The Mitford Affair

Six Mitford sisters...and Marie Benedict makes spicy, provocative use of all of them--constructing a fascinating novel threaded with themes of loyalty and betrayal. A marvelous read--perhaps Benedict's best.

Many thanks to Sourcebooks and to Netgalley for the opportunity and pleasure of an early read.

A totally home run from Benedict - one of the best writers of historical fiction we have now. This is a marvelous story written with all the nuance and detail I've come to expect from this author. This book should be every bookclub's pick this winter. Just wonderful!!

I’ll admit - when I see a new book released by Marie Benedict, it’s an auto-read for me. There’s something inviting about her writing and I always learn something new about a person or situation in history. Part of why I enjoy historical fiction is learning more. I’d heard of the Mitford sisters before reading this book. I knew about Nancy and Deborah, though what I knew about Nancy was “author” and Deborah was “Mrs. Chatsworth House” (which if you ever get a chance to visit while in Derbyshire UK, please do, even if it’s just to have tea). In other words, knew the name … knew very little about the women (for instance, I didn’t know there was a brother). So, “The Mitford Affair” - wow, what a family. Between the jealousies, the power trips, the connections, and the differing political leanings - this book was a bit of a ride. This book follows three of the Mitford sisters - Nancy, Diana, and Unity. The chapters are presented in this order, which really helps keeping track of who is narrating. What I found interesting about this book is how so many themes are woven into this book - loyalty (what this means on so many levels), family (ditto), sisterhood, and political beliefs. This is a bit of a slow moving book - but after the first few chapters, it picks up speed (I considered the first few chapters setting the table). The one nit I had, though I understand it, was that a bit of information was repeated between the sisters in the earlier chapters as some of those occur on the same day or discuss the same event, though from another viewpoint. Do read the Author’s Interview for more information on why Ms. Benedict wrote this book in the way she did - and do look at her sources if you want more information on the Mitfords in general. Well researched and this book reminded me why Ms. Benedict’s books are some I rather enjoy reading.

Six sisters and a brother...a large family with family dynamics...each sibling different...secrets...love...romance...friendship...family...this book was sent to me by Netgalley for review. Thanks to the publisher for the electronic copy. Although I have read several books set in this time period, this one was somewhat unique in that it gives the reader an insight into sibling rivalry, not just romance. This is a talented author. Even though the story does move slowly, at times, it comes to a resounding ending, and that is important. Enjoy with a cup of steaming herbal tea...

The Mitford Affair by Marie Benedict is a wonderful historical fiction that gives us a small glimpse into the complicated, fascinating, and polarizing Mitford sisters.

Ms. Benedict is one of my favorite authors, so I was very keen to see how she would present the Mitford family.

The six Mitford sisters: Nancy, Diana, Unity, Jessica, Deborah, and Pamela are infamous and, at the same time, elusive. I have read quite a bit about them from a nonfiction standpoint, but I have never read any fictional accounts. This book mainly highlights Nancy, Diana, and Unity. We are able to travel to those few pivotal years right before WWII where those smoldering embers are just beginning to flame.

Ms. Benedict does an excellent job portraying these complex, jarring, complicated, and intriguing women…what parts they played in history…how they were similar…but yet also so different…and she gives a more personal account of these women that lived, amd made their mark, on the world at the cusp of the life-changing times that take place during the second World War.

I was engaged, entertained, and learned a few things along the way.

I really enjoyed it.

5/5 stars

Thank you NG and Sourcebooks Landmark for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 1/17/23.

This is a story that seeps glamour and intrigue. From the very first page I was 100% invested and intrigued. I found something about each sister and wanted to turn around and learn more

The Milford family rocked England with their Nazi sympathies and involvement. This novel explains how a family that had everything could have become involved with Fascism in the years before WWII. The author is skilled at painting portraits of tge sisters during this turbulent era. I really enjoyed it., as an Anglophile and lover of well-written historical fiction.

I think it’s a great jumping off point for book groups and attempts to understand how these glorious young women became “radicalized” Nazi sympathizers.

Thank you Netgalley. For this ARC.

Marie Benedict is an author that creates a world that you enter and never want to leave. She always writes about women who would otherwise be left to history. The Personal Librarian and Mystery of Mrs. Christie are both top notch books - always well researched and well written
The Mitford Affair takes places in London pre - World War II and looks at the 6 sisters in the well-to-do Mitford family.
Two of the sisters, Diana and Unity marry members of the fascist, rising Nazi party. Diana divorces her husband to marry the new man. It is Unity's first marriage. They are disowned by three of the sisters and Nancy, a writer, is the only one who stays in touch.
Nancy is frightened for them both and becomes embroiled in radical politics as Diana and Unity become spies for the Nazi regime. There are even rumors that Unity is Hitler's mistress -- that is how entrenched in the party that she is.
Nancy works hard to stop the rising tide and does her part to end the war.
You cannot go wrong with any of Benedict's work. This book is no exception

As a Marie Benedict fan who loved "The Personal Librarian", I was enthralled with "the Mitford Affair". This World War Two drama is moving, emotional, and rich in detail, this is a must-read for any historical fiction lover.

