A Novel of Nancy Mitford and the Pursuit of Happiness
by Eliza Knight
#TheMayfairBookshop #NetGalley
The Mitford family seem to be enjoying a renaissance on TV and in books. There was a recent miniseries with Lily James and, not long ago, I read both The Bookseller’s Secret and the latest entry in Jessica Fellows’ historical mystery series that features Nancy and her siblings.
For anyone who may not know, the Mitford daughters were fascinating and so different from each other. Diana left her husband, a Guinness heir, to be with the Fascist, Oswald Moseley. Unity was enamored of Hitler. Nancy was an author and there were also, Jessica and Deborah.
Happily I did not suffer from Mitford fatigue and I thoroughly enjoyed Eliza Knight’s novel. As is popular now, there are two timelines. In the present, Lucy is a book curator from Washington DC who is spending time in England. She is fascinated with the Heywood Hill bookshop where Nancy Mitford once worked. Lucy also has a connection to someone Nancy almost married.
Lucy is a huge Mitford fan. She possesses some Mitford letters and her mother, who is no longer alive, had a valuable edition of one of Nancy’s novels.
While in England, Lucy visits the Mitford home. This is beautifully described and made me long to see the real location. Lucy’s quest is to discern who the Iris in a dedication in one of Nancy’s novels is.
In the historical timeline, Hitler is on the horizon. As noted above, some of the sisters are not pro democracy. Nancy does attend a rally at Diana’s urging although she is clearly not a “Black Shirt.”
Readers get to know Nancy well. They vicariously see her pre-marriage lifestyle in the smart set. Readers watch Nancy in love with the ensuing disappointment, marriage and compromise. They also witness Nancy writing her novels, working at the bookstore and trying to support herself (husband Peter does not do well in the work world).
I very much enjoyed my time at The Mayfair Bookshop. I recommend this novel to those who enjoy historical novels and/or women’s fiction.
Many thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow/Custom House for this title. All opinions are my own.
The two friends of this book are Georgia O’Keeffe and Anita Pollitzer. One of these names was quite familiar to me for her artistic works. The other was new to me. Among the many things that I learned was that Pollitzer was very active in the suffrage movement. She also introduced O’Keeffe to Steiglitz.
These two knew each other in a relationship that had both its ups and downs as this well written book reveals. Initially, Georgia did not take to Anita but they then became close, before later having a friendship with some cracks.
This book is noteworthy for showcasing the accomplishments of two women who were living at a time in which women struggled to achieve and be respected. It offers a reminder of how far we have (hopefully) come.
Bennett’s book is written in a very readable style. I especially enjoyed the excerpts from the letters that are included here.
It was illuminating to learn more about a woman whom I had only known for her art and connection to Steiglitz when there was so much more to her story. Since I knew nothing of Anita, reading about her life and experiences was intriguing.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the University of Nebraska Press for this title. All opinions are my own.
Pub date: 01 May 2025
214 pages
Biographies & Memoirs-History
Editorial Reviews
Review
“About eminent painter Georgia O’Keeffe and Anita Pollitzer, a trailblazer of the American suffragist movement, Liza Bennett’s rich biography Georgia and Anita covers a dynamic, tragic friendship.”—Isaac Randel, Foreword Reviews
“Liza Bennett’s luminous and absorbing exploration of the friendship between a painter of genius and a women’s rights activist during the morning years of the twentieth century rings absolutely true to its era while beautifully evoking the power and urgency of a new kind of American art being born.”—Richard Snow, author of Disney’s Land: Walt Disney and the Invention of the Amusement Park That Changed the World
“A masterpiece, an exquisitely told story of love, art, feminism, family, and the making of the modern age, propelled by the deep and turbulent current of a decades-long friendship between two extraordinary women.”—Frederick E. Allen, former editor at American Heritage and New York magazines
“An important contribution to the literature on women’s friendship. While much has been written about Georgia O’Keeffe, woman artist, little is known of her lifelong bond with a central figure in the fight for the ballot, Anita Pollitzer. This is their riveting story.”—Ellen Feldman, author of Lucy and Terrible Virtue
“Beautifully written, by turns funny, inspiring, and poignant, this is the true story of two American women—one famous, one little known today—who changed the world. A narrative of friendship, devotion, and, ultimately, betrayal.”—Kevin Baker, author of Dreamland–This text refers to the paperback edition.
