The Mitford Affair tells the story of three sisters—Nancy, Diana, and Unity Mitford. Nancy watches in horror as her sisters, Diana and Unity, become enthralled with fascism. Diana divorces her husband to marry a fascist leader. Unity leaves England and moves to Germany to become a follower of Adolf Hitler. Nancy must make a devastating choice on whether to turn in her sisters for treason to the English government.

Nancy was the only likable main character in this book. She is loyal to her country, but she also loves her family. It is because of her love for sisters that she hesitates to report Diana’s and Unity’s treasonous actions. I found her to be the most fascinating character. Thus, I wished that this book would solely focus on her instead of Diana and Unity.

Diana and Unity were repulsive characters. They were selfish and unsympathetic. I also hated how they drooled over fascist leaders, especially Adolf Hitler. Their devotion to Oswald Mosley and Adolf Hitler was very disgusting and made me uncomfortable. Thus, it would have been more enjoyable if Diana and Unity were not the main characters.

Overall, this novel is about treason, loyalty, and sisterhood. I found all of the characters to be flat. Even though this was a short read, it was very disturbing. I did not like how two of the main characters were in love with fascism. The writing in this novel was very choppy and was not filled with vivid imagery. I did like how the author underwent exhaustive research for this novel. Still, The Mitford Affair was a disappointment. I recommend this novel if you are fans of the Mitford sisters. However, I advise you to skip this book and read Marie Benedict’s previous novels instead. Her previous works are more satisfying than The Mitford Affair.

My thanks to Net Galley and Sourcebooks Landmark for an advanced copy of this e-book.

An interesting, if not uncomfortable, look into the Mitford sisters lives as WWII was approaching. In a family of 7 children, 6 girls and one boy, they were raised in an aristocratic English family. The oldest, Nancy, was an author. Sisters Diana and Unity, #4 & #5, were the "radicals" of the time. Diana was a fascist and aligned herself with Mussolini. Unity was a Communist who aligned herself with Hitler. It was hard to tell if Unity really believed in Communism or was just in adulation of the man, Adolf Hitler. The story is told from these three sisters viewpoints. As tensions build and the war is ominous, Germany having taken over Austria, the sisters believe Britain with align with Germany. Their cousin Winston Churchill tried to warn the women, but war was declared and Britain and Germany were now enemies. A dark and uncomfortable story is told so well by Marie Benedict about lives of these sisters and the horrors that played out.

I really wanted to love this book more. Unfortunately it fell flat for me. The premise is beautiful. The pacing was a little disjointed and I lost interest part way through, the ending was pretty good though and gained more momentum. That said, I have seen some other great reviews for this, so definitely give it a go. I would be keen to read more form this author in the future.

May thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a #gifted ALC

A character driven novel, that beautifully describes Britain between WWI and WWII Would absolutely recommend.

Marie Benedict has done it again. This time, she has made the Mitford Sisters come alive. Born into a British aristocratic family and learning about their lives at the outset of World War II was fascinating.
World War II history buffs will be transfixed by the sisters' allegiances and interests. It's hard to believe what went on in their lives. Thanks to the exceptional writing, it's impossible not to be caught up with it all, even though it seems like it couldn't really be.
As always, I can't wait for her next book, where fascinating women's lives are dissected and laid open to discussion.

An epic novel for fans of World War 2 and British politics. It explores the relationships between a group of sisters, while they navigate love, relationships, society, and politics. Fascism and communism. Nazi Germany and Winston Churchill.

Well written and full of detail. Definitely an education on Fascism in Britain at the time.

I love reading about the fascinating Mitford sisters. Benedict's books are popular at my library. I purchased this book last week and it already has 8 holds on it!

I really don’t understand the fascination with the Mitford women. I found none of them likable. This book doesn’t stick out from all the others written about Nancy Mitford in the last three years.

I received an advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

I loved the sisters in this novel and how they brought different perspectives to the war. The book made me think “what would I have done?”, which is a sign of a good historical fiction novel. Loved the characters, the writing is flawless, and the history is fascinating! A must read!

I've read many WWII novels but this is the first with characters that are sympathetic/friendly/perhaps romantic even with Hitler and I found that to be really interesting (mindblowing) to say the least. I enjoyed that this was based on true events and I also love a book with alternating perspectives to drive the plot and timeline. The writing was relatable and easy to follow. Recommend ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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

The Mitford sisters were the "IT" socialites prior to WWII with drama, intrigue, fame, money and scandal. The novel revolves around three of the sisters: Diana who shocked the English world when she divorced her Guinness heir husband to pursue a married fascist leader running the BUF party. Nancy is a novelist who straddles the family diverse political lines. Scandalous and eccentric, Unity, who has moved to Germany to immerse herself in NAZI culture and pursue her love of their rising leader, Adolf Hitler. Diana and Unity use their budding friendship with the monstrous leader to propel their own political ambitions and are convinced Germany invading England would be for the best. Nancy tries to balance the scales by using her writing skills to publish satires denouncing her family's political ties, and providing secret information to their cousin Winston Churchill.

