"That Churchill Woman" tries to catch to glitter and charm of Jennie Jerome Churchill, and the Gilded Age in which she lived. Although glimpses of that glitter come through, overall I found the book disappointing. Unevenly and ponderously written with a timeline that jerked the reader from the 'present' to various memories in the past, it was often difficult to follow the thread of the story or what the point was of certain longwinded chapters of reminiscences.

For a novel trying to reach into who Jennie was, the reader comes away with only a shallow understanding of her and what she wanted out of life. Unhappily married, Jennie travels through the Marlborough House set of Prince Bertie without seeming to particularly enjoy the Society she is a part of. While she has a reputation of being politically savvy and a huge part of her husband's political success, only brief nods are made to that here. Most of the novel is focused on the tragic love affair between Jennie and Charles Kinsky. No matter how many times Jennie tries sending Charles away, she ends up going to him- for help, for support, for love. She sends him away and then is distraught when he doesn't come to her. "That Churchill Woman"is full of people trying to follow tradition, doing their duty- and making themselves and everyone around them miserable in the process. This often ends up including the reader. I wanted to like this book, I wanted to discover who Jennie was, what drove her through life. But by the end I didn't feel any closer to knowing this enigmatic American than when I started.

For fans of throughly researched and presented historical fiction about both American born Gilded Age heiresses and Winston Churchill, That Churchill Woman is an enjoyable read.

Jennie Churchill is best known as Winston Churchill's mother, but she was a complex woman with a fascinating and larger-than-life life. An American heiress, she met and married her husband, Lord Churchill, within days of meeting him. It was a whirlwind courtship, but the marriage was not a happy one, and Stephanie Barron does a good job of showing the constraints women, even the very wealthy and titled, faced and the scandals and smears they endured if they dared to step out of line.

Jennie Jerome Churchill had a complex life, and That Churchill Woman does a great job of shedding light on a woman who is best known for her eldest son, but was and is fascinating in her own right.

I love historical fiction generally, and I really thought I'd like this book. However, there were so many people to keep track of and a lot of jumping around between time periods and it made the book difficult to concentrate on. Jennie Jerome Churchill's story was interesting, she was Winston Churchill's mother and one of the great ladies of her time but I don't think this book told it very well in places.

I did enjoy it though and would recommend it if you have the time to read it. Thanks to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I found this to be a great, entertaining book, even though it is historical fiction, it is based upon facts and gives a wonderful account following the life and loves of Winston Churchill’s mother, Lady Randolph Jennie (Jerome) Churchill. The story is very well written. The book grabbed my attention beginning with the first chapter and didn’t ever let me go, it all starts with us attending the funeral of Jennie and then backtracks through her life from her childhood memories, her marriage to Lord Randolph Churchill and then, the rest of the story.
Jennie was a headstrong, educated, beautiful, talented woman, but she was shunned by her piers due to her lifestyle and in the end, she so eloquently put them all in their place. It was hard to believe the time frame was during the late 1880’s and early 1900’s, she was a woman ahead of her time. And I do believe she was very instrumental in raising Winston Churchill and helping mold a future leader. She loved her two boys very much, Winston and Jack.. Regardless of what her piers thought of her, she had a true capacity for love and would sacrifice herself for her family, showing her true integrity and dignity.
I would highly recommend this read and give it a high 5*****’s. The only negative I found in this story was sometimes the chapters would switch back and forth between time frames, we would go between young Jennie Jerome’s life, then go to her current life and it was hard to follow the timeline, I wish the chapters would have listed the dates. But that was a small price to pay for an awesome book. Very educational.
I was given an advanced copy from Random House Publishing through Net Galley for my honest review

I loved this book about this interesting woman who was married to one of the most fascinating and enigmatic men of modern times.
This book was an insteresting study of both personalities.
Thanks to the publisher and and Netgalley for allowing me to read and review this book

I thoroughly enjoy historical fiction. The author, Stephanie Barron, tells the story of Jennie Jerome Churchill set in multiple time periods of Jennie’s life. The author’s research was extensive. Parts of the book were compelling. However, for me, I did not connect with this story. Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

That Churchill Woman is the story of Jennie Jerome Churchill, the mother of Winston Churchill. Jennie was an American woman who married into English nobility and was quite ahead of her time. I thoroughly enjoyed Jennie's story! Stephanie Barron did a wonderful job bringing Jennie and that era in time to life for me!

