A big thank you to netgalley and Sourcebooks for the eARC!!

I loved hearing about Clementine Churchill and her resolve to make history rather than be a shadow standing by her husband’s side. I was pulled in right away and interested to learn more about her as the only thing I knew was that she was married to Winston Churchill. I enjoyed learning about her and seeing her as a pioneer of being a political wife. Rather than stay silent at dinner parties, she engaged in political debates with the men which was unheard of for women as it was considered unladylike at the time..

The novel also shows the darker side of their marriage and Winston. He’s normally seen as this conquering giant due to his prime ministership during WWII, but I really like how the author acknowledges how problematic Churchill actually was with some of his views.

Writing reminds of classical British literature like Charlotte Brontë. I did get a little frustrated with some of the language and use of big words like “lasciviousness” but maybe I’m just stupid

She’s a strong, complex, progressive woman who I’ve come to admire very much through this fictionalized story of her adult life. It was a great first book of the decade and I look forward to learning more about her in the future..

Of course I have heard of Winston Churchill, but I don’t think I have ever heard of his wife till I read Lady Clementine. Clementine Churchill was very influential in Winston’s career and the victory of WWII. I enjoyed learning more about the history of Churchill and the time period. Though I did find some chapters pretty lengthy and overly detailed for my liking.
Thank you to NetGalley for this arc digital copy.

“Strange how I thrive under the stress of crisis and falter under the weight of normal existence.”

In Lady Clementine, we get the fictionalized autobiography of Clementine Churchill. Clementine was the better half of Winston Churchill, the deeply flawed hero who was largely responsible for the Allied victory in World War II.

The second half of the book is just World War II. It moved quickly. Unfortunately the first half of the book, while interesting, was so chock full of detail that it was a bit of a slog. I don’t know any way around it—hard to convey a life story if you just skip to the good part.

Clementine lived in the wrong era. She wanted more than to keep house and take care of her family (not that there’s anything wrong with that; it was more than a full time job like it is today). When they initially met, Clementine didn’t recognize Winston when he sat next to her. Yet his familiar face she couldn’t place impressed her when he saw her as an intelligent, independent woman—and valued that in her.

Winston does not come off very favorably in this novel. He’s selfish, self-absorbed, narcissistic or just plain unbearable. It’s hard to know how she put up with him for several decades; personally I don’t know how I would have reacted in this time period, but it’s hard to imagine falling in love with someone with such poor social-emotional skills, let alone lasting 56 fricking years. In her shoes, I wouldn’t have lasted a month and we’d all be speaking German right now. She was that critical to his success. Clementine was a world treasure.

I can’t say I ever cheer for infidelity with the exception of this book when I was praying Clementine took a lover. A basic Internet search (I must have Googled 15 different things discussed in this book) revealed they were devoted to each other with one exception on each side, neither affair considered likely.

Clementine puts Winston above everything, including herself. One of the worst parts in the book, undoubtedly true, is when her son states as fact that she puts her husband before her kids.

The big issue about Winston in the past 5-10 years in historical circles has been his awful record wrt India. This book does have a mention of that—Clemmie didn’t agree with him. In fact, she doesn’t concur with several of his more odious views. She was a lifelong liberal and he mostly conservative. Yet she still helps him to achieve greater and greater success, not just by working with him on his lisp or speeches, but even in strategizing how to pitch ideas to those with the power to make them happen. She helps to keep conversation flowing when he monopolizes the conversation and forgives him when he gets grumpy and yells at her. Basically, she’s a saint.

In WWII, Clementine took on a huge role, working to make sure air raid shelters were safe and getting women involved in war efforts by making sure they were given the opportunity to fill jobs like anti-aircraft gunners, decoders, mechanics and many other obvious occupations.

I knew a lot about Winston before reading Lady Clementine because I have a passion for WWII books and movies. However, I didn’t have a sense for how absolutely annoying he was as a human until this read. It was an important look at Winston’s partner and ballast.

