The Churchill Sisters by Rachel Trethewey

Without question, Winston Churchill was one of the great statesmen of the 20thC, but as a parent, less great. This is somewhat understandable as his own parents set a lousy example. His father, Lord Randolph Churchill, was a harsh man and often unkind to his son.  Winston’s mother, the lovely Jennie Jerome Churchill, an outsize personality in her own right, was too self-centered for much mothering.

Winston’s wife, Clementine, had an unusual upbringing too. Clementine was one of the four daughters of wealthy brewer Sir Henry Hozier and Lady Blanche Ogilvy. It was widely assumed that none of Blanche’s four children were fathered by Henry as Blanche had many lovers. Clementine’s father was likely Bertie Mitford (yes, those Mitfords), her mother’s brother in-law.

After Henry and Blanche separated (big surprise), Blanche was always short of money, a circumstance not helped by her gambling habit.  As a result, Clementine’s childhood was nomadic and insecure.

Like all couples, the Churchills brought their childhood baggage with them when they embarked on parenthood.

The Churchills had five children, four daughters and a son, Randolph.  The subjects of Rachel Trethewey’s book are the three Churchill daughters, Diana, Sarah, and Mary (A fourth daughter, Marigold, died in infancy.)

It wasn’t easy being Winston’s child. Winston dominated his environment entirely, and Clementine devoted all of her energy to him. Periodically the stress would be too much for her, and she left home (and children) for weeks or months to recuperate.

Raised by a succession of ineffectual nannies, Diana and Sarah struggled with their Churchill legacy and their own personal failings. Eldest child Diana was twice divorced and struggled with severe depression. Thrice married Sarah was a moderately successful actress and lifelong alcoholic. Only much younger Mary, who was raised by a loving nanny, emerged unscathed.

Although not uninteresting, the book is perversely tepid whereas life in Winston’s orbit must have been anything but.

WHAT OTHER REVIEWERS SAY

Catherine Grace Katz, author of The Daughters of Yalta: “A thoughtful portrait of the lives of three women on the forefront of history…a poignant story of sisterhood.”

WHO WROTE IT

Rachel Trethewey is the author of Before Wallis: Edward VIII’s Other Women and Pearls Before Poppies. She was a feature writer for the Daily Mail and Daily Express and a book reviewer for The Independent. She has a degree in history from Oxford University and a Ph.D. in English from Exeter University.

There are livelier biographies of the Churchills as well as Clementine’s outrageous cousins, the Mitfords. Here are a few.

• Hero of the Empire by Candice Millard 
• Clementine by Sonia Purnell 
• Young Titan: The Making of Winston Churchill by Michael Shelden 
• The Churchills in Love and War by Mary S. Lovell 
• Churchill: Walking with Destiny by Andrew Roberts (would not call this one lively but certainly comprehensive)
• The Sisters: The Saga of the Mitford Family by Mary S. Lovell
• The Six: The Lives of the Mitford Sisters by Laura Thompson