The Churchill Sisters: The Extraordinary Lives of Winston and Clementine's Daughters
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- Create Date：2021-12-11 17:21:19
- Update Date：2025-09-14
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- Author：Rachel Trethewey
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Summary
As complex in their own way as their Mitford cousins， Winston and Clementine Churchill’s daughters each had a unique relationship with their famous father。 Rachel Trethewey's biography， The Churchill Sisters， tells their story。
Bright， attractive and well-connected， in any other family the Churchill girls – Diana， Sarah， Marigold and Mary – would have shone。 But they were not in another family， they were Churchills， and neither they nor anyone else could ever forget it。 From their father – ‘the greatest Englishman’ – to their brother， golden boy Randolph， to their eccentric and exciting cousins， the Mitford Girls， they were surrounded by a clan of larger-than-life characters which often saw them overlooked。 While Marigold died too young to achieve her potential， the other daughters lived lives full of passion， drama and tragedy。
Diana， intense and diffident; Sarah， glamorous and stubborn; Mary， dependable yet determined – each so different but each imbued with a sense of responsibility toward each other and their country。 Far from being cosseted debutantes， these women were eyewitnesses at some of the most important events in world history， at Tehran， Yalta and Potsdam。 Yet this is not a story set on the battlefields or in Parliament; it is an intimate saga that sheds light on the complex dynamics of family set against the backdrop of a tumultuous century。
Drawing on previously unpublished family letters from the Churchill archives， The Churchill Sisters brings Winston’s daughters out of the shadows and tells their remarkable stories for the first time。
Bright， attractive and well-connected， in any other family the Churchill girls – Diana， Sarah， Marigold and Mary – would have shone。 But they were not in another family， they were Churchills， and neither they nor anyone else could ever forget it。 From their father – ‘the greatest Englishman’ – to their brother， golden boy Randolph， to their eccentric and exciting cousins， the Mitford Girls， they were surrounded by a clan of larger-than-life characters which often saw them overlooked。 While Marigold died too young to achieve her potential， the other daughters lived lives full of passion， drama and tragedy。
Diana， intense and diffident; Sarah， glamorous and stubborn; Mary， dependable yet determined – each so different but each imbued with a sense of responsibility toward each other and their country。 Far from being cosseted debutantes， these women were eyewitnesses at some of the most important events in world history， at Tehran， Yalta and Potsdam。 Yet this is not a story set on the battlefields or in Parliament; it is an intimate saga that sheds light on the complex dynamics of family set against the backdrop of a tumultuous century。
Drawing on previously unpublished family letters from the Churchill archives， The Churchill Sisters brings Winston’s daughters out of the shadows and tells their remarkable stories for the first time。
Reviews
Toni Osborne
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The Extraordinary Lives of Winston and Clementine’s DaughtersDiana， Sarah， Marigold and Mary could never forget they were Churchills。 They were surrounded by a clan of larger than life characters: their father Winston “the greatest Englishman”， their mother Clementine，” the socialite， their brother Randolph “， the Golden Boy and their eccentric cousins， the Mitford Girls where ever present one way or the other in their lives。 This is their story from the time they were born till the day the ligh The Extraordinary Lives of Winston and Clementine’s DaughtersDiana， Sarah， Marigold and Mary could never forget they were Churchills。 They were surrounded by a clan of larger than life characters: their father Winston “the greatest Englishman”， their mother Clementine，” the socialite， their brother Randolph “， the Golden Boy and their eccentric cousins， the Mitford Girls where ever present one way or the other in their lives。 This is their story from the time they were born till the day the lights went out。 Drawing on family letters and the copious archived deposits in the Churchill Archives Centre， the author brings to live the remarkable although tragic story of three women: Diana， Sarah and Mary （Marigold died at age 2） each had different characters but all three were imbued with a sense of responsibility toward their father， each other and their country。 In alternate chapters we breeze through their intimate saga and their complex family dynamics。 It is inevitable that facets of Churchill’s achievements are explored along with his devotion to his daughters and theirs toward him。 Although thousands of books have been written about Winston Churchill but this is the first account focussing on his daughters。 The book brings colour into the Churchill saga and gives cinematic glimpses into the privileged。 It is well-said， well-researched and interesting。 A lot is said in this book I could go on and on but I will stop here not wanting to remove the enjoyment by giving too much。I received an advance copy of this book from St-Martin Press and Netgalley for an honest and unbiased review: this is the way I see it。 。。。more
joyce w。 laudon