If you aren't familiar with the life of Jennie Jerome Churchill, this is a very good place to start. Well researched and written, it's the story of probably the most famous of the Dollar Princesses- American women who married into the British aristocracy bringing along the funds to save many a historic estate. Jennie was, significantly, the mother of Winston Churchill but she was so much more. Her life with Randolph was, to put it mildly, unconventional. Her long time lover Count Charles Kimsky was not someone I knew much about so this was especially interesting. There are lots of details (some might argue too many) but for fans of Downton Abbey and fiction featuring famous women, there's just the right amount. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

I really went back and forth on the rating for this book. First off, the subject is brilliant. I think everyone knows who Winston Churchill is, but I had no idea who his mother was or that she was an American heiress that married into the British nobility. I loved reading about a real woman who came from money and married nobility, but I liked that she married a second son which came with far less privilege and recognition.

I had mixed feelings about the romance of this book. At times I greatly enjoyed it while at other times I just found the main character obnoxious and trifling. I didn't like how she played with Kinskey's feelings and I thought her suppression of her own feelings when she clearly had affairs often was a little silly. I did think the book ended in a weird place and I wonder if the author is planning on writing a sequel. It is mentioned in the notes afterwards that Jennie got a letter from Charles on her second marriage, but as someone who knew nothing about her I didn't even know she would get remarried considering how she rebuked Charles. I wish the author would have almost gone all the way up to that point and letter.

Great story! I know this is historical fiction but it reads so well that you could actually believe this book was real. Being a history buff, i do know that bits and pieces of it were based on fact and that made it immensely enjoyable. Always a pleasure to read about a strong woman that stands tall and forges their own path while shaping others. I really enjoyed this book. I received a copy from NetGalley and the publisher and this is my honest opinion.

Fascinating look at the American woman, Jennie Jerome, who married into British Nobility and raised one of the heroes of the 1900s, Winston Churchill. Society life at that time was very different from our own, and also for Jennie. She navigated it well, had the right friends, including the Prince of Wales, and tried to manage her ailing husband’s political career. He proved to be a difficult and thankless case. An interesting glimpse into the challenges of that lifestyle and time period.

Jennie Jerome is an interesting person. The book gives us a look at the woman who would become the mother of Winston Churchill from childhood to mid-adulthood. She is the eldest child of Leonard Jerome, a wealthy American financier. He treated Jennie like a son in many ways, teaching her to appreciate horses and racing, but also giving her a proper education and encouraging her to go after what she wanted. She certainly did a lot in the time she lived, notably having numerous flirtations and affairs.

My internal thought process at the beginning of the book was shock, as in “this woman shouldn’t be praised for being so brash and free with her self” but then I had to check my internal misogyny because she was acting like a man, and a man of the time could have multiple affairs with no one caring. Especially of the time Jennie was raised and as she came into adulthood, she was brash because she could be and anyone who disagreed was of no concern. Also, another reality check I had to take for myself, Winston Churchill’s mother is interesting and worth writing about for reasons beyond being Winston Churchill’s mother. She was her own person and a fascinating one at that. I’m glad to know more about her because she seems to be the type to be lost to history.

My concern, however, about the novel is that a lot of the storytelling aspects didn’t let us in on her personal life in a way that was emotionally satisfying to me as a reader. My guess is that there wasn’t enough source material to make a concrete conclusion about certain parts of her life. For instance, Jennie has an affair with Charles Kinsky, a prince in Hungary, who eventually goes to work as a diplomat for Franz Ferdinand (we all know this name). Prior to Charles’ work, he and Jennie have an affair on and off for 10 years. So every time there’s an emotional turning point in their relationship, there’s also some sort of time jump where we don’t find out the aftermath of the argument until months later. Or the narrative just skips over the juicy details of the emotional angst between these two people. It should be noted that Jennie’s husband is speculated to be gay, so he knows abstractly that she seeks out others (kind of spoiler-y, but not really). These time jumps occur in other places too, but structurally that didn’t work either because I never knew what year it was.