The free world owes Clementine Churchill a huge thank you. Without her influence and support, Winston Churchill would not have been so politically savvy nor would he have had the resolve and staying power needed to hold off the German forces and their allies in both of the great wars of the 20th century. Marie Benedict has shown us a portrait of Clementine that shows us her struggles and her strengths. I would heartily recommend it for book groups as there is much to discuss regarding parenting, marriage, women's rights, and the perils of wartime.

Thank you to Sourcebooks and NetGalley for a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley for my ARC. Fascinating story of Clementine Churchill. Many people praise Winston for his talents but don’t know that his wife played a major part. She helped write, practice and support all of his speeches. She worked with Red Cross to create safe anti raid shelters and find help for people that have lost their homes. All the while, creating a family. Great read!

Eleanor Roosevelt has captured the attention and imagination of post-war writers, but Clementine Churchill’s role in her husbands phenomenal career has not had nearly the attention that it deserves. Marie Benedict captures the spirit of her time, and perhaps of her character in this fictionalized biography. Told in Churchill’s formal, and slightly stilted voice, we learn of her accomplishments, and her profound self-doubts as she navigates the roles of wife, mother and significant political advisor to Winston Churchill.

Lady Clementine is a fascinating and moving historical novel.

Lady Clementine by Marie Benedict is a wonderful and complex novel about a wonderful and complex woman. The book was interesting and full of historical facts that will be of interest to fiction and nonfiction readers alike. I will be recommending this book to all of my friends.

Marie Benedict is one of my favorite authors. She makes it fun to learn a bit of history. Here, Benedict focuses on Lady Clementine Churchill, Winston’s better half for 56 years. It was love at first sight for Clementine and Winston, each similarly raised by unaffectionate and often absent mothers, who’d married after knowing each other for only five short months; she at 23 and he 34 years old. This portrait of a smart, ambitious, non-conforming woman behind the man was fascinating and extremely well done. I admired Clementine’s strength and her dedication to Churchill’s mountain of demands. Sadly, the many demands of being his wife took a toll on her relationship with her children. Her mothering was sadly lacking and would come to have heartbreaking consequences.

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for a digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

Description
From Marie Benedict, the New York Times bestselling author of The Only Woman in the Room! An incredible novel that focuses on one of the people who had the most influence during World War I and World War II: Clementine Churchill.

In 1909, Clementine steps off a train with her new husband, Winston. An angry woman emerges from the crowd to attack, shoving him in the direction of an oncoming train. Just before he stumbles, Clementine grabs him by his suit jacket. This will not be the last time Clementine Churchill will save her husband.

Lady Clementine is the ferocious story of the ambitious woman beside Winston Churchill, the story of a partner who did not flinch through the sweeping darkness of war, and who would not surrender either to expectations or to enemies.

It was an interesting book, and anyone who loves historical fiction that involves strong women, I think will absolutely enjoy reading about Lady Clementine. This book was well written and artfully crafted to showcase how the Lady behind Winston Churchill stood in an era where women were not heard and were expected to be on the sidelines.

I really loved this book. The author focused on Clementine Churchill for the novel and I enjoyed seeing her perspective in a historical fiction novel. It spans multiple decades which adds to the story. I cannot wait to read more from this author.

In 1908, Clementine Hozier married Winston Churchill and from that day forward "Cat" and "Pug" aka Clementine and Winston worked together to further his career. As always I read historical fiction as it's a painless way to learn a bit about history. Author Marie Benedict's Lady Clementine sheds light on how the inner workings of the upper class functioned during the end of the Victorian age and the beginning of the Edwardian age. I learned how the Churchill's had to exist on a modest income while keeping up appearances in high society. I also learned of how the Churchill's dealt with the loss of their child Marigold --- and the guilt felt by Clementine after her young daughter died from septicemia.

Overall, Lady Clementine is an excellent book and worth reading if you would like to learn a bit of painless history.

Recommend.

Review written after downloading a galley from NetGalley.