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Winston Churchill was/is a figure known to many for his outsize life and accomplishments。 I have previously read several books about him as well as both fiction and non-fiction titles about Clementine。This book， however， explores a different aspect of the Churchill family， the lives of their daughters and the Chuchills as parents。 I was aware that tragically one of the Churchills’ daughters died too young and that there was a brother。 I had also read a bit about Mary。 I did not know the other si Winston Churchill was/is a figure known to many for his outsize life and accomplishments。 I have previously read several books about him as well as both fiction and non-fiction titles about Clementine。This book， however， explores a different aspect of the Churchill family， the lives of their daughters and the Chuchills as parents。 I was aware that tragically one of the Churchills’ daughters died too young and that there was a brother。 I had also read a bit about Mary。 I did not know the other sisters though and now feel that I do。This title tells an interesting story about these daughters， their lives， their times and those around them。 By the way， those around them included their cousins， the Mitford girls。 Each of the Churchill siblings is brought to life here and， as is generally true of siblings， each had a unique personality。Those interested in social history， biography and/or the Churchills will welcome this title。 I do recommend it。Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher。 All opinions are my own。 。。。more
MauiBeachReads
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This is a fantastic biography， but the title is a bit deceiving as the book is really the story of Winston Churchill's family as a whole， with some emphasis on the impact his daughters had on his career and the larger war effort and society before / after the war。 I have previously read both fiction and non-fiction books about Winston and his wife， Clementine， and find this family to be an interesting study of the time。 Many readers today find Clementine to be a poor mother， but I feel Clementin This is a fantastic biography， but the title is a bit deceiving as the book is really the story of Winston Churchill's family as a whole， with some emphasis on the impact his daughters had on his career and the larger war effort and society before / after the war。 I have previously read both fiction and non-fiction books about Winston and his wife， Clementine， and find this family to be an interesting study of the time。 Many readers today find Clementine to be a poor mother， but I feel Clementine was a woman ahead of her time， trapped in a society that did not allow women to have much of a life outside of motherhood - so of course she doesn't live up to those standards。 Had she lived today， I'm not sure anyone would be so critical of her need for time away from the demands of her role as Winston's wife and Winston's children's mother。 Unfortunately， I'm not sure this particular book painted Clementine's unique personality and contributions in a very favorable light。 I hope readers will do additional research into Clementine's life and her contributions to women's issue （often in opposition to Winston） after reading this。 Overall though， I would recommend this book to anyone interested in British history， an introductory dive into the Churchill family， or an in-depth read about the Churchill children。 I enjoyed the author's writing style and it was obvious the subject was meticulously researched by the author。 Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free e-ARC in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more
Kelli
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Juliet Stevenson does a great job of narrating this one。 She is easy to listen to and keeps the story engaging。 I was pleasantly surprised by this one。 I like to take a biography every once in a while and Churchill isn't someone I know a lot about so I figured why not。 I loved the candid no nonsense view of the family。 Dr。 Trethewey doesn't hesitate to show their flaws as well as all the great stuff about the entire family。 They seemed like great women and it was nice to learn about how being th Juliet Stevenson does a great job of narrating this one。 She is easy to listen to and keeps the story engaging。 I was pleasantly surprised by this one。 I like to take a biography every once in a while and Churchill isn't someone I know a lot about so I figured why not。 I loved the candid no nonsense view of the family。 Dr。 Trethewey doesn't hesitate to show their flaws as well as all the great stuff about the entire family。 They seemed like great women and it was nice to learn about how being the daughter of such a huge personality affected them。 。。。more
Karen
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THE CHURCHILL SISTERS: THE EXTRAORDINARY LIVES OF WINSTON AND CLEMENTINES DAUGHTERS。BY: RACHEL TRETHEWEYThis was a fascinating and meticulously researched biography of the Churchill family that went in to detail the chronology of each of the Churchill family members including extended family and spouses。 I say this because it begins with both of Winston and Clementine's mother's and father's。 I am amazed with how much fine detail and the organizational skills Author， Rachael Trethewey， must have THE CHURCHILL SISTERS: THE EXTRAORDINARY LIVES OF WINSTON AND CLEMENTINES DAUGHTERS。BY: RACHEL TRETHEWEYThis was a fascinating and meticulously researched biography of the Churchill family that went in to detail the chronology of each of the Churchill family members including extended family and spouses。 I say this because it begins with both of Winston and Clementine's mother's and father's。 I am amazed with how much fine detail and the organizational skills Author， Rachael Trethewey， must have painstakingly took at amassing such a comprehensive accomplishment of compiling so many facts in this tomb。 It gives the births of the five children and manages to move forward in a linear fashion that includes their upbringing through their adult years。 This encompasses the political years of Winston and the many different estates they moved from during his rise to be Prime Minister。 It begins with a brief description of Winston's and Clementine's unhappy childhoods。 It is divided into three parts; Part One is "The Early Years"， Part Two is: "The War Years" and Part three is "The Post-War Years。" This book claims to be the first book written about his four daughter's: Diana， Sarah， Marigold and Mary focusing on Winston as not just a great war hero but who he was as a father。 