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Drawing on previously unpublished family letters from the Churchill archives, The Churchill Sisters brings Winston’s daughters out of the shadows and tells their remarkable stories for the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.
Winston Churchill, one of the most exceptional men of the 20th century, a giant during World War II, and a person that I have admired and enjoyed studying over the years. While I knew that Winston had daughters I never delve much deeper than surface information, which is why I was excited to read The Churchill Sisters.
Dr. Rachel Trethewey did an astounding job on this deep dive into the four Churchill daughters. An incredibly thorough and well researched book, The Churchill Sisters is chock full of quotes and first hand knowledge that goes with the flow of the narrative and reads more like a historical fiction with its fluidity.
The Bibliography is astounding, with page after page of sources and notes, not to mention interviews with actual living relatives that gives this text that much more credibility. There is also an index in the back to help reference a particular person or subject quickly, which I greatly appreciated, especially when I went back to go over a certain subject to ponder and couldn’t remember exactly where I read it.
The Churchill Sisters takes you to the beginning of Winston and Clementine’s relationship, with details of their upbringings, then the details of each daughter's births and their upbringings. The rest of the book goes through each of their unique stories mingled and mixed throughout the decades with such great detail there were moments I found myself lost in this past world.
One thing I never realized in my studies of Winston Churchill was just how codependent his wife and daughters were to him. It was never a secret where their loyalty lied, but I never knew it was to such an extent. I have always been fascinated with the magnificent Winston Churchill but never realized his family was just as fascinating as the man himself.
The author states in the introduction that this is a true love story, showing the undying love and loyalty manifested between Churchill and his daughters, and I quite agree, though this love story is a unique one. I have a close relationship with my own father but reading the almost obsessive devotion these three had with their dad was admirable at times, and cringy and uncomfortable at other times. I admire a family that is close, but there is a fine line between close-knit and codependent, and this line was quite blurry between Churchill and his girls.
Finally, I must mention a few subjects that could be triggering for some. First there is depression and mental health discussed at length throughout the story, due to almost everyone dealing with what Winston called “the Black Dog.” It is a subject that is heartbreaking yet relatable, as many are affected by mental health issues in one way or another. I myself have diseases in my own family but, though I am well versed in this subject, it didn’t change the fact that these parts were, at times, difficult for me to read. If you are sensitive to this subject be forewarned.
There are also escapisms and addictions, like alcoholism, as each member of the Churchill family dealt with tough situations, such as deaths and broken relationships, which one daughter in particular was almost continuously haunted by. There is also suicides and deaths that also could be triggering for some, but these are just the facts, and the details about each death are brief and respectful.
I cannot begin to tell you how much I enjoyed The Churchill Sisters, and cannot recommend highly enough. It helped me understand Winston Churchill on a deeper level, and made my appreciation grow. I now truly believe that he was an incredible man thanks to the women that stood behind him and supported him his entire life.
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