How much do you know about Winston Churchill's wife Clementine? Benedict has written a well researched and intriguing novel based on her life, beginning in 1908 with their courtship and ending just after WWII. Clementine was not the power behind Churchill but she certainly knew her own mind and was not afraid to speak it. And, she was a valid contributor to his thinking and speaking. This gives insight, not in particular depth, into their imagined life together, including their family issues. I'm a fan of Benedict, who brings women we've generally known little about to life. The sections on WWII were fascinating- even if you are well versed in the period, this comes at it from a different (albeit fictional) perspective. You'll learn something AND you might find yourself doing a bit more research. Thanks to Netgalley for the ArC. Good historical fiction.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of Lady Clementine. It took me a while to read and I almost gave up at one point but so glad I picked it back up and finished! It was an excellent book, my issue was that I am not sure how I feel about Clementine-I was finding myself disliking her towards the middle and that was why I put the book down for a while. What a complex character she was and one definitely a product of her times. I will be doing some research about her now. Thank you Marie Benedict for this story!

This is my first Marie Benedict novel but, I can tell you, it won't be my last. This historical fiction tells the story of Clementine Churchill, Winston Churchill's wife, as they maneuver life leading up to WWI and WWII. What I loved so much about this book is that she highlighted the contributions of Clementine independent of her husbands contributions. It is amazing how much in the book is actually true and how little history reflects that.

The spotlight placed on Clementine shows just how much women through history have influenced events, even if history leaves them out. I really felt drawn to this character because I feel like lots of women think as she does but don't talk about it. I thought the prose in the novel was beautiful. The writing was extremely poetic and helped to enunciate the point of the novel. Also, I loved how the timeline jumped. It helped the reader to see the progression of their lives over time.

I loved this novel. I loved how Benedict showcases the contributions of women to history in her novels. It makes me want to do my own research and learn more about that part of history for myself. I felt all the feelings in this book. I cried, I felt despair, I hoped, I laughed, and, most of all, I learned. Novels like this are what help to elevate a genre from the traditional tropes and I feel like this one hit the nail on the head. Well done. Fans of historical fiction will absolutely love this novel!!!

Marie Benedict’s latest novel focuses on the often overlooked Lady Clementine Churchill, wife of Sir Winston Churchill. Having enjoyed Benedict’s previous novel, The Only Woman in the Room, I looked forward to the opportunity to read and review this novel too. The novel opens to Clementine’s life with her mother and siblings. Despite their aristocratic background, the family is poor and Clementine works for a living. Thanks to a relative, she is sponsored into society and meets Winston. The novel then progresses into their early years of marriage, including Clementine’s role as first lady of the Admiralty during World War I and the struggles that entailed. The novel then moves onward to cover their lives when Winston was out of public office, during the rise of Germany, and World War II and after.

Two themes run strong in the novel. First, Clementine is Winston’s sounding board. He relies on her not only for support, but to help proofread speeches and to attend political events where she is often the only female present and her opinion is respected by all present. While Clementine does her best to support Winston and even goes beyond the typical prime minister’s wife role to help the civilians in World War II (touring bomb shelters, visiting factories, serving as a fire warden, etc.), at times this also affects her nerves. Second, is Clementine’s connections to her other family members. She feels deeply attached to her siblings and youngest daughter, Mary, in addition to her husband. However, her relationship is more distant with her older three children, (Diana, Randolph, and Sarah). This directly affects some of her decisions.

I enjoyed this insight into the life of Clementine. Often, her role in politics is overshadowed by that of her husband and this helps to remedy that. However, I have not read a standalone biography of Clementine yet, so I cannot fully attest to how accurate parts of her personal life were depicted. Still, all biographies I have read on Winston paint Clementine as his primary supporter and as a strong woman, which Benedict does show. I especially like how the novel started before Clementine and Winston met as it shows the foundation Clementine had to start her life as those lessons helped her on her path in life.

Can I just start off by saying that I love what Marie Benedict does? I love that she picks out women from history and gives them a story that is often overshadowed by others. Lady Clementine is a gorgeous story of Winston Churchill’s wife and all the amazing work she did and how she gracefully dealt with having a husband like Winston. I had no clue that she did so much to help in the wars, and that she was so brave. To be honest, I hadn’t really thought about her much! I highly recommend!