Much has been written how integral a part Clementine's role in helping Winston becoming the great man he was。 The argument being that Churchill could not have achieved all that he did without Clementine by his side。 This biography illuminates that he also depended on his three daughters having one by his side when Clementine was off on one of her vacations or holidays。 His three daughters were raised with an intense amount of duty from their earliest ages。 This book has gathered information from hundreds of previous unpublished family letters that show how he was always a loving father whom his relationships with his daughters was intimate and informal。 Whenever one of his daughter's faced a turbulent time they could always count on him for advice and he would make them feel better。 I was surprised at how much time Clementine spent away from her daughters during their early formative years。 It wasn't uncommon during the era for mother's to leave a lot of the childcare up to nannies， but clearly Winston was the more affectionate parent early on。 It is thought that Clementine suffered from watching her closest family member--her sister Kitty die and perhaps that explains her needing to constantly need to go off on trips for as much as she did while they were young。 When Clementine was older and her daughters grown women， she wished that she had not spent as much time away during her children's early years。 She then said she was very much a woman of the Edwardian era。 Winston and Clementine had one son who was born after Diana and who Winston had political aspirations for。 His name was Randolph and early on he was the golden child due to his gender being a male。 His erratic behavior undermined family peace and Winston and Clementine's daughters were limited by their gender like so many women who lived during their generation。 It wasn't until Diana， Sarah and Mary proved themselves with their dedication during World War II did Winston change his viewpoint that his daughters should aspire to get married and have children。 This book covers a multifaceted aspect of too many details to cover in a review。 There is a vast amount of details that this Author covers and I highly recommend it to all lovers of history and I can guarantee you will be inspired by the lives of Diana， Sarah and Mary。 They led interesting lives and had a deep and profound love of each other and their family。 There is much inspiration to be gained and I learned so much。 I am grateful to have read it and the trials and tribulations that this family endured throughout I am left with the knowledge that the Churchill sister's had a deep and abiding love and the bond of sisterhood that carried them throughout it all。 I loved it！ There were divorces， mental illness， which I never knew existed and made for a rather sad read。 But ultimately their was a great and enduring love of family。 This is a very riveting read and this Author has done a terrific job of staying true to the facts as much is footnoted。Publication Date: December 7， 2021Thank you to Net Galley， Dr。 Rachael Trethewey and St。 Martin's Press for generously providing me with my ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review。 All opinions are my own。#TheChurchillSisters #DrRachaelTrethewey #StMartin'sPress #NetGalley 。。。more
Rosemary
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An inspiring and fascinating look at Winston and Clementine’s daughters and the fame they achieved。 Although family ties opened doors， the sisters’ bold choices and perseverance made them unique in their own right。Thanks to #NetGalley and #TheChurchillSisters for an advanced digital copy。
Literary Redhead
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I loved THE CHURCHILL SISTERS。 This luminous and meticulously researched biography reveals — through the life of the daughters — a greater understanding of the family as a whole。 🇬🇧 I’ve read much about their iconic father， Winston， and mother， Clementine， but this is the first bio that， for me， fleshes out each daughter: Diana， the unsure oldest; Sarah， beautiful and dramatic; sweet Marigold， who died of throat sepsis at age two; and finally Mary， the youngest and soundest。 We learn too about t I loved THE CHURCHILL SISTERS。 This luminous and meticulously researched biography reveals — through the life of the daughters — a greater understanding of the family as a whole。 🇬🇧 I’ve read much about their iconic father， Winston， and mother， Clementine， but this is the first bio that， for me， fleshes out each daughter: Diana， the unsure oldest; Sarah， beautiful and dramatic; sweet Marigold， who died of throat sepsis at age two; and finally Mary， the youngest and soundest。 We learn too about the close relationship each had with Winnie — a much better parent， it seems， than their emotionally distant mother。 🇬🇧 Unfortunately， tragedy continued to dog the family。 Diana committed suicide at 54。 Both Sarah and brother Randolph drank heavily and died comparatively young。 Only Mary， who called her childhood “idyllic，” lived a long happy life。🇬🇧 The Churchill Sisters is a spectacular read for Churchillians， of course， and for anyone who loves biographies and women’s histories。 Out today。Thanks to author Dr。 Rachel Trethewey， St。 Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC; opinions are mine。 。。。more
Valerie Weber
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Not just for history buffs。 I found this novel engaging。 It offers an intimate look at the personal life of one of the greatest men in history， Winston Churchill and his family while focusing on the daughters。 Thank you #NetGalley， #SaintMartin’sPress， #Dr，RuthTrethewey and #TheChurchillSisters for the advance readers copy for my honest review。
Lovely Loveday
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The Churchill Sisters by Dr。 Rachel Trethewey tells of the extraordinary lives of Winston and Clementine's Daughters。 A story rich in detail and untold insights into the lives of these extraordinary women。 The Churchill Sisters by Dr。 Rachel Trethewey tells of the extraordinary lives of Winston and Clementine's Daughters。 A story rich in detail and untold insights into the lives of these extraordinary women。 。。。more
