From Publishers Weekly
In her history of England's Mitford sisters, who were major figures in the international political, literary and social scenes for much of the 20th century, Lovell (The Sound of Wings: The Biography of Amelia Earhart; etc.) rises with aplomb to the challenges of a group biography, deftly weaving together the narrative threads of six at times radically disparate lives to create a fascinating account of a fascinating family. Born into the ranks of the minor aristocracy and educated at home by eccentric and perennially cash-strapped parents, Nancy, Pamela, Diana, Unity, Jessica and Deborah Mitford hardly seemed the types whose exploits would generate endless fodder for the sensationalist press. But when Diana left her wealthy young husband to take up with and eventually marry Sir Oswald Mosley, infamous leader of British fascism; when Unity became close friends with Adolf Hitler and a proponent of Nazism; when Jessica, a vocal Communist, eloped with a notorious cousin who was also a nephew of Winston Churchill; when Deborah married the Duke of Devonshire; and when both Nancy (Love in a Cold Climate) and Jessica (The American Way of Death) became acclaimed, bestselling authors, the world responded with avid, insatiable and at times alarmingly intrusive curiosity. But whether adored or reviled by their public, all the Mitford sisters were engaged with (and at times embodiments of) the major social and political issues of their time. Lovell's account of the sisters' upbringing and their often tumultuous adult lives is as lively and engrossing as Nancy's heavily autobiographical fiction; the group biography also does a commendable job of separating the myths that fiction created from the sometimes more mundane realities of the Mitfords' activities and relationships. 16 pages of photos not seen by PW. Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.


From Library Journal
Lovell's biography of the Mitford sisters illustrates "the complex loyalties and love, disloyalties and even hate, and above all the laughter that ran through this family's relationships." Lovell (A Rage To Live: A Biography of Richard and Isabel Burton) presents an engrossing narrative that captures the distinct personalities of six headstrong, determined, and witty women who had a surprisingly pervasive impact on 20th-century social, political, and literary history. At the heart of the biography is Unity Mitford, who was obsessed with Adolf Hitler and widely rumored to be his mistress. In the telling of Unity's saga, Lovell's extreme evenhandedness can be exasperating. Unity sent a letter to a German newspaper, for example, exclaiming, "I am a Jew hater," but Lovell withholds comment or condemnation. While Unity provides the most dramatic story, the lives of the other sisters Jessica, a Communist; Debo, Dutchess of Devonshire; Diana, wife of Fascist leader Oswald Mosley; novelist Nancy; and Pamela are also excellently narrated and seamlessly woven together. While this is not the first biography of the Mitford family, and full biographies have been written about three of the sisters, Lovell claims to have drawn upon "personal interviews, family papers and correspondence not previously seen outside the family." If you can overlook the biography's occasional reticence about the horrific political realities of Nazism in the 1930s and 1940s, this is a captivating read.- Amy Strong, South Portland, ME Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From Booklist
*Starred Review* In the mid-1930s, when the Mitford sisters were wreaking their social rampage throughout Europe, their father, David, would rhetorically shrug to friends, "I'm normal, my wife is normal, but my daughters are each more foolish than the other." And Sydney, their mother, would chastise them, saying, "Whenever I see a headline beginning with 'Peer's Daughter,' I know one of you children has been in trouble." That just about sums up the lives of these six remarkable sisters: Nancy, Diana, Unity, Pam, Jessica ("Decca"), and Deborah ("Debo"). Our age may be driven by "bytes," but the early years of the twentieth century in England were socially driven by their own BYTs--"Beautiful Young Things"--and the Mitford girls were the epitome of the breed. Diana married the scion of the Guinness fortune, then openly carried on a scandalous affair with Oswald Mosley, who, by placing his brilliant political oratory in the service of fascism, became a scandal in his own right. Unity early became infatuated with Hitler and spent hours in his company carrying on her one-way love affair. Meanwhile, Nancy, the most talented writer among the girls, produced an oeuvre of novels based on the frantic goings-on of the family. The Mitfords' stories have been told over and over again, but British biographer Lovell, utilizing previously unseen documents, explores the relationships between the sisters--two of whom (Diana and Debo) still live--and presents the utter "fun" of this privileged but madcap family. Allen Weakland
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved


Orlando Sentinel, 23 March 2003
Lovell tells the family's story with skill and humor.