Patti Callahan Henry is one of my absolute favorite authors. Ever since reading Becoming Mrs. Lewis I have been a fan. The Secret Book of Flora Lea was one of the most enjoyable books that I read last year. And now, there is The Story She Left Behind. It is another triumph of emotional storytelling.
The novel opens in the U.S. in the 1950s and takes place between there and England. Readers meet Clara Harrington and her daughter Wynnie. They are very close as was Clara to her own mother before she disappeared. What happened to her is a central theme in the novel.
Clara’s mother (based on a real person), Bronwyn, was a writer with a vivid imagination. In fact, she created not only her own fictional world but a language. Her famous novel was published when she was very young. The dictionary that will decode the language has been missing ever since Bronwyn went away.
The author makes clear that Bronwyn had struggles. However, there was no indication that she would vanish. The loss has been pivotal in Clara’s life.
Out of nowhere, Clara hears from Charlie (in London) who has found some belongings of Bronwyn among his father’s papers. The story is set when Clara and Wynnie travel to meet Charlie and are immediately enveloped in the devastating fog of 1952.
No spoilers so no more plot. I will just say that this novel has everything I want in a book. The characters, the vividly described settings and the story all kept me both wanting to turn the pages and not wanting to as I did not want to finish the book. I recommend this title most highly. I am already wishing for Henry’s next book.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for this title. All opinions are my own.
From the Publisher
Editorial Reviews
Review
“Brilliant, riveting, so beautifully written, impossible to put down. I wanted to know, needed to know, about the strange manuscript left to a daughter, and the odyssey it sent her on.” –Louise Penny, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Chief Inspector Armand Gamache novels
Imagine that it is the weekend. You (Monica) are a mom with a three year old little girl (Luisa). Your husband (Haris) is a journalist and needs to work even though it is not a weekday. You live in the eastern part of Berlin. You are meeting your parents for lunch. They have moved a few blocks away and are just a few blocks into the western part of Berlin. Imagine that you go out with the stroller to meet them and find barbed wire! You cannot go for lunch but you do something big and impulsive that will have reverberations (no spoiler so no exact details here). This is the beginning of the story, the division of Berlin and the subsequent erection of the wall.
This start of Reay’s novel really captured me. I couldn’t stop thinking about what it must have been like for ordinary people when their lives were transformed by a wall and an ideology. It is to Reay’s credit that she sets the scene of the novel so well.
The book goes on to be largely told by two characters. One of these is a grown up Luisa and the other is Haris. There is a lot to find out about both of them (and others) but I do not want to give anything away. A few things to think about: an infinity symbol, truth and lies about family, codes. This should be enough to intrigue prospective readers.
Reay’s last book, A Shadow in Moscow, was a compelling read. Here Reay has again created a book that I both simultaneously could not walk away from and did not want to end. I recommend it very highly.
A note on the audio: There are multiple narrators which gives a true sense of the characters and story. Those who prefer their books as listens can’t go wrong with this one.
Many thanks to NetGalley, Harper Muse for the e book and audio versions of this title. All opinions are my own.
I have a friend who has been recommending Trollope’s Barsetshire Chroinicles to me for years yet somehow I never got to this book. Now that I have read it, I see why it was suggested to me and I very much enjoyed it.
There are many characters in this shortish title. They include:
Septimus Harding-The Warden
Susan and Eleanor-The Warden’s daughters
Archdeacon Grantly and John Bold-The former is Susan’s husband and the latter is in love with Eleanor. Grantly is a bit pompous. John Bold is a reformer.
Sir Abraham Haphazard-a lawyer
Tom Towers-a journalist
The books are set in what is thought to be England’s southwest. The location is one that includes Hiram’s Hospital. This is actually not a hospital but an almshouse for twelve men. The plot has to do with the finances of this hospital and whether or not The Warden is receiving more income than is rightfully his. Eleanor’s beau feels that the pensioners are being cheated while Grantly feels that the church is entitled to these profits.