Heaven
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I really didn’t know anything about the Churchhill sisters going into this， so I definitely learned a lot！ The sisters’ stories are interesting。 I found it particularly interesting how the different family members responded to the outbreak of war and fascism during Hitler’s time in power。This is incredibly well researched， and I liked that the author relied heavily on primary sources like letters。 I also really appreciated how the author compared experiences in the sisters’ lives to the norms of I really didn’t know anything about the Churchhill sisters going into this， so I definitely learned a lot！ The sisters’ stories are interesting。 I found it particularly interesting how the different family members responded to the outbreak of war and fascism during Hitler’s time in power。This is incredibly well researched， and I liked that the author relied heavily on primary sources like letters。 I also really appreciated how the author compared experiences in the sisters’ lives to the norms of that time period for context。 I listened to this book on audio and really enjoyed the narrator。 Her voice was perfect and brought the stories and history to life。 Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for allowing me to review this audiobook！ 。。。more
Jennifer Lara
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The Churchill Sisters by Dr。 Rachel Trethewey is a deeper look into the daughters of Winston and Clementine Churchill。 Bright， attractive and well-connected， the Churchill girls， Diana， Sarah， and Mary， were not just members of any family。 They are the daughters of the greatest Englishman。 From their larger than life father to their golden boy brother， Randolph， to their eccentric and exciting cousins， the Mitford Girls， they were often overlooked but lived lives filled with passion， drama and t The Churchill Sisters by Dr。 Rachel Trethewey is a deeper look into the daughters of Winston and Clementine Churchill。 Bright， attractive and well-connected， the Churchill girls， Diana， Sarah， and Mary， were not just members of any family。 They are the daughters of the greatest Englishman。 From their larger than life father to their golden boy brother， Randolph， to their eccentric and exciting cousins， the Mitford Girls， they were often overlooked but lived lives filled with passion， drama and tragedy。 The eldest， Diana， was intense and shy。 Sarah was glamorous and stubborn。 She even nicknamed herself “The Mule。” The baby， Mary， was dependable and determined。 As each sister is different， they still had a strong sense of responsibility toward their family and their country。 They were eyewitnesses to some of the most important events in world history from Tehran， Yalta and Potsdam。 What stories could they tell？ The Churchill Sisters is an intimate look into the lives of these three women。 Dr。 Trethewey draws from previously unpublished family letters from the Churchill archives as well as memories and impressions from their children。 Before reading The Churchill Sisters， I knew very little about Winston Churchill’s daughters and even less about Winston as a father。 Dr。 Trethewey brought these women out of the shadows of historical obscurity and tells their amazing stories。 From their early lives， to their relationships with their parents， to the major historical events of the early 20th century， The Churchill Sisters is a fascinating read。 It was a joy to read as Dr Trethewey wrote the historical events and the sisters with ease that I eagerly turned each page to discover more。 Heartfelt， honest and enjoyable， the sisters come alive on the page as we discover their joys and hardships。 I highly recommend The Churchill Sisters。 The Churchill Sisters is available in hardcover， eBook and audiobook。 。。。more
Susan
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So， I am a historian who once took an immersive course on Winston Churchill and wrote a paper about how his wife and Chartwell sustained him。 Yet， thirty years later， I remembered little， if anything， about his three surviving daughters。This book changed that。 It tells the stories of Diana， Sarah， and Mary， who were all devoted to their parents。 Churchill depended on them as much as they depended on him， but despite their parents’ love， the older two led troubled lives。 Diana struggled with ment So， I am a historian who once took an immersive course on Winston Churchill and wrote a paper about how his wife and Chartwell sustained him。 Yet， thirty years later， I remembered little， if anything， about his three surviving daughters。This book changed that。 It tells the stories of Diana， Sarah， and Mary， who were all devoted to their parents。 Churchill depended on them as much as they depended on him， but despite their parents’ love， the older two led troubled lives。 Diana struggled with mental health issues and Sarah had problems with alcohol dependence （as did their brother， Randolph）。 Only the youngest child， Mary， flourished。But the book doesn’t seek to sensationalize these issues; rather， it’s an extremely sensitive portrayal of the problems endured by the Churchills， at a time when support for mental health was not as good as it is today （not that it *is* good today）。Do not be intimidated by the fact this book is non-fiction。 It is a quick and easy read， difficult to put down once you get into it。 If anything， it made me want to learn more about the Churchill family。 #TheChurchillSisters #NetGalley 。。。more
Gwen
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An interesting and fascinating story about the children of Winston Churchill and how the family was as a unit。
SandyKay
