Mitfords: Letters Between Six Sisters - Books (, Hardcover)

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Customer Reviews of Mitfords: Letters Between Six Sisters

SusieQ
New York
27th October 2008

Interesting revelations
These letters certainly open a window on the true characters of the six Mitford sisters (perhaps less so on Unity, because her life basically ended in 1939).

I found the written exchanges between Debo and Diana particularly interesting as these letters, particularly the latter ones, confirmed what I already suspected: what utter snobs they were (are); much more heartless, really, than Nancy (who they accused of being heartless, between themselves, many times). It's also made clear from these letters that none of the sisters, except possibly Nancy, had much respect or sisterly loyalty for Jessica Mitford after she abandoned her upper class family for a life of social activism in the USA. It's as if a wall came down between Jessica and her upper class sisters, which only Nancy was occasionally able to bridge (Debo's so-called special relationship with her "Hen" notwithstanding--I think Jessica invested more in that relationship than Debo ever could). It's very unpleasant to read a discussion of just what Jessica should be told about Nancy's medical condition, or if she should be summoned to their mother's deathbed, or Nancy's. They (Diana and Debo, and Pam in particular) obviously, if almost subconsciously, wanted Jessica kept apart.

(I'm not saying I didn't find Jessica's dogged belief in the benefits of Communism offensive at times, but in the face of Diana's unredeemed Fascism it is somewhat more palatable. At least, she was trying to make a world fit for all to live in, not just a world fit for a few to live in.)

I don't know what else to say about these letters. Some of them are certainly funny, clever, a window on the sisters' lives and times, etc., but the strongest impression I received was the overall lack of affection for Jessica after she decided to remain in America following her first husband's death in WWII. It's a shame that Jessica didn't cool her relationship with Debo because the relationship was so sadly, on Debo's part, disloyal and underhanded.

Carrie
Manchester, UK
6th August 2008

Fascinating and very enjoyable read
I knew nothing about the Mitfords before borrowing this book from my mum. I found it highly compelling, especially all the references to the many influential and varied people of the 20th century. It is also very sad at times, especially the harsh realities of the passage of time. This collection of letters has been carefully chosen to tell the reader the Mitfords' story but in the words of the girls themselves.

Michelle Wright
Newcastle, UK
3rd August 2008

A big adventure from start to finish!!
This book is a truly wonderful read and I would totally recommend it. I didn't know much about the Mitfords before I read the book, but afterwards I was desperate to find out everything I could!

It takes a while to get to grips with who is who - but before long you are sucked into the world of the 'Hons and Rebels' and you don't want to leave!!

Its a rollercoaster of emotions from start to finish, and the fact that it is real life is the icing on the cake.

Amsterdamned
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
2nd August 2008

A truly mixed bag
This is a difficult book to review. The editing is very well done. The layout it clear and the letters' contents are usually well annotated (though I wish this had been more continuous - should the reader be expected to remember that "Edwina" on page x is the same as that on page y, who is annotated on page z?)

The contents, though, are another matter. Despite some snippets of very interesting material, for example Unity's accounts of her meetings with Adolf Hitler, rather too many of the letters rarely rise above the mundane, superficial and vacuous. How interesting can it be, just reading that long-dead famous person dined with other long-dead famous person, page after page? Nancy's letters are a case in point. She clearly wrote far better prose than her sisters, but the level rarely rose above an obsession with her wardrobe and the weather.

This is, of course a function of the fact that these women were a product of their class and their age, and I have little interest in, or time for, any of them personally except Jessica, who actually made the effort to cut herself of from the shallowness and to work to actually make a difference. Too much of the time of the others was taken up by bemoaning their lot (only two servants, three houses etc.) or by listing their famous friends.

Only as late middle age drew upon the women did their letters (and punctuation!) improve. This is clearly an important source of material and needed to be put into the public domain, but for long stretches it is also truly disappointing.

saro319
Norhampton England
26th May 2008

The Unconventional Mitford Sisters
Life would be incredibly boring without unconventional people. The Mitford's were such an interesting family. The sisters, frequently referred to as "notorious," were pre and post war celebrities, collectively carving a niche in English history. Nancy Mitford's witty writing is as readable now as in the past. Of her novels, I'm particularly fond of "The Pusuit of Love," and "Love in a Cold Climate." Nancy adroitly lampooned the aristocracy.

It's the support of fascism by Unity Mitford, who was infatuated with Hitler; and Diana Mitford's marriage to Sir Oswald Mosley, leader of the British Fascists, which even now hasn't been forgiven. In the war years, Diana had the title "the most loathed woman in England". Although Mosley was an arrogant man and a womaniser, she loyally remained faithful. Jessica Mitford, also a writer, eloped with her communist lover to the USA. Mostly, Nancy is the one I had previously known more of through her writing.

Of the six, Nancy, Jessica, Deborah and Diana, are the more interesting sisters. Pamela the most obscure. The only sister living is gentle Deborah, the Dowager Duchess of Devonshire. She also writes, and transformed Chatsworth with her husband.

The editor, Charlotte Mosley, provides essential background information to the letters. That makes those more interesting reading. The Mitford girls, gossipy, intimate family letters span the 20th century. Much has been written about the Mitford's over the years. Unlike others, Charlotte Mosley had access to 12,000 family letters. Five percent are included in the book.

What makes the Mitford's so fascinating? They were not the wealthiest aristocratic family. They were, however, well connected to other titled and famous people. The sisters lived through the worst and the best of times, becoming embedded in the fabric of British social history. In terms of women's history, they have a rightful place. Like others in their time, they cut through the conventions of how upper class women should be. As to any family eccentricity, that more appropriately applies to their father, and fanatical tragic sister Unity. Charlotte Mosley's book is an erudite addition to the Mitford family saga.