Along with this plot readers can enjoy the relationship between Eleanor and Bold. What will happen when Eleanor is in the middle between her father and her beau?
One thing that struck me when reading this title was the ways in which it related to current issues. These include fiscal responsibility, an individual’s moral compass, freedom of the press and more.
The story is told with some humor, caricature, and a wonderful depiction of its time and place.
I will continue this series happily. Please don’t disregard this book because it is a classic.
A young woman crashes the wedding of the summer on Fire Island in search of her birth mother—and gets a whole lot more than she bargained for—in this warm, heart-stopping getaway from Jane L. Rosen
Maggie Mae Wheeler is content with her life. At 30, she has grand plans for her vintage record shop in the charming Midwestern town where she grew up, and is soon to be engaged to her childhood best friend.
But when she discovers a letter she wrote to herself at thirteen, being content doesn’t feel like enough anymore—Maggie needs answers to figure out who she is and where she belongs. Since losing her parents, the only family she has ever known, Maggie decides that finding her birth mother is the best place to start.
Her search leads her to Fire Island, an idyllic summer getaway where her birth mother is attending a wedding. As Maggie observes her biological family from a distance, she sees that they come with a lot of… drama. Torn between diving deeper into their world or returning to her peaceful life and cozy relationship, her decision gets more complicated when a handsome local offers to take her to the wedding — if she will pose as his date.
Is it the magic of the island, the rush of the music, the fun of jumping into the weekend’s events with her fake beau? Suddenly, playing the part of his girlfriend starts to feel way too real, and the words to every love song seem to be about them.
The author:
JANE L. ROSEN is an author and Huffington Post contributor. She lives in New York City and Fire Island with her husband and three daughters. She often takes inspiration from the city she lives in and the people she shares it with. In addition to her writing she has spent time in film, television and event production and is the cofounder of It’s All Gravy LLC, a web and app-based gifting company.
My thoughts:
I very much look forward to finishing this book which I recently started. As I worked in adoption, I am most interested in seeing how the author deals with what can be a very delicate subject and one that raises many issues for the person who was adopted, the birth family, and the adoptive family. It does offer a resonant subject for a novel.
I also am looking forward to the summer vibe of this title. I eagerly anticipate my virtual visit to beautiful Fire Island.
Music and Judaism also have places in this story. I am eager to see how these are integrated into the plot.
Many thanks to Berkley Publishing and NetGalley for this title. All opinions are my own.
Note: This book is part of a trilogy. The other titles are On Fire Island, and Seven Summer Weekends.
I had learned about this novel long before it was published and knew that I wanted to read it. I was absolutely thrilled to be given an advance e-galley.
I could not wait to sit down and begin this novel. I went on to savor it and find it easy to give The Eights an excellent review.
WWI led to devastation and a reorganization of British society. Many men died; consequently, many women were unlikely to marry. Social changes came as with the suffrage movement and (finally) the admittance of women to Oxford degrees. (Prior to this, women could attend but would not formally graduate).
This engrossing historical novel follows four women from this time period who were known as “the eights” because of the corridor that they lived on at their Oxford College. Readers meet Beatrice, Marianne, Otto, and Dora. Each has their own history and backstory.
Beatrice is the daughter of a very politically active mother who was an absent parent. Readers learn that it was difficult for Beatrice to confide in her mother. Beatrice s studying PPE (Philosophy, Politics and Economics).
Marianne is a cleric’s daughter. It is clear that she is hiding something. Marianne is also less financially well off than some of her peers.
Otto is part of a family with socialite sisters. Her parents would like her to marry. Otto is studying Mathematics.
Dora has had two major losses from the war. Both her brother and fiance died. These men would have been at Oxford had they lived. Dora feels that she is there in their place. Dora is studying English.
The world of Oxford in this time period is engagingly portrayed through many characters in addition to these four. I came to care very deeply for the eights and did not want the book to end. It is my sincere hope that Miller is penning her next novel even as I write this.
Note that there is a helpful glossary at the back of the book for those who are unfamiliar with British higher education.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for this title. All opinions are my own.
