Lady Clementine

Behind every successful man, they say, stands a strong woman. Lady Clementine Churchill was an example of such, as this self-narrated fictional recounting makes clear. Marie Benedict (The Only Woman in the Room) takes readers through the First World War and the period between wars and concludes Clementine's story on V-E Day, marking the end of World War II on the European front. Clementine Hozier survives a peripatetic childhood with a mother who cares more for her many illicit affairs than for her children, but Clementine, reserved and intelligent, comes through with a strong will and keen political mind. She was in many ways the perfect partner for British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, who sometimes needed a guiding voice to keep him on topic, as well as someone to cater to his whims. While Clementine did that, she also kept herself in the thick of political life with her husband and later became an important figure in her own right. VERDICT This outstanding story deserves wide readership. Fans of historical fiction, especially set around World War II; readers who appreciate strong, intelligent female leads; or those who just want to read a compelling page-turner will enjoy this gem of a novel. Book Includes reading group guide and an interview with the author.
---Pamela O'Sullivan, Coll. at Brockport Lib., SUNY -Copyright 2019 Library Journal, LLC.

Publishers Weekly (2019-10-14): Marie Benedict (The Other Einstein) delivers a winning fictionalized biography of Clementine Churchill, the wife of Winston Churchill. The personality of Clementine reverberates in this intimate, first-person account of the loving 57-year marriage of the two political dynamos. Winston--or as Clementine called him, "Pug"--is known by history for the turbulence of his career in the British government until its zenith as prime minister during WWII. Winston's bombastic personality made it difficult for him to listen to advisers, but Clementine had his ear and counseled him on everything from speech writing to military decisions and national policies, and helped make advancements in the women's suffrage movement. The profound pressure on a politically active mother of four in the early 20th century sometimes takes its toll on Clementine, but she perseveres. The story moves swiftly as the couple sways in and out of favor, receiving death threats when the 1915 Battle of Dardanelles, when Winston was First Lord of the Admiralty, costs tens of thousands of lives, and then hearing roars of approval for triumphant orations during WWII. Accurate era descriptions add to the realism of the story, and Benedict reveals the connection between Clementine's grounded energy and her thoughtful influence throughout times of war and peace. It's an intriguing novel, and the focus on the heroic counsel of a woman that has national and international impacts will resonate in the present day. (Jan.) Copyright 2019 Publishers Weekly, LLC.

Library Journal (2019-08-01): Marie Benedict affords us a spirited fictional account of Clementine Churchill, something the New York Times best-selling author of The Other Einstein and The Only Woman in the Room should do well. Here, Clementine is tough, ambitious, and every bit as influential as her husband. Copyright 2019 Library Journal, LLC.

Aventura / Biografia, Autobiografia, Memórias / Comunicação / Drama / Entretenimento / Ficção / História / História Geral / Literatura Estrangeira / Não-ficção / Romance