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I received an advance copy of this book from St。 Martin's Press and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 All opinions are my own。Very well arranged and researched resource。As someone who has written countless research papers throughout high school， college， and even during my career， I love a good secondary resource。 This book is great for any fan of Winston Churchill and his family or anyone who loves reading about the real lives of some of those larger-than-life individuals in history。F I received an advance copy of this book from St。 Martin's Press and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 All opinions are my own。Very well arranged and researched resource。As someone who has written countless research papers throughout high school， college， and even during my career， I love a good secondary resource。 This book is great for any fan of Winston Churchill and his family or anyone who loves reading about the real lives of some of those larger-than-life individuals in history。Fascinating read illustrating parenthood， family bonds， politics， and drama。This is one of those books that draws back the curtain to show the messy behind-the-scenes。 While not always hidden or completely secret， the Churchill family spent so much of their lives in the public eye trying to “keep calm and carry on。” Utilizing diaries and other records， the author does a wonderful job shining a light on things not fully known or understood about these individuals and events – all in a respectful manner。 I recommend this book for anyone interested in the Churchill family or seeing behind-the-scenes of historical figures。Stars 4Would I Recommend？ Yes 。。。more
Crystal
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I've always admired Winston Churchill， so I found it intriguing to learn more about his family。 Winston was a loving and involved father with all his children。I always thought Clementine， Winston's wife， was the backbone of the family， but this book shed light that Clementime was not。 While her children were young and growing up， Clementine was not as involved。 After all these years， I found Clementine to be a fisappointing figure。I loved the story of each daughter and it's sad to know they were I've always admired Winston Churchill， so I found it intriguing to learn more about his family。 Winston was a loving and involved father with all his children。I always thought Clementine， Winston's wife， was the backbone of the family， but this book shed light that Clementime was not。 While her children were young and growing up， Clementine was not as involved。 After all these years， I found Clementine to be a fisappointing figure。I loved the story of each daughter and it's sad to know they were critiqued on everything they did， because of who their father was。If you enjoy British history， I recommend this book！ Thank you to Macmillan Audio and @netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review！ 。。。more
Courtney
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I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review。 Most people know at least a bit about the political career of Winston Churchill， even if they don’t know absolutely 。*everything。* I also knew a bit about his family history and that of his wife going into this book。 But I liked learning a big more about the Churchills as a family during unprecedented times， and what became of the daughters specifically。 I loved reading about their relationships with their fa I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review。 Most people know at least a bit about the political career of Winston Churchill， even if they don’t know absolutely 。*everything。* I also knew a bit about his family history and that of his wife going into this book。 But I liked learning a big more about the Churchills as a family during unprecedented times， and what became of the daughters specifically。 I loved reading about their relationships with their father during the war， as well as the domestic lives of all the family in the years after。 It makes for an informative and well researched read， and one I’d recommend to all history buffs。 。。。more
Amber
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A well-written and thoroughly account of Churchill's life and how it relates to his daughters。 The title makes it seems like it just focuses on the daughters， but it is more on the home-unit and， for that， the book is actually better。 I received an ecopy of this book through Netgalley; however， my opinions are my own A well-written and thoroughly account of Churchill's life and how it relates to his daughters。 The title makes it seems like it just focuses on the daughters， but it is more on the home-unit and， for that， the book is actually better。 I received an ecopy of this book through Netgalley; however， my opinions are my own 。。。more
Connie
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Winston and Clementine Churchill had 4 daughters and 1 son。 They are by order of birth:Diana - a beautiful baby and much lovedRandolph - handsome， outgoing， and spoiled by his fatherSarah - lots of red hairMarigold - a happy child who died at age 2Mary - as the youngest， mostly ignored by the older siblingsThe book follows their birth and growing period along with descriptions of their personalities。 The girls were all very devoted to their father， loved him dearly， and were great helps to him p Winston and Clementine Churchill had 4 daughters and 1 son。 They are by order of birth:Diana - a beautiful baby and much lovedRandolph - handsome， outgoing， and spoiled by his fatherSarah - lots of red hairMarigold - a happy child who died at age 2Mary - as the youngest， mostly ignored by the older siblingsThe book follows their birth and growing period along with descriptions of their personalities。 The girls were all very devoted to their father， loved him dearly， and were great helps to him politically throughout his life。Clementine was not the motherly type by Winston loved playing with them and reading them stories。 We learn about Winston and Clementine and their relationships with their children。I have read other books about both Winston and Clementine and loved them。 Winston Churchill has long been a hero of mine。 His shrewd intelligence， dedicated political power， and artistic talent will long be remembered。 I was puzzled that Winston and Clementine seemed to prefer separate vacations。 It seems that many of the family members suffered from some sort of mental health issues which makes me wonder if it was hereditary。 All in all， I enjoyed every bit of this book that appeared to be honest about the lives of all of the Churchill family and I highly recommend it。Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review。 。。。more