Another frustration I had was that Victorian era parents were so removed from being parents. This isn’t a criticism of the writing so much as it is a criticism of the era. They just hired people to take care of the children and just went off doing their own thing. Jennie spent a lot of time away from home in the beginning of the novel where she stayed at a home of the Prince of Wales, son of Queen Victoria. I don’t understand! And Jennie is considered a good mother because she does actually care about Winston and Jack, whereas their father rarely speaks to them or pays attention to their interests. But Jennie ends up traveling quite a bit so I find it hard that the standard of emotional attachment was so low. It was so sad to read the passages from Winston’s point of view because he just wanted a connection to his father, but at least Jennie would respond to his letters. This brings up another frustrating point, that the POV would shift to other characters, which took me out of the story. I was reading for Jennie, not Winston, and not her husband.

Overall, I wanted to like this more. It was compared to The Paris Wife, which I adored. I just wanted more out of the novel and I didn’t really get that emotional connection I was looking for.

An interesting piece of historical fiction that tackles the rumors and whispers about the infamous Lady Randolph Churchill. I particularly appreciated the look at Winston's childhood.

Jennie Jerome was a rich, privileged, and unconventional New Yorker who married Lord Randolph Churchill and becomes the mother of Winston Churchill, one of the most prominent men of the twentieth century. Jennie hardly knew Randolph before agreeing to marry him, however, she was hellbent on marrying him despite her mother's misgivings. The marriage had its ups and downs, and Jennie had countless lovers. But, one particular will dominate her life in this book: Count Charles Kinsky. Their love affair is pretty much doomed from the start, yet they can't stay away from each other, even when Bertie, Prince of Wales, warns Jennie about the risks himself...

READ THE REST OF THE REVIEW OVER AT FRESH FICTION: http://freshfiction.com/review.php?id=67518

This was an excellent historical fiction in that it provided details about how people lived, dressed, ate and interacted during the specific time periods and countries. It also had an interesting story that weaved in the life of some fascinating individuals. With that said, this was not a great book about Lady Jennie Spencer Churchhill. I compare it to “A Well Behaved Woman”, also a Historical Fiction about Alva Smith Vanderbilt. That book offered so much insight into her thoughts and feelings and what framed her point of view, especially as it related to her activities with women’s rights. This book focuses almost exclusively on Jennie but I never felt like she was a real person. While this presents some narrative that she had affairs it certainly does not paint her as a wanton woman who earned her reputation. And while the story tried to show that she made her own decisions without regard for society, her actions were completely contrary. The only concession she seems to have made was denying her one true love and some hinted at affairs. And really the book was filled with references to affairs between her class. The rationale for taking Lord Randolph on the world tour was framed around getting him out of London and taking him to Burma. But she later calls it her journey of the soul, was this some type of punishment she meted out to herself? There just is not enough introspection provided to really understand her motivation for leaving her children and the man that she loved to endure this horrible situation with a man who clearly did not love her.

So even though I have some criticism I did enjoy reading the book and it is evident that the author did extensive research. I would definitely recommend this to readers of historical fiction and general fiction as it reads both ways.

I've been looking forward to reading this book for a while. I'm surprised at how much I actually did not enjoy it. I was thinking it would be a biography type read, but it's not. This is a story about Jennie Churchill and a few male acquaintances. It's disappointing at best. I thought she should have been a much stronger and independent character. It didn't live up to my expectations unfortunately.

