The Mitfords: Letters Between Six Sisters
Encyclopedia
The Mitfords: Letters Between Six Sisters is a 2007 book of selected letters between the legendary Mitford sisters. The book was edited by Diana Mitford's daughter-in-law, Charlotte Mosley. An estimated five percent of letters between the six sisters were included in the 834 page publication. The book was published by Harper Collins.
wrote in the Sunday Times; "we didn’t really know them especially well, it turns out. Jessica was not that good; Diana briefly sinister but also clever, kind, fatally loyal to her Blackshirt husband, Oswald Mosley
, and so on." The book was serialized by The Washington Post
.
"Even as talented families go, the Mitford sisters are remarkable — the most brilliant pride of literary lionesses to have emerged in England since the Brontes, who also had little or no formal education. Four of the sisters were published writers of wit and substance, and, as this collection of their letters to one another demonstrates, all six could write evocatively, even hauntingly." Mindy Aloff, The Washington Post
"Brilliantly edited ... Here for the first time, are the six women's own voices booming out from the tomb and across the decades ... telling their extraordinary stories, which ... is also the story of the twentieth century, told from the front row" India Knight
, Sunday Times
"A magnificent celebration of eighty years of sisterhood ...Unputdownable" Hugo Vickers, Country Life
"Thrilling and moving, funny and serious ... a story of a family, of loyalty, love, humour, tragedy and at times of chilling deception, a tale that sometimes amuses and horrifies, but always fascinates ... Through six different perspectives, the reality of these women's lives, in contradition to the often held-image of indulgent upper-class charmers, is brilliantly conveyed ... A luminous correspondence" Juliet Nicholson, Daily Telegraph
"Funny, sad, outrageous and impeccably edited ... it never flags for a moment" Jeremy Lewis, Mail On Sunday
"Mosley ... shows that the enduring fascination of this family comes not only from the larks and the society names but from the fact that the big current of the twentieth century – fascism and communism, wars and death washed through their lives" Jan Dalley, Financial Times
Summary
Carefree, revelatory and intimate, this selection of unpublished letters between the legendary Mitford sisters dances with wit, passion and heartbreak. The letters not only chronicle the idiosyncrasies of the twentieth century, but chart the stormy relationship between six uniquely gifted women. There's Nancy, the scalding wit and best selling novelist; Pamela, who craved a quiet country life; Diana, the fascist jailed during the Second World War; Unity, whose obsession with Hitler led to her demise, Jessica, the runaway communist; and Deborah, the socialite who became Duchess of Devonshire.Reception
The book was well received both critically and commercially. In particular previously held perceptions were challenged. India KnightIndia Knight
India Knight is a British journalist and author. She is known for her contribution to the British media, as well as her books: My Life on a Plate, Don't You Want Me?, The Shops, Neris and India's Idiot-Proof Diet and The Thrift Book , all of which are published by Penguin books...
wrote in the Sunday Times; "we didn’t really know them especially well, it turns out. Jessica was not that good; Diana briefly sinister but also clever, kind, fatally loyal to her Blackshirt husband, Oswald Mosley
Oswald Mosley
Sir Oswald Ernald Mosley, 6th Baronet, of Ancoats, was an English politician, known principally as the founder of the British Union of Fascists...
, and so on." The book was serialized by The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
.
Reviews
"Although the Mitfords’ letters refer to some world-shaking events, their irresistible appeal comes from the way they invite us into the closed family circle. This volume is so overflowing with nicknames and private jokes that it resembles a glittering novel about privileged sophisticates." Caryn James, The New York TimesThe New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
"Even as talented families go, the Mitford sisters are remarkable — the most brilliant pride of literary lionesses to have emerged in England since the Brontes, who also had little or no formal education. Four of the sisters were published writers of wit and substance, and, as this collection of their letters to one another demonstrates, all six could write evocatively, even hauntingly." Mindy Aloff, The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
"Brilliantly edited ... Here for the first time, are the six women's own voices booming out from the tomb and across the decades ... telling their extraordinary stories, which ... is also the story of the twentieth century, told from the front row" India Knight
India Knight
India Knight is a British journalist and author. She is known for her contribution to the British media, as well as her books: My Life on a Plate, Don't You Want Me?, The Shops, Neris and India's Idiot-Proof Diet and The Thrift Book , all of which are published by Penguin books...
, Sunday Times
"A magnificent celebration of eighty years of sisterhood ...Unputdownable" Hugo Vickers, Country Life
Country Life (magazine)
Country Life is a British weekly magazine, based in London at 110 Southwark Street, and owned by IPC Media, a Time Warner subsidiary.- Topics :The magazine covers the pleasures and joys of rural life, as well as the concerns of rural people...
"Thrilling and moving, funny and serious ... a story of a family, of loyalty, love, humour, tragedy and at times of chilling deception, a tale that sometimes amuses and horrifies, but always fascinates ... Through six different perspectives, the reality of these women's lives, in contradition to the often held-image of indulgent upper-class charmers, is brilliantly conveyed ... A luminous correspondence" Juliet Nicholson, Daily Telegraph
"Funny, sad, outrageous and impeccably edited ... it never flags for a moment" Jeremy Lewis, Mail On Sunday
"Mosley ... shows that the enduring fascination of this family comes not only from the larks and the society names but from the fact that the big current of the twentieth century – fascism and communism, wars and death washed through their lives" Jan Dalley, Financial Times
Financial Times
The Financial Times is an international business newspaper. It is a morning daily newspaper published in London and printed in 24 cities around the world. Its primary rival is the Wall Street Journal, published in New York City....
Format
The book is divided into nine chapters according to a specific time period. Each chapter is contextualized by the editor.- Chapter 1 (1925–1933)
- Chapter 2 (1933–1939)
- Chapter 3 (1939–1945)
- Chapter 4 (1945–1949)
- Chapter 5 (1950–1959)
- Chapter 6 (1960–1966)
- Chapter 7 (1967–1973)
- Chapter 8 (1974–1994)
- Chapter 9 (1995–2003)
See also
- Hons and RebelsHons and RebelsHons and Rebels is an autobiography by political activist Jessica Mitford which describes her aristocratic childhood and the conflicts between her and her sisters Unity and Diana, who were ardent supporters of Nazism...
- The Official Nancy Mitford Website