’s fictional account, most readers may not be and would likely benefit greatly from a more detailed author’s note apprising them of the real life biographical information of at least Nancy, Diana and Unity. I would imagine readers will want to know what became of each woman in the period following the timeframe addressed in the book. A family tree showing the relationships between the Mitfords and a few other characters to whom they were related, such as the Churchills, would be another helpful feature.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the complimentary ARC. Opinions are my own.