That Churchill Woman by Stephanie Barron

Jennie Jerome, more formally known as Lady Randolph Churchill, lived big and yet tread the rough path between regimented British Victorian society and her own choices. Stephanie Barron’s novel focuses on Lady Randolph’s life during her first marriage, during which we are permitted glimpses of Winston Churchill’s childhood. Barron tries to fill in the gap between what we “know” about Jennie’s actions and what motivated her to act. Flashbacks help explain the influence of Jennie’s childhood and upbringing on her adult life. The author clearly conducted considerable research, including several works written by members of the family. Unfortunately, there are many questions about which no one can generate factual answers. Nonetheless, Barron does a persuasive job of weaving the threads together to create a credible tapestry. Lady Randolph Churchill may not be a person all readers admire but she is to be respected for her independence and her willingness to take responsibility for the consequences of her actions.

I found Barron’s portrayal compelling, and a quick read. I only wish she had gone further. I would have liked to have learned more about Jennie’s war efforts and in what ways she mentored Winston in his early political efforts. Of course, that is why good novels lead you to good biographies. If you loved Downton Abbey, the late Victorian era, British nobility, or independent women, you will love this novel. I highly recommend picking it up.

Thanks to Netgalley and Random House Publishing-Ballantine for the opportunity to read an e-ARC in exchange for a candid review.

What a fantastic book! Part Downtown Abbey, part biography, and totally entertaining, "That Churchill Woman" is a hugely entertaining (and educational!) read. The story of Jennie Churchill, mother of Winston Churchill brings Jennie out of the shadow of her famous son and into the light. Married at age 19 to Randolph Churchill (he needed an heiress, she got a title) Jennie was a bright and headstrong woman, well ahead of her time, who did her best to live her life on her terms. Her marriage was much more political than based on love (although she didn't' know that when she entered into it), with Jennie as a strong guiding influence on her husband as a member of Parliament, even going so far as to review and edit his speeches. She was famous for her love affairs, supportive of women's rights, and a huge advocate for her sons in a time when the aristocracy sent their sons off to sometimes brutal boarding schools.

I couldn't put this book down; I learned so much about this wonderful inspirational woman who did so much more than give birth to Winston Churchill. The author has done an amazing job researching this highly complex woman and bringing her to life for all of us. Don't miss "That Churchill Woman"!

Winston Churhill’s mother is the focus on this fictional account of life in This fascinating fictional account focuses on Winston Churchill's mother, an American heiress Jenny Jerome. While volumes have been written about Churchill, most modern readers know little about his mother’s unconventional and closely watched life. She certainly will never win mother of the year honors but Jenny did seem to come through when needed to support young Winston. While the descriptions of late 19th and early 20th fashion got a little tedious at times, the book is well researched. Historical fiction fans will appreciate the detail and insights. I love learning about strong women and their lives in historical context and this book delivered for me.

Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

May be some spoilers

July 2 1921

Margot and her step daughter violet are discussing jennie ,lady Randolph churchill.stating that jennie was not faithful to her husband but that it’s loyalty that matters.Jennie is an American that married a British man and had a son named Winston churchill.It’s said that jennie slept with anyone that asked. Thhat she wasn’t thought cheap only because she was a lady.jennie did not pay much attention to Winston when he was younger only when he was older and interested in her.lady jennie at this point is dead.violet always adored winston and was depressed he married.Was jeannie smart or frivolous ? A whore or equal to the men she slept with.



1883

Women gasp and men admire her figure as she steps into the room in the latest fashion.men fight over who is taking jeannie to dinner.jennie is drawn to count kinsky.1873

Lord Randolph is seducing jennie. Lord Randolph kissed jennie before declaring marry me after 3 days . Jennie was never one to love lightly.jennie goes riding with count kinsky.jeannie says to tame a animal you mount and lord kinsky lips twitch at deeper meaning.jennie is a piano player. Jennie takes lovers for years with lord Randolphs blessing. Her one rule was love was never allowed.jennie has two sons jack k and winston.jennie sometimes goes over lord Randolph speechs.shows jack and winston from nursery to grown. I liked jennie despite all her wrong doings.



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