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December 14, 2007
Bad Girls Revisited
I am currently engrossed in The Mitfords: Letters Between Six Sisters. Talk about your Bad Girls! Yikes.
These six women ended up knowing most of the key figures of the 20th century. Winston Churchill, The Kennedy Family, Hitler, Maya Angelou, Lucien Freud. One sister became so infatuated with Hitler she tried to commit suicide when England declared war on Germany. Another sister became the author of wonderful works of fiction and historical biographies. Yet another ran away in her teens and was an ardent socialist. The youngest of the bunch became decidedly apolitical, retreated to her husband's vast estate which she turned around financially, and raised chickens.
Their letters to each other provide a very tantalizing glimpse into a privileged world. They can be very scathing about each other and some of their famous friends. The royal family does not fare well at all. And yet no matter how rough they can be, their love and admiration for each other shines through.
For a fictionalized account of their early lives try Pursuit of Love and Love in a Cold Climate. Although the books are over 50 years old, they are still fresh, funny and wonderful.
Posted by JenniferD at December 14, 2007 10:12 AM
Comments
Thanks for the recommendation, Jen. First Alice Roosevelt Longworth, now the Mitfords. Definitely a great year for bad girls!
Posted by: Sally I. at December 18, 2007 06:33 PM