Publishers Weekly
Lovell rises with aplomb to the challenges of a group biography...a fascinating account of a fascinating family.


New York Times Book Review, 2 June 2002
[ Lovell] takes no sides and, what is truly remarkable, keeps track of all six lives at once.


Lexington Herald-Leader, Anne Bartlett, 17 February 2002
They were quite a handful, these sisters. But they were always great fun. And so is Lovell's rollicking book.


Women's Review of Books, Carolyn G. Heilbrun, March 2002
A tour de force that works...a theatrical extravaganza.


Portland Oregonian, Sarah Gianelli, 3 March 2002
[A] fresh look at [the Mitford Sisters'] fascinating lives.


Orlando Sentinel, Ann Hellmuth, 24 March 2002
Lovell has done the Mitfords proud, juggling their stories with skill, humor and objectivity.


West Palm Beach Post, Peter Kerr-Jerrett, 7 April 2002
Lovell is an evenhanded, even-tempered and stylish biographer.


Tampa Tribune & Times, Kathleen Hipson, 14 April 2002
Lovell's magnificent biography shows that [the Mitfords] are much too fascinating to be forgotten.


Salisbury Times, 31 March 2002
Lovell captures the vitality and extraordinary drama of a family that took the 20th century by the throat.


Book Description
"The Mitford girls were probably the most spectacular sister act of the twentieth century."—Vogue This is the story of a close, loving family splintered by the violent ideologies of Europe between the wars. Jessica was a Communist; Debo became the Duchess of Devonshire; Nancy was one of the best-selling novelists of her day; the ethereally beautiful Diana was the most hated woman in England; and Unity Valkyrie, born in Swastika, Alaska, would become obsessed with Adolf Hitler. 24 b/w photographs.


About the Author
Mary S. Lovell is the author of several books, including the best-selling biography of Beryl Markham, Straight on Till Morning. She lives in England.

FROM OUR EDITORS

The Mitford sisters were remarkable, in every sense of the word: funny, glamorous, intelligent, beautiful, and quirky. But their individual fates were quite different. Debo became a duchess. Jessica became a Communist. Diana married a fascist and was thrown in jail for most of WWII. Unity developed an unhealthy obsession with Hitler. And, of course, Nancy became a successful novelist. In this eye-opening look at the most eccentric of families, biographer Mary Lovell captures the unique spirit that was a hallmark of their times.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

"The Mitford girls were probably the most spectacular sister act of the twentieth century."—Vogue

This is the story of a close, loving family splintered by the violent ideologies of Europe between the wars. Jessica was a Communist; Debo became the Duchess of Devonshire; Nancy was one of the best-selling novelists of her day; the ethereally beautiful Diana was the most hated woman in England; and Unity Valkyrie, born in Swastika, Alaska, would become obsessed with Adolf Hitler. 24 b/w photographs.

Author Biography: Mary S. Lovell is the author of several books, including the best-selling biography of Beryl Markham, Straight on Till Morning. She lives in England.

SYNOPSIS

This family biography considers the consequences of competing ideologies￯﾿ﾽCommunist, royalist, and Fascist￯﾿ﾽon a twentieth- century English family, which happened to include four best-selling authors. Chapters trace the family's fate, epoch by epoch, from 1894 to 2000, with particular attention to the period 1929 to 1947. Twenty-four pages of black and white photographs support the narrative. Lovell is a noted biographer and a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

FROM THE CRITICS

San Francisco Chronicle

A rivetingly intimate history lesson.

Anne Bartlett

They were quite a handful, these sisters. But they were always great fun. And so is Lovell's rollicking book.

New York Times Book Review

[ Lovell] takes no sides and, what is truly remarkable, keeps track of all six lives at once.

Carolyn G. Heilbrun

A tour de force that works...a theatrical extravaganza.

Sarah Gianelli