By Stephanie Barron
Spirited portrayal of a captivating woman behind-the-scenes in history
Leaping off the page is a charismatic, spirited portrayal of Jennie Churchill, the American wife of Winston Churchill’s father, Randolph. History has treated her poorly, assigning her to a scandal-ridden record empty of sympathy.
By contrast, in this book, Barron gives us Jennie as a woman of keen insight, tenacity, and deep loyalty—so deep, in fact, that gives up her true love to protect her sons. There are intriguing glimpses of Winston as a boy and terrific descriptions of the gossipy royalty and political networks Jennie helped her husband maneuver through in his Parliament career. The story is a well-researched, beautiful English period piece. But by far, for me, it’s the protagonist’s drive and spirit that are especially captivating.