Carol
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This is a thoroughly researched and well written book detailing the lives of the daughters of Winston and Clementine Churchill。 I didn't realize how little I knew about the family until I started reading this。 Somehow I had a mental picture of Clementine as a strong and caring woman who was the driving force behind Winston Churchill but by the time I was part-way through the book I was very disappointed in her and her lack of involvement in her children's lives when they were young。 Reference is This is a thoroughly researched and well written book detailing the lives of the daughters of Winston and Clementine Churchill。 I didn't realize how little I knew about the family until I started reading this。 Somehow I had a mental picture of Clementine as a strong and caring woman who was the driving force behind Winston Churchill but by the time I was part-way through the book I was very disappointed in her and her lack of involvement in her children's lives when they were young。 Reference is often made to how supportive she was of Winston but she must've supported him through correspondence because it sounded like they were hardly ever in the same location。 But I digress， this is a book about the sisters。I was a little taken aback by the copious endnotes。 I think I've only ever seen that many in a textbook previously。 I suppose they're necessary but I really only read the ones that had a bit of narrative attached to them。 The book is broken down into three different sections: The Early Years， The War Years and The Post-War Years。 There's no doubt Dr。 Rachel Trethewey did her research and I can only imagine how time-consuming it was putting it all together。 I'd definitely recommend this book if you're at all interested in the Churchills， or even if you're not because the daughters led very interesting， sometimes tragic， lives。 Reading this book has motivated me to look into some books on the Mitford sisters， cousins of Clementine's I believe。 In fact， there's a book on the Mitfords written by one of the Churchill sisters。I'm not sure if there are pictures in the final version of this book but I kept wishing for some！ If it does and the library gets copies I'm going to check it out just so I can look at the pictures。I won an ARC of this book in a Goodreads giveaway so many thanks to them and to St。Martin's Press。 All opinions expressed are my own。Expected Publication Date: December 7， 2021 。。。more
Darlene
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I looked forward to reading this because I have always admired Winston Churchill but knew little about his family and home life。 The title is a little deceptive。 It doesn't just focus on the Churchill sisters， but on his whole family。 It exposed a side I knew nothing about。The book was well-researched and went into great detail from birth to death of all five of the Churchill children。 It even detailed most of their spouses and， of course， Winston and his wife， Clementine。 If you are interested I looked forward to reading this because I have always admired Winston Churchill but knew little about his family and home life。 The title is a little deceptive。 It doesn't just focus on the Churchill sisters， but on his whole family。 It exposed a side I knew nothing about。The book was well-researched and went into great detail from birth to death of all five of the Churchill children。 It even detailed most of their spouses and， of course， Winston and his wife， Clementine。 If you are interested at all in British history， I highly recommend this biography。 。。。more
Natalie Freese
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I love History and memoirs and biographies and family drama。 GIVE IT ALL TO ME to Read and I WIll。 I was over the moon to get to read an early release of THe Churchill Sisters。 In America， we have our dynasties。 The Kennedys， The Rockafeller's。 and the Kardashians。 JUST KIDDING。 But in England， there was the Churchill Family。 The sisters were all magnificent on their own。 and until I read this I only came across them in passing when reading about their much more famous father and even brother。 A I love History and memoirs and biographies and family drama。 GIVE IT ALL TO ME to Read and I WIll。 I was over the moon to get to read an early release of THe Churchill Sisters。 In America， we have our dynasties。 The Kennedys， The Rockafeller's。 and the Kardashians。 JUST KIDDING。 But in England， there was the Churchill Family。 The sisters were all magnificent on their own。 and until I read this I only came across them in passing when reading about their much more famous father and even brother。 As in history， we are well aware that the lives of men come before that of women。 We need more biographies like this that shine a light on additional powerhouses of history。。。。the women， the daughters， sisters， and leaders。 。。。more
Anne Morgan