Pub date: 15 April 2025
Historical fiction
382 pages
Note:
Recommended those who have enjoyed the novels by Pip Williams.
A Goodreads Most Anticipated Book of Spring A Book Riot Best Historical Fiction of April A Brit & Co. New April Book to Add to Your Calendar STAT
“The Eights is an entertaining and moving imagining of four smart women dealing with the engrained misogyny of the time. I came to love these four women as though they were my sisters.” —Tracy Chevalier, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Girl with a Pearl Earring and The Glassmaker
“A story about women taking their place in a man’s world, The Eights beautifully captures the power of friendship and love in the wake of extraordinary loss. It was a pleasure to read.” —Pip Williams, New York Times bestselling author of The Dictionary of Lost Words
“Miller’s engrossing debut follows the first women undergraduates eligible to earn degrees at Oxford University. …. They’re unlikely allies, a novelistic trope that Miller transcends through insightful and surprising characterizations…. It’s a memorable tale of a fast-changing world.” —Publishers Weekly
“Miller describes campus life in vivid detail, and her protagonists are complex, with hidden motivations and insecurities that are gradually revealed as their friendships develop. This pairs well with Helen Simonson’s The Hazelbourne Ladies Motorcycle and Flying Club and Kate Quinn’s The Briar Club.” —Booklist
“A heartfelt, thoughtful and engaging book about the first women students to go to Oxford University – their friendships, their secrets, their ambitions and their opponents – in the tremulous, haunted years immediately after the First World War. Joanna Miller brings 1920s Oxford to life with a vivid immediacy and makes us care deeply about four young women who find themselves pioneers in a strange new world, trying to find a way forward in the aftermath of war. A thoroughly lovely debut that will win many hearts, with its celebration of friendship and the persistence of hope.” —Joanna Quinn, New York Times bestselling author of The Whalebone Theatre
“My book of the year. The writing is wonderful, the subject fascinating and the storylines utterly absorbing. I’m so sad I’ve finished it. I loved everything about this book. I ADORED it.” —Jill Mansell, Sunday Times bestselling author of Rumor Has It
“The past feels astonishingly present in Joanna Miller’s debut…Rigorously researched, The Eights brilliantly synthesizes fact and fiction, and the trials and triumphs of the quartet are deeply relatable. [Surrounding a] debate about whether women have any business being at Oxford … The Eights is a rewarding read for anyone who enjoys emotional, character-driven narratives and for anyone who celebrates impeccable writing. But most of all, it’s for anyone who has ever been told they couldn’t do something but did it anyway.” —BookPage
Is everything false? Is nothing true? Is the title of the book just a trick? Readers will eagerly, maybe compulsively, turn the pages of this title to find out. If they know Lisa Jewell at all, they will expect a gripping story that takes them for quite a ride. If readers are new to the author, they will finish this and look to her backlist.
Two women. Two lives. Two stories. Intersections. Podcasts. True crime shows. Is that enough? I assure you that it will be.
Josie and Alix are both celebrating a forty-fifth birthday. Their lives look very different when each goes to dinner that night at the same place. Josie is there with her husband and it is a big splurge while Alex is there with a large group of friends and seems more financially comfortable.
Josie starts something when she points out to Alix that they are “birthday twins.” Uh-oh, a lot happens from this point on as readers get t know these women, their families, the way their minds operate and more. When Alix and Josie start work on a project together a complex set of circumstances results.
Those who like domestic thrillers and.or domestic thrillers will turn the pages at lightning speed in an effort to figure all of this out. Ms. Jewell has done it again; she has written exactly the kind of novel at which she excels.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for this title. All opinions are my own.
Mark your calendar for this free volume’s release date. These Minotaur samplers are always great for making decisions about books to read.
This time, titles by Rachel Louise Adams, T. Jefferson Parker, and Lev AC Rosen are featured. There are descriptions of each book, generous samples and information on the authors in these pages.
Start reading and enjoy!
Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press-Minotaur for this title. All opinions are my own.
Joyce's mystery and fiction book reviews with some non-fiction too! 