Author Marie Benedict gives the reader another overlooked lady of history with Lady Clementine, best known to many as the wife of Winston Churchill. Their marriage was a true partnership with Clementine helping her husband weather many a political storm even before he became Prime Minister.

With her assistance, Winston was encouraged to make major social changes such as support for the women's suffragette movement as well as crafting many of the speeches he gave to rally support from the government and the people.

However, balancing her family life with working with Winston was a real challenge, particularly as WWII loomed ever closer. Nonetheless, she persisted for the betterment of all. This engaging novel ought to be an enlightening surprise to those who think of Winston Churchill as a one man show-rather, he was the more prominent face of a dynamic duo that worked together to save the world.

I absolutely loved Marie Benedict’s previous books so I was excited to begin this story. Marie is once again to be commended for bringing to our attention the fictional lives of very real women who made valuable contributions to society. This book is a realistic fictional retelling of the life of Winston Churchill’s wife, Clementine.

‘Political wives are seldom seen and rarely heard ... But I long for a more substantial part than my predecessors and contemporaries have modeled, and Winston encourages me—no, demands—that I assume a significant mantle, no matter how unusual.’

Clementine Churchill was obviously a fascinating woman based upon the amount of research that has gone into this book. If even half of what is written is to be believed, Clementine was far more than just a wife to one of England’s all time most powerful men. Wife, mother, confidante and if she had anything to do with it, a far greater contributor to the fate of many that any history book records.

‘I know that they will see Winston’s hand on the pen that scribes history. But, I wonder, will they see that my hand has also been on the pen all along?’

Like Marie’s other novels, this is a compelling look at not only Winston and Clementine’s personal lives but also their very public one - there is much going on here - so much so that large jumps in time take place. This I felt was detrimental to the depth of the story and also providing a strong affinity with the main characters - overload on facts and less emotion were present due to the approach in writing. Whereas in previous books I felt Marie got the balance right, this one is a little off. At times filled with much war/political tactics it can become a bit repetitive and monotonous. Also, I did not particularly like Clementine - strong willed and forceful (at the neglect of her children) but I tired of reading her constant justifications of actions. Perhaps a sign of women of that era needing to prove herself, but did not make for good reading.

Marie presents the very best and worst of Clementine, leaving the reader to draw their own conclusions. Undoubtedly a women who, much like the other women Marie has selected, deserves far more credit than she is given. All up, a fascinating account of another remarkable woman whose contributions and part played in the history of the time deserves recognition.

‘My dispositive decision was and had always been Winston, and the expansive, unorthodox life I’ve shared with him was the exact one I was meant to experience.’





This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher and provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

Everyone has heard of Winston Churchill and knows the vital role he played in the allies' victory over the Axis Powers in World War II. This book is the story of Clementine Churchill, the woman behind the powerful man. The beautifully written novel makes it clear that Clementine was a fascinating historical character in her own right; an intelligent and independent woman who refused to take a backseat to her famously overbearing husband. Clementine deftly juggled the demands of her husband and family, as well as took on many important wartime projects that were vital to success over the Nazis and for the well-being and morale of the British people.

Though this novel is classified as historical fiction, I found it to be very educational as well as entertaining. Marie Benedict's portrayal of Mrs. Churchill made her relatable and she came alive from the pages. I love all of this author's novels about strong women, and this one is definitely no exception.

Thank you NetGalley for an early copy of Lady Clementine, in exchange for an honest review

Marie Benedict returns with another historical heroine and this time it is Lady Clementine Churchill, Winston Churchill's wife and confidant. The novel chronicles Clementine's life with Winston as they married young, raised a family, road the wave of his rise and falls politically and traversed two world wars. The whole while Clementine played an integral part in his political decisions helped him write and catered to the world leaders. While acting as the prime ministers wife she successfully took on social matters during the war, like the conditions of the bomb shelters.

Benedict has tackled another female hero of our history and brought her story to life. She delved into the emotional upheaval Clementine faced with Winston's notorious mood swings and her own mixed feelings on motherhood. Benedict is a great story teller and I enjoyed this novel as much as I have her other works. I highly recommend this to fans of historical fiction or female involvements in WWII.