The Mitfords: Letters between Six Sisters

Letters between six sisters, spanning over 70 years, would be interesting enough.... but the fact these are the Mitford girls make them even more so. Charlotte Mosley's "The Mitfords: Letters between six sisters" is just plain fascinating.I read Nancy Mitford's "Love in a Cold Climate" & "The Pursuit of Happiness" a couple of years ago and somewhere along the way learned that the characters were based on her aristocratic family. And what a family it was, producing such a myriad of characters -- an author, two fascists, a farmer, a communist and a duchess. Their correspondence is most interesting during the World War II era, but at times it get a bit hard to read, given their galling political opinions. The letters really show you how the sisters grew and often mellowed in their senior years. It took a long while to get through this book, but I'm glad I decided to pick it up.

I found this book fascinating. Stretching over a span of more than seventy years, meeting and knowing some of the most illustrious (and notorious) people in the world, from Winston Churchill, the Kennedy family, and numerous authors to the tops of nazi-Germany, from a perspective that I can only discribe as extremely privilaged, but at the same time NOT leading to happiness- this correspondece is bound to be interesting just from the context of when and where the sisters lived, and whom they knew. Their choices however make their lifes even more extraordinary and the fact that all of them (bar one) are published authors makes the read even more enjoyable. I did not know everything and everyone that featured in the correspondence, but thankfully we have internet and I used Google and Wikipedia a lot in order to get a better insight. Since the letters were edited by the daughter in law of Diana, one of the sisters famed for her not so kosher political convictions, I also cannot but wonder how much there must have been that was NOT included in the book. Still, the family relationships, diversity of choices, political opinions and destinies alone make this book an excellent read.

I found this book absolutely fascinating. The Mitford sisters led lives so completely removed from the average, that it feels almost like reading fiction. They were closely linked with an incredible number of political and literary figures. I knew next to nothing about the Mitfords, having only seen a mention of this book in a magazine. I borrowed it from the library because I thought it would provide an interesting social history of mid-twentieth-century Britain. It turned out to be a good choice, and I had no problem reading the whole thing within my library loan period. Since then I have bought my own copy, and would like to learn more about the family. The letters cover a period of 78 years, from 1925 to 2003. The sisters discuss the major events that are going on in the world, as well as the minutiae of their daily lives. Each sister writes in such a distinct style that you would be able to identify the writer of each letter, even if they weren't clearly labelled. The reference material at the front of the book and the biographical information at the beginning of each chapter provide the reader with enough background to follow what the sisters are writing about. The letter selection and pacing are just right to maintain interest. My only minor complaint is that the footnotes provide a little too much detail of who married who.

An interesting insight into the crazy world of the Mitford sisters, rendered in their own words. A good counterpoint to the many books written about them. Very long, though, so probably not recommended to those with just a passing interest (like myself unfortunately). However, I can see that same length being a major plus point to devotees.Anyway, who'd a thought it? Nancy was a troubled, two-faced shrew; fascist-sympathiser, Diana, a loyal, devoted mother; and Deborah, now Duchess of Devonshire, a hard-working business woman with a wonderfully dry sense of humour. Well, you live and learn.