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The Churchill Sisters is the first book I've read devoted solely to the daughters of Winston Churchill， where they are the focus instead of mentioned on the sides， as in Lynne Olson's fabulous books Citizens of London and Erik Larson's The Splendid and the Vile。 Diana， Sarah， and Mary Churchill each lived in a world where women were， at least initially， considered second to men- and as a man of his era Winston thought this way too。 It was exposure to strong women like his wife Clementine and his The Churchill Sisters is the first book I've read devoted solely to the daughters of Winston Churchill， where they are the focus instead of mentioned on the sides， as in Lynne Olson's fabulous books Citizens of London and Erik Larson's The Splendid and the Vile。 Diana， Sarah， and Mary Churchill each lived in a world where women were， at least initially， considered second to men- and as a man of his era Winston thought this way too。 It was exposure to strong women like his wife Clementine and his daughters that made Winston change his mind。 But also in the Churchill house， Winston came first always。 Everyone believed his career and his work came first。 This， combined with being the children of a great man and being children in a time when their class rarely were raised by their parents， and the childhood the younger generation of Churchills had was quite different from one we would recognize today。 Their mother， Clementine， was like many others of her generation and class and was distant from her children， especially when they were young， which all of them came to regret later in life。 I was a little disappointed with the first half of the book， as it didn't tell me anything particularly new。 Anyone who has read The Splendid and the Vile or Citizens of London will know most of the early stories of the girls， particularly the war years as they came into their own helping in the war effort。 Author Tretheway lingers a bit on each daughter's psychological need to live up to their parent's expectations but beyond that I didn't learn anything new。 The second half， post World War II， however， I found more interesting because that was uncharted territory for me。 The tragic stories of Diana and Sarah- each trying to find fulfillment in their own ways and never quite reaching their goals or happiness- were heartbreaking。 Sarah and Mary taking turns being the one the others leaned on as the others fell apart， the mental illnesses and emotional collapses each sister experienced but tried to keep from their parents 。 。 。 the Churchills seems to be a family ahead of their time in accepting the idea of mental illness and treating it as an illness， one to be handled by doctors and not ignored with a 'stiff upper lip'， which I was impressed by。 Each daughter tried to live up to the father their worshipped as a hero and wanted to have look proudly on them， each wanted to make their mother's life a bit easier in caring for that father。 Yet they also wanted to be their own person， and went in separate ways to discover who they were and what they might do with their lives。 Although constrained at times by the society they grew up in and by the shadow of their father， they each faced life's challenges head on- whether that became constructive or destructive。 While the writing wasn't always top level and was occasionally repetitive， I would certainly recommend The Churchill Sisters to anyone interested in women's lives over the course of the twentieth century， history buffs， and， of course， Churchill fans。 A good new addition to the library， using archives newly opened to researchers。I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review 。。。more
Karen R
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A fascinating account of Winston and Clementine Churchill’s remarkable daughters。 With information gleaned from hundreds of previously unpublished family letters， the author shares intimate details about these passionate four sisters and their unbreakable bond who would go on to support their parents through Winston’s final years as prime minister。 Clementine always put her husband’s and her own needs above her children and would travel often to escape the demands of her daughters， leaving them A fascinating account of Winston and Clementine Churchill’s remarkable daughters。 With information gleaned from hundreds of previously unpublished family letters， the author shares intimate details about these passionate four sisters and their unbreakable bond who would go on to support their parents through Winston’s final years as prime minister。 Clementine always put her husband’s and her own needs above her children and would travel often to escape the demands of her daughters， leaving them with a variety of nannies。 It surprised me that the sisters did not become detached from their parents。 Quite the opposite is true。 They remained caring， responsible and dependable during the growing tumultuous times。 I fell in love with these extraordinary and inspiring women and enjoyed learning the softer side of Winston Churchill。Daughter Sara is quoted as saying that Winston ‘created in his children the same emotions he inspired in people during the war。’ I believe he indeed excelled at this。 。。。more
Dana Stabenow
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I don't find any of the daughters as interesting as their father， so skimmed a lot。 I don't find any of the daughters as interesting as their father， so skimmed a lot。 。。。more
Kathleen Gray
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Churchill's daughters - Mary， Sarah， and Diana- have been well served in this interesting biography of women who have been overshadowed by their famous family members。 Left largely to themselves and their father by their mother Clementine， they grew to adulthood in an environment like no other。 All three served important roles during WWII， with Sarah even accompanying her father to Tehran and Yalta。 No less vital was Diana's service in a munitions factory， something which might have once seemed Churchill's daughters - Mary， Sarah， and Diana- have been well served in this interesting biography of women who have been overshadowed by their famous family members。 Left largely to themselves and their father by their mother Clementine， they grew to adulthood in an environment like no other。 All three served important roles during WWII， with Sarah even accompanying her father to Tehran and Yalta。 No less vital was Diana's service in a munitions factory， something which might have once seemed unimaginable。。 Then there's Mary， who worked first for the Red Cross and then in anti-aircraft batteries; she also travelled with her father to Potsdam， Sarah and Diana both struggled with mental health issues while Mary's life was less difficult。 She's possibly the best well known of the three， thanks to her marriage to Christopher Soames but more importantly due to her writing， which brought her into her own。 Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC。 A good read。 。。。more
