Nancy Mitford is at a loss. She cannot fathom how her 2 younger sisters, Diana and Unity, have been so sucked into the not-so-underground fascist movement that is brewing among a segment of the British elite in their 1930’s lives in London. It is shocking, that Diana, in particular, once the literal belle of every ball can now be hanging on every word of her precious leader, M. Where will this lead? How far will they take these outlandish and extreme ideas? And will it drive a divide between the once very close sisters? As their story unfolds, so too does the dark history of this movement among the British just prior to the outbreak of World War II.
Based on the lives of a real family of sisters (and a brother) who were among the withering elite of Britain just prior to the outset of the second World War – and who were also, significantly, cousins of Winston Churchill – this fascinating historical fiction novel teaches us much about the existence of fascism in England at this time. The leader of the movement, M, is portrayed as an ego-ridden, single-minded, albeit charismatic speaker who is willing to use any means available to accomplish his goal -allying himself with the despicable likes of Mussolini and Hitler. Because he is so desperate for financial backing, he is manipulated into acceding even to denounce the Jews, whom he had not been against initially.
Parts of this novel were physically painful to read. Depictions of Hitler as charming and cultured went against every fiber of my being, having very personal connections to the destruction that he and his Nazi regime have wrought. But at the same time, I feel it is incumbent upon us to appreciate how history might have swung so easily in a different direction had strong and ethical individuals not stood up to him and his regime and done the right thing, fighting against tyranny and preventing further cruelty and harm that might have occurred.
And it is so relevant today. Do we not see folks voting for those who stand for tyranny just because they also threaten their wallets? Do we not see folks defending fascists who disguise themselves as ordinary Americans just because they might agree with them on issues that make them a bit uncomfortable? We are threatened just as deeply today as the Brits were during those dark hours before the war. We have to be alert for the signs – and reading books like this help us to stay on our toes.
Marie Benedict chooses fascinating people to write about- she has done so once again here. As difficult a read as this is, I would highly recommend it.
kindread spirits 