I’ve long been fascinated with the Mitford family, six sisters and a brother whose lives spanned the 20th century. This collection of letters strictly focuses on the sisters: Nancy, Pamela, Diana, Unity, Jessica, and Deborah. In a nutshell, this is who they were:Nancy (1904-1973): The writer/ reader. Author of The Pursuit of Love, Love in a Cold Climate, and several other novels and biographies. Married Peter Rudd; worked for the London bookseller Heywood Hill and lived for a time in Paris in the 1950s.Pamela (1907-1994): Married for a time to the physicist Derek Jackson (she was the second of his six wives).Diana (1910-2003): married Sir Oswald Mosley, leader of the BUF (British Union of Fascists) in the 1930s. Spent some time in prison during the war.Unity (1914-1948): Hitler-adoring fascist, who spent some time in Germany before and during WWII. Attempted suicide; lived the rest of her life with their mother, Lady Redesdale.Jessica (1917-1996): the communist, who eloped with Esmond Romilly and later moved to the United States with husband number two, Robert Truhaft.. Author of a couple of autobiographies, especially Hons and Rebels.Deborah (1920-): Married Andrew Cavendish in 1941, and later became the Duchess of Devonshire. After the death of Andrew’s father, and the heavy death taxes that were imposed, the Cavendishes turned Chatsworth House into a famous tourist attraction.The Mitford sisters exchanged over12,000 letters over roughly 75 years of correspondence. Although the sisters were completely different from one another and lived all over the world, they kept up a lively correspondence over the years (only 5% of the total of existing letters appear in this 800-page compilation). The short biographies I give of the sisters above don’t do them justice; each of the sisters’ voices are so lively and vibrant. For much of their lives, the Mitfords frequently made the headlines in newspapers, and it’s easy to see why people were so fascinated with them, despite the controversy that followed them. I don’t necessarily agree with the sisters and the choices they made, but I was nonetheless interested to read their story from their POV.Although the language they used amongst one another confused me a bit at first, I found the girls’ letters extremely easy to read after a while. The footnotes got to be a bit much at times, especially when the editor kept mentioning who famous people were married to (really, do we need to be reminded that Lyndon B. Johnson was married to Lady Bird?), and explaining things like what Boggle is (or do the British not play it?). But on the whole, the footnotes were helpful and informative, especially when the girls began writing in “Honnish.” There’s a strong pro-Diana bias in this book, mostly because the author is her daughter-in-law; and I though the author was a bit too interested in her own connection to this famous family.One thing I was especially interested in was how much the Mitfords read. Nancy especially was a big reader, and she talked a lot about what she read in her letters (she read a lot of memoirs, with a lot of fiction thrown in). Jessica (“Decca”) jokingly says in one letter that she’s a “slow” reader” for having finished Gone With the Wind in just a week! Deborah seems to be the least literary of the sisters; apparently, however, she pretended not to be a reader when she really was one! My favorite quote from her: “I have got to page 652 in C [by Maurice Baring] & there are only 741, what shall I do when it’s finished, I really never will read any more beastly books they are only an extra complication to one’s pathetic life.” (letter to Nancy, 7 May 1944).The book is good for both people who know a lot about the Mitfords, and for newcomers; in each section of the book, the editor gives an introduction, the better to understand the events that the sisters mention in their letters. The book is also accompanied by a large collection of black and white photographs, depicting the sisters, their brother Tom, parents, and various other important people, at various stages in their lives. Highly recommended to anyone interested in the sisters or the time period. I really enjoyed two of Nancy Mitford’s books, and Jessica Mitford’s Hons and Rebels. I think it might be time to read The Blessing, or Don’t Tell Alfred.

A fascinating compilation of the letters between the Mitford sisters. Remarkably, the book only contains 5% of all the letters in the prolific correspondence. Even if you have no prior knowledge of the Mitfords (like me) you will find this book utterly engrossing as several of the sisters were writers -and good ones too! It is well footnoted with many explanatory inserts (though it takes a lot of flipping back and forth in the beginning in order to get used to some of the nicknames). It is funny, shocking, heartbreaking, and always a bit glamorous. Highly recommended.

At just over 800 pages this collection of letters, covering the period 1925 to 2003, is a long but very interesting read.The Mitford sisters were born between 1904 and 1920. They are Nancy (writer), Pamela (rural, farming type), Diana (fascist), Unity (Hitler-adoring fascist), Jessica (communist) and Deborah (Duchess of Devonshire). Crude descriptions of each but these are the ones that Charlotte Mosley uses to help the reader quickly recognise who is writing to whom.The letters provide a fascinating insight into family relationships and reinforce the adage that you can't choose your family. Up to about 1960 there is little emotional detail in the letters, even when children die and divorces happen. Of course there are major political disagreements between the sisters but it is only as Nancy and Jessica being to publish their memoirs that more emotional thoughts come to the forefront. I think this is the most interesting aspect of the book for me. Nancy and Jessica both write about their horrible childhood experiences and are scathing about their parents. This does not accord with the remembrances of Diana, Deborah and Pamela (Unity died in 1948). They feel that N and J have been deeply disloyal, a feeling that lasts well into old age for all of them and is reinforced by various Mitford biographies that repeat these semtiments over the years. However, in 2000 Diana revisits some of Pamela's letters from 1925 and is surprised by "how unfairly strict Muv seems to have been". Memories of childhood are so subjective.I also enjoyed seeing how the relationships between the sisters changed over time and distance. For example, once Nancy has died Deborah and Diana become much more critical about her and often discuss her dishonesty and other dislikeable character traits that were merely hinted at when she's alive.The sisters' relationships with men are also interesting. Diana and Nancy fall deeply for men with very strong and really quite unpleasant characters, but they stay true to them and defend them to the last. Many of Diana's letters talk about her efforts to deflect criticism of her husband, Oswald Mosley.The breadth of experiences the sisters have is astounding. Diana spent time in Holloway prison during the war because of her husband's political activitites. Jessica elopes with a communist. Deborah turns into a skilled business women and transforms Chatsworth House into one of the UK's most visited tourist attractions. Nancy receives the Legion d'Honneur. They all eventually publish books. And they knew so many people, from Evelyn Waugh to JFK to Nicki Lauder.I suppose one can't review this book without mentioning fascism. Unity was absolutely obsessed with Hitler and engineered a meeting with him in 1935 that led to a friendship that lasted until 1939 when Unity tried to kill herself after the declaration of war. It's so hard to understand her. In 1935 she wrote "the Fuhrer was heavenly...he talked a lot about Jews, which was lovely". I found this absolutely chilling. I'm surprised that only Jessica condemned Unity's behaviour outright. I suppose that, as with Diana's relationship with Oswald Mosley, Unity found Hitler to be very charasmatic and she agreed with much of his politics. I guess she wasn't the only one.