Stephanie Fansler
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Very interesting read。 These daughters had a lot to live up to。 A great history lesson， also
Raegan Ralls
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-Disclaimer: I won this book for free through Goodreads giveaways in exchange for an honest review。-DNF'd at 13%An extremely thorough novel！This used very technical wording with tons of fillers。 I found myself avoiding this book because of how tired it made me。 If this was a project to read this， I would take the F。 I felt like I was reading essay after essay。 And some of it was kind of confusing。I can say， they did research。 However， unless you are a Churchill fanatic， I can't see someone being -Disclaimer: I won this book for free through Goodreads giveaways in exchange for an honest review。-DNF'd at 13%An extremely thorough novel！This used very technical wording with tons of fillers。 I found myself avoiding this book because of how tired it made me。 If this was a project to read this， I would take the F。 I felt like I was reading essay after essay。 And some of it was kind of confusing。I can say， they did research。 However， unless you are a Churchill fanatic， I can't see someone being interested in this one for long。 I listened to some of the audiobook but could not get far into it because of the tone being very dull。 。。。more
OnceUponAMaggie
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BRIEF SUMMARYThere’s that saying “Behind every successful man， there is a strong woman。” Or in this case， daughters。 Winston Churchill， the former British Prime Minister， and his wife， Clementine， had 5 children: Diana， Randolph， Sarah， Marigold （died at the age of 2） and Mary。 The surviving daughters were known to be Churchill’s backbone during his term and England’s key historical events。Through personal correspondences and interviews from close acquaintances， the book recounts the lives of Wi BRIEF SUMMARYThere’s that saying “Behind every successful man， there is a strong woman。” Or in this case， daughters。 Winston Churchill， the former British Prime Minister， and his wife， Clementine， had 5 children: Diana， Randolph， Sarah， Marigold （died at the age of 2） and Mary。 The surviving daughters were known to be Churchill’s backbone during his term and England’s key historical events。Through personal correspondences and interviews from close acquaintances， the book recounts the lives of Winston Churchill daughters， specifically their relationship with their parents， with each other， the highs and lows of being a Churchill。 My Thoughts:This is a wonderful read。 I enjoyed the correspondences between the sisters。 It showed their true admiration for each other without a jealousy or competition。 They were beautiful， smart， and well-connected。 They supported each other both happy and dark times in their lives。 It was sad that the older sisters felt like a disappointment after failed marriages or career choices and that they didn’t live up to their parents expectations。 The oldest， Diana， didn’t have a close relationship with her mother。 Sarah was a successful actress until alcohol took over。 The youngest， Mary， faired better than all her siblings including her brother。 She tributes her success to the wide age gap between her siblings and being brought up as an only child。I didn’t know much about Winston Churchill aside from his position during World War II。 The book does showed him in a different light。 He was very involved in his children’s lives and as devoted to them as they were with him。 He was a better parent than his wife was。 Whenever Clementine was indisposed， one of the daughters took her place as Churchill’s travel companion。 And she plays favorites but she had come to terms as to where she failed as a mother and tried to make amends at the end。Thank you @netgalley and @stmartinspress for an advanced copy of the book and the opportunity to review it。 。。。more
Dee Arr
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I love history and thought this might be an interesting book to read。 Unfortunately （at least for me）， this particular story did not fit with what I normally enjoy。Author Rachel Trethewey achieved what a good historian should do， crafting her story with a huge amount of facts to back up her book。 Those who desire to read more can find a large bibliography， and each chapter has many instances in the Notes section to support each revelation。 On the other hand， there are countless notations of tiny I love history and thought this might be an interesting book to read。 Unfortunately （at least for me）， this particular story did not fit with what I normally enjoy。Author Rachel Trethewey achieved what a good historian should do， crafting her story with a huge amount of facts to back up her book。 Those who desire to read more can find a large bibliography， and each chapter has many instances in the Notes section to support each revelation。 On the other hand， there are countless notations of tiny habits and idiosyncrasies supported by a single footnote that one is sometimes left to question if these were isolated incidents rather than character flaws。 In the entire scheme of things， at times they seem trivial without a future incident tied to them。For those who are looking for more of a tell-all type feel to their reading， this is the perfect book for you。 Ms。 Trethewey’s work at diving deep into the tragedies and scandals of the three sisters earns the book a five-star rating。 Readers who yearn for more historical events tied directly to their individual actions might only offer three-and-a-half。 Taking the book as a whole and attempting to stand in both corners， I can recommend four stars。My thanks to NetGalley and St。 Martin’s Press for an advance electronic copy of this book。 。。。more
Kristen Morris
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