Okay, I adore The Mitford Sisters and I do believe that I own almost all the books written by/about them. I had no idea that this was in the pipeline until my Honnish friend Josie told me! Luckily I managed to get an email to my sister and I should have a signed copy being picked up from Hatchards any day! I am so excited. I also see that there is another Diana biog in the making :-)
Here's a short interview with Debo from Radio Four's Women's Hour last year which is simply fascinating. Let me know what you think!
Here's the blurb of the new book ....
In 1956, Deborah, Duchess of Devonshire youngest of the six Mitford sisters invited the writer and war hero Patrick Leigh Fermor to visit Lismore Castle, in Ireland. This halcyon stay sparked off a deep friendship and a lifelong exchange of highly entertaining letters. There can rarely have been such contrasting styles: Debo, unashamed philistine and self-professed illiterate, darts from subject to subject, dashing off letters but hitting the nail on the head again and again without even looking, while Paddy, polyglot, widely-read prose virtuoso, replies in his characteristic fluent, polished manner. Prose notwithstanding, they have much in common: enjoyment of life, youthful high spirits, generosity and lack of malice. There are glimpses of Kennedys inauguration, weekends at Sandringham, filming with Erroll Flynn and, above all, of life at Chatsworth, which Debo spent much of her life restoring, and of Kardamyli, the home that Paddy built in his beloved Greece.
If you aren't really into biogs then I recommend Nancy Mitford's "Love in a Cold Climate" and "The Pursuit of Love", both which contain some characters based on Mitford family members. They are a pure joy!
I am currently reading "The Viceroy's Daughters" which is the story of The Curzon Sisters, Irene, Baba and Cimmie. Cimmie was the first wife of Oswald Mosley, who later went on to marry Diana Mitford. I just love this period of London society history - the parties, the country houses, the hunt balls, the debs and the pure romance of it all.
Well, I am going to pour a glass of wine and settle back to 1923 London!
1 comment:
I loved the bio about the Mitford sisters - I think it was just called The Sisters - a fabulous read. I have The Viceroy's Daughters so I'll be waiting for your review.
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