THE CHURCHILLS by Mary Lovell (non-fic)

Mary Lovell writes delightfully readable biographies.  She has published a number of well-received and widely read books.  Two of her previous books that I greatly enjoyed are: "Straight on Till Morning," a biography of Beryl Markham and "The Mitford Girls," who can never be less than fascinating.  Now her book on the Churchill Family is a rich and mesmerizing saga.  It feels as if the reader is sitting down for afternoon tea with a close friend and hearing the latest dish on the ducal family in the palace up the road.

We meet the first Duke of Marlborough, John Churchill, in 1704 after his famous victory at Blenheim (thus the name of the great house built to rival Versailles).  He and his wife, Sarah were in the center of palace intrigue during the reign of Charles II and later Queen Anne.  The story picks up again with the 7th and 8th Dukes in the reign of Queen Victoria.  By this time family wealth was depleted, as were many of the fortunes of the great houses of Britain.  The best solution to replenishing these old family coffers was to bring in the wealthy American heiresses. 

Among the first to marry into the Churchill family was Jennie Jerome, an American beauty who married Randolph the younger brother of the 8th Duke whose son married Consuelo Vanderbilt, another famous beauty.  Both of these marriages were disasters.  The men were bolters, and the women stood by their men until it became too emotionally damaging.  They found consolation elsewhere. Jennie married three times, each partner increasingly younger, until her last husband was younger than her sons, Winston and Jack.  Consuelo also found the love of her life in France along with well-deserved happiness.  Both women produced the requisite heirs and a spare.  This group of 19th century Churchills provide plenty of juicy scandals to keep the reader turning pages as if it were a novel.  One can't help imagining a nice long series that Masterpiece Theater could make of this family story.

When we reach the 20th century and the era of Winston Churchill, we find the story equally enthralling.  As Winston shaped the early history of the 20th century through both world wars, his children provided drama reflecting that of their earlier ancestors.  The Mitford family who are cousins also enter the picture.  All this is fueled by the dysfunction brought on by depression and alcoholism that runs through the family from the earliest members to the generation who grew up between the World Wars.  Luckily for Winston, he had a loving relationship with Clementine who remained devoted to him through thick and thin.  Winston proved to be a full time job for Clementine, and their children suffered by being neglected, as Winston was often absent and Clementine was busy shoring up Winston and didn't seem terribly interested in the children. 

While Lovell is sketchy in filling in the background history that shaped the Churchills, as they in turn shaped English history, her focus on the family dynamics is engrossing.  I highly recommend this biography of a great though flawed family to any reader interested in the Upstairs residents of Blenheim Palace.  It also has plenty of discussion material for reading groups.