A must for anyone fascinated with the Mitfords, or with 20th century history. The letters between Nancy, Pam, Diana, Unity, Jessica, and Deborah span thoughout their lifetimes, their connections to history's elite providing an inner look to newsmakers of the past, like WInston Churchill and JFK.The sisters have a unique sense of humor due to their unconventional upbringing as struggling aristocrats. Their letters are peppered liberally with nicknames, inside jokes, and jibes at their peers and each other. Editor Charlotte Mosely (Diana's daughter-in-law) provides many detailed footnotes to sort it all out. I did wonder at the objectivity of having a family member edit the letters, and there are things that have been left out that may be too personal for those still living (such as well-publicized affairs of Debo's husband Andrew Cavendish.) Yet, I was amazed by what was left in -- these are very personal letters. And the upside of having a family member as your editor is that the sensitive topic of the sisters' politics can be handled with care. Here we see fascists Diana and Unity not just as Hilter fans, but as loving family members, witty jokesters, and intelligent women. It brings depth to characters that we though we understood. For instance, I was blown away by the pitiful letter of Unity's, written after the suicide attempt that rendered her with serious brain damage, that was so innocent and childlike -- a huge departure from the gushing, adoring accounts of Hilter and the Nazis only a few years before. This is precisely the goal of the Mitfords when it comes to public opinion of themselves: Loyalty to each other trumps politics, though not every sister followed this to the letter. Letters between Diana and Jessica stop when Diana becomes a unabashed fascist. However, Jessica had no such injunction against her most beloved sister Unity. It's feuds like that that also bring these letters to life. We see Nancy playing her sisters off of each other and causing trouble, Deborah desperately trying to keep everyone happy, and little snipes and jibes from one sister to another over perceived slights and betrayals. It is their relationship with each other that matters more than politics. Diana's close relationship with Hitler is not as big a family scandal as when Jessica was accused of stealing a photo album and giving out the pictures. The letters show that the sisters were wrapped up in themselves and their world, creating a bond strong enough to last decades, and inspired them to write faithfully to each other. Were they selfish, out-of-touch members of a fading aristocratic system? Or are they just regular women who happened to be caught up in the whirlwinds of history? Reading the Mitfords' own words will allow you to decide and pass judgement.

This was my second favorite book this year (1st was Mississippi Sissy). This is the most amazing book, in scope, that I think I've ever read. I was completely mesmerized while reading. The Mitford Sisters were like one degree of separation from everyone who ever lived in the twentieth century. I want to read this book again.

I am quite fond of the Mitford sisters as an entity and bought this book as a treat for myself after some deliberation on the quite high price. It is a lovely book but I warn anyone thinking of reading it that they should dip in and out of it rather than try to tackle it in one long read. I did that and it was quite hard going by the end, as this book is a very sizable 800+ pages long.The sisters are mostly charming but not always nice, Deborah is the nicest and the one I am most fond of. Some letters were very hard to read, not least for the numerous nicknames, in-jokes, made up languages and cultural references that require many, many footnote explanations. The "poor dear Fuhrer" letters from Unity and the "poor misunderstood Mosley" letters from Diana do get a bit much to anyone not in agreement with them and thier political ideals.But the book itself, put together by Charlotte Mosley, Diana Mitfords daughter-in-law, is a lovely and possibly unique collection of correspondance between six sisters obviously very fond of each other despite their disagreements and fallings out. It is lovely to be privy to this correspondance but exhausting to try to tackle it in anything other then three or four letters at a time.

Maybe I'm not an avid enough fan of the mitford saga itself, but I found this book to be a little more extensive than necessary. It is apparent that the book was compiled lovingly and very thoroughly researched, but I found myself consistently about midway through each era (as the book is divided) growing tired of the sisters. In addition the inconsistent nickname use was more confusing at times than keeping track of the characters in a Tolstoy epic (worn cliche, I know, but it fits).