3.5 stars.
Author, Marie Benedict, brings the stories about real women in history to life. I've read all her books and I love her writing style. I learn so much about history from reading her material. If only history in high school had been this interesting!

This novel takes you into the lives of the Mitford family, from 1932 to 1941 in England and Germany, during the buildup to WWII. The Mitfords were an aristocratic British family with six daughters, who were all debutantes, and one son. Alternating chapters in the book are told through the eyes of each of the three oldest sisters. As the years escalate towards war, the daughters become active in the political movements of fascism and communism and its burgeoning presence in England. Ultimately, they each must make critical choices based on their political beliefs or their loyalties to family and country.

Using hindsight, and the author's notes at the end of the book, it is very interesting to see how young people could be influenced by the lies and doctrines of fascism and communism. This was a lesson about how politics, idealism, and idolatry can grow like a cancer and separate a family as well as a nation.

My sincere thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for giving me the opportunity to read a digital ARC of this book. Publication date: January 17, 2023.

I received a free e-arc of this book through Netgalley.
I am a big fan of Marie Benedict and her books are always good. However, I was really torn on the subject matter in this book. Reading about the real life family of 6 Mitford sisters and 1 brother hit me pretty close to home with my 6 sisters. It made my stomach turn to think about the question of putting family or country first. The story centers primarily on 3 of the sisters: Diana, Unity, and Nancy. They are all citizens of Great Britain, but Diana and Unity get swept up into a great love of fascism and Hitler himself. Nancy is horrified and torn about what to do. Her cousin is married to Winston Churchill as well so there are some political connections in Great Britain as well as Germany. It was quite a good read that kept me wondering what Nancy would do. As politics continues to divide families today, it was a good reminder that this is nothing new.

The Mitford Affair reimagines the lives of the Mitford sisters who dominated the English political and social scenes between the World Wars. The family starts struggling to keep up the good image when one marries a fascist leader and another is rumored to be Hitler’s mistress.

Due to the worldwide economic crisis, the family loses the money that would give the six sisters some cushion. Now, they have to find their own way in the world.

The story is driven mainly by three sisters. Nancy is a novelist who tries to mend the bridge with Diana and Unity who fall out of grace with the family. Diana makes a scandal with her divorce to a Guinness tycoon, whom she leaves for a leader of the British Union of Fascists. Diana, with her sister Unity, shares the same vision of joining the BUF. They see it as the bright future for Britain with so many unemployed people. Diana is ambitious in her dreams of building up the BUF to becoming the prominent governing political body in Great Britain; and uniting Great Britain with Germany in this common political cause.

Unity is an ardent Nazi and obsessed with Hitler. She moves to Munich to study the German language and its culture. After cozying up to Hitler, she receives a flat that is procured by the Nazis from a Jewish family who most likely is sent to a concentration camp.

There is a believable presentation of how people are lured into believing Hitler’s ideology. And the decision Unity makes after Hitler invades Poland begs a question - was she fooled as many others?

Decca is a drastic contrast. She chooses to serve in the press corps in the Spanish Civil War. She stands with the people who are being oppressed and violently attacked by the fascists only because they have communist inclinations.

The story of the Mitford sisters weaves two clashing ideologies of fascism and communism, which further create fractions within the family. Not only that the personal interests and fears drive some of their decisions. There is one who is not afraid to point to the hypocrisy within the family, and stands for what she believes is right, but the others strongly believe in their good cause, too.
It is a fascinating and sad example of family who falls into the dismay because of politics. It is an example that is relevant to present time.

As with previous books by Marie Benedict, this story is character-driven and told with crisp prose. It is intriguing and engaging. It involves a view of two sides and a subject that brings a conversation to the table.

Review originally posted at mysteryandsuspense.com

The Mitford Affair, based upon the real Mitford family of England opens ones eyes to how vulnerable England was to being ruled by Hitler. With many of the English aristocracy embracing his political views and marveling at how he managed to pull his country back from the brink of ruin after World War I,England's future under Chamberlain's guidance was in real trouble. Two of the Mitford sisters, Diana and Unity become obsessed with the politics of Nazi Germany. Diana for how it could benefit her current husband's political career, and Unity for finally being accepted as a golden child when she was barely tolerated by her parents and siblings. Nancy, the only sibling who questions her sister's allegiance to Hitler and who is a writer, tries to warn both her family and the English people through her novels about the future designs on England by Hitler. Thoroughly researched, each sister is afforded her own chapters in which she explains her actions, motives and ultimate goals. One can't help but pity Unity and her childish infatuation with Hitler, wonder at the audacity of Diana in her climb up the political social ladder and urge Nancy into finally taking action. A behind the scenes look at how the war affected families with members on both sides of the conflict. A slice of English history that few know about which casts the historical events leading up to WWII in a much more personal light.

