THE CHURCHILL SISTERS

An acclaimed British biographer spotlights Winston Churchill’s four daughters and the roles they played in the life of Britain’s most famous modern statesman.

Winston Churchill biographies number in the thousands, yet none have been dedicated to the daughters, Diana, Sarah, Marigold, and Mary. Drawing on archived and previously unpublished family letters, Trethewey offers lively portraits of the women who, along with their mother, Clementine, “creat[ed] the stable domestic life” she argues was key to Churchill’s many triumphs. Of the four daughters, one, Marigold, died as a toddler. The remaining three went on to lead lives that, though shaped by Churchillian privilege, followed different trajectories. Eldest daughter Diana “shared [Winston’s] passion for politics…and found campaigning exciting.” Yet she never quite received the “star” treatment their brother and political heir-apparent Randolph did. But it was Sarah who inherited “a touch of Churchill's genius” and who went on to earn acclaim as an actor and notoriety for the stormy personal life that signaled her self-destructive tendencies. Like her elder sister, the ambitious Sarah also had to contend with sexism from the men to whom she was romantically linked. By contrast, her younger sister Mary wanted nothing more than to marry and put the needs of her parents, sisters, and family first. At 23, writes the author, “she decided that she wanted to find ‘Mr Right’ and ‘live happily ever after’.” Mary accomplished her aim while also—and quite unexpectedly—finding the professional fulfillment that had eluded Diana and Sarah in the second half of her long life. This remarkable, sometimes tragic story of the daughters who supported their brilliant historical giant of a father will appeal to a broad range of readers including historians, feminist scholars, as well as audiences who enjoy highly readable biographies.

An engrossing and intelligent group biography.