Marie Benedict feeds my love of history, my thrill at glamour, and my need for suspense--once again! Each of the Mitford sisters is unique and independent while remaining dependent on each other or are the rivals for attention, affection, and adoration? What lengths will they go to attain their due? What secrets will they hide or share to maintain their status? What country and family will they betray to rule? Delve into the time between the wars to learn how they navigated countries, men, family, and lives to attain their goals.

This book was everything I wanted it to be. It had me turned pages without even realizing. It was so good!

The Mitford Affair by Marie Benedict delves into the lives of three of the real-life Mitford sisters: Diana, Unity, and Nancy. It covers the years leading up to and including WWII when Diana and Unity were fascists to the point that they cozied up with Hitler.

Benedict’s writing reflects the deep research that went into this novel. To her credit, she does not shy away from making Hitler a major supporting character. His presence loomed large in Unity’s world. Benedict also chooses to include the juicier bits of speculation about Unity’s behavior in Germany and let’s just say it doesn’t seem implausible.

It all makes for fascinating reading with Nancy as our guide watching it all tragically unfold into WWII. This is the novel that was waiting to be written about Diana and Unity and I couldn’t imagine it in more capable hands than Marie Benedict’s. Highly recommended for historical fiction fans, those who enjoy reading about complex women, and anyone who can’t get enough of the fascinating Mitfords.

"The Mitford Affair"
A Novel | By Marie Benedict

“The Mitford Affair” tells the story of a British aristocratic family in the years leading up to WWII.

I had not heard of the Mitford family. They are an intriguing, while disturbing, group. I was attracted to the book because of the author. Marie Benedict does an excellent job of researching history and capturing the essence of the culture and time surrounding her subjects.

The Mitfords were related to Winston Churchill’s wife. They were an upper crust, Kardashian type, British family. There were six sisters and one brother. Their home life as children seems dysfunctional by today’s standards. The girls were not allowed formal education and were left on their own to educate themselves. The resulting personalities were unique to say the least. Benedict focuses her storytelling primarily on three of the sisters. Diana was the one most noted for her beauty who had married young to the heir to the Guiness fortune, and shortly thereafter became involved with the leader of the British Union of Fascists (BUF), and pursued having influence over Hitler. Unity was the odd duck of the family who become overly infatuated with Hitler. Nancy was the most principled of the three, who wrote novels that thinly veiled the nefarious activity of her sisters, and had to ultimately choose between protecting her family and protecting her country.

I would recommend this work to anyone who loves Historical Fiction, anyone intrigued by WWII history, and to book clubs who enjoy discussing human nature.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the privilege of reading an advance release copy of “The Mitford Affair."

#TheMitfordAffair #NetGalley
#historicalfiction
#mariebenedict

The Mitford Affair
by Marie Benedict
Pub Date: January 17, 2023
Sourcebooks Landmark
Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC of this book! I must say, that whenever I see Marie Benedict has a new historical fiction out I have to read it! I enjoy learning about women in history.
As with previous books by Marie Benedict, this story is character-driven and told with crisp prose. It is intriguing and engaging. It involves a view of two sides and a subject that brings a conversation to the table.
The story is driven mainly by three sisters. Nancy is a novelist who tries to mend the bridge between Diana and Unity who fall out of grace with the family. Diana makes a scandal with her divorce from a Guinness tycoon, whom she leaves for a leader of the British Union of Fascists. Diana, with her sister Unity, shares the same vision of joining the BUF. They see it as a bright future for Britain with so many unemployed people. Diana is ambitious in her dreams of building up the BUF to becoming the prominent governing political body in Great Britain; and uniting Great Britain with Germany in this common political cause. Great book about a time and women I never knew! 5 stars

This was an absolutely fascinating, character-driven, historical fiction! It is set in the period between World War I and World War II and follows the Mitfords, born into British high society, and their lives, loves and politics. Three of the sisters rise to positions of influence, but two choose to follow a path of Nazi beliefs. Marie Benedict has written a completely absorbing, often chilling, and very well researched book that explores that period of time, and the dilemma faced by the other sister, as she must make a terrible choice between family loyalty and loyalty to her country and humanity. I found all of the author's notes to be very informative also, about the time period and the family. Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for my complimentary advanced copy of the book. The opinions in the review are my own.

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!

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.

The Mitford Affair by Marie Benedict. Another interesting historical fiction from my favourite novelist. The story of the Mitford sisters in the years leading up to the Second World War. The Mitford family were part of the English aristrocracy and even closely related to Winston Churchill. Two of them were also close to the Nazis and Adolf Hitler. The novel chronicles in lucid details how they may have well played a part in influencing history. Written in Marie Bendict's signature style, this is an easy interesting read about the lives and times.

Thank you Netgalley, Marie Benedict and Sourcebooks Landmark for the ARC

This well-known author’s newest historical fiction novel delves into the lives of the British Mitford sisters before and during WWII. Based on very scary facts, Unity becomes one of Hitlers closest associates, Diana and her husband run the British Fascists organization, Jessica takes up the yoke of communism, and then there’s Nancy whose novels are a bit to autobiographical according to the family. When Great Britain goes to war, Nancy must weigh family vs country.
A frightening, but compelling read especially considering its basis in truth.