Let me begin by saying the subject matter in this novel is very hard to stomach with the love and esteem that the characters show to the horrendous evil Hitler. Regardless, Benedict has presented another outstanding character driven historical fiction. Because of their beliefs the characters are hard to want to understand but they are well developed and make the story all the more interesting. I think Benedict does a good job of portraying these extremely flawed and ultimately harmful people. They were not my favorite people but this is a great novel. I love her writing style combining interesting facts and a balance of fiction to intriguing women from history. I have read a number of her other novels and look forward to many more.

This story is an fictionalized account of the Mitford sisters and their activities leading to World War II. Their dabbling and embracement of fascism, communism, and Nazism are laid out in alternative chapters. This story is nice, as the plot centers on actual events, with well known characters. The writer does well to involve the reader in the activities of the sisters, with imagined dialogue a particular positive aspect of the story. This book would be a good choice for a book club selection.

First line: The mellifluous sounds of the symphony float throughout the ballroom.

Summary: The years between the world wars is filled with glamour for the fabulous Mitford sisters. They are the talk of society with their marriages, wit and beauty. However, with the rise of fascism the sisters are pulled into the growing movement. Diana leaves her husband for a relationship for the British fascist leader, Lord Mosley. Unity leaves for Germany to be closer to her idol, Adolf Hitler. And Nancy sees the changing world and writes it down in her novels while watching her sisters change along with it. As war looms Nancy is worried that her sisters involvement in politics will have dire consequences for them and the whole Mitford family.

My Thoughts: Having only recently heard of the Mitford sisters, I knew I needed to read Benedict’s newest historical novel. The plot is told through three of the sisters; Nancy, Diana and Unity. Each led interesting lives and played an important part in the inter-war years. It is easy to assume that only countries like Germany and Italy had fascist groups but to discover that there was a strong movement in England as well was shocking.

The narration I found most interesting was Unity. She was young, headstrong and an extreme follower of fascism and Adolf Hitler. With hindsight it is easy to be disgusted with her behavior but the author does a good job of showing how Unity was easily swayed by Hitler’s charm and power. And she was allowed and encouraged by members of her family to pursue this obsession.

This novel of the Mitford’s shows how ideologies can divide families. The sisters were close but as they grow throughout the novel there is an ever widening gap between them. The world was changing drastically and Benedict perfectly showcased the Europe’s struggles through this family. I would highly recommend this to fans of World War II fiction as well as fans of Downton Abbey.

The six Mitford Sisters, each lovely and talented, are young British debutantes during the time period leading up to World War 2. When sister Diana scandalously divorces her husband for a fascist leader, she also influences her younger sister Unity to follow in her footsteps. This leads the impressionable Unity to Munich and a close friendship with the up and rising leader, Adolf Hitler. When sister Nancy learns of this, she takes to writing satire about the time at hand. She is forced to make decisions to expose her sister's treason and hopefully stop the Nazis from taking over Great Britain. Based on a real family, the Mitfords, this book is sure to enthrall the historical fiction reader.

A must-read for historical fiction fans. The period detail during the World War and the Mitford family intrigue is blended in a stunning work.

Marie Benedict brings us another historical fiction novel, The Mitford Affair. It tells the story of the Mitfords, an English aristocratic family, in the years leading up to and including the early years of World War II, 1932 to 1941. There were seven siblings, six girls and one boy, all born within the first two decades of the 20th century. The novel focuses on three of the sisters (Nancy, Diana, and Unity) and chapters alternate between their different points of view. Diana and Unity, fully embrace fascism and Nazism. Diana does everything in her power to advance the cause of the British Union of Fascists and its leader, Sir Oswald Moseley, who later becomes her husband. Unity idolizes Hitler and stalks him in Germany until he takes notice of her. Unity and Diana become close friends with Hitler. Nancy, the eldest, does not share her sisters’ political views. As the outbreak of war becomes imminent and Nancy realizes the dangerous path her sisters traverse, she fears for her family and for her country.

I did not know anything about the Mitfords before reading this novel. Also, I did not know anything about the British Union of Fascists nor the fact that there were British people who actually supported Hitler. Having read many historical fiction novels that take place during World War II, this was completely new to me and I was fascinated and horrified with the story of the Mitford family.

This is a well-written and well-researched historical fiction novel. In the beginning, I had trouble keeping all the characters straight. There were many and several had nicknames. This was through no fault of the author since the Mitfords’ use of nicknames was historically accurate. As the novel progressed, it became easier to sort out who was who. This novel kept my interest from beginning to end and I could not put it down. When I reached its conclusion, I wanted to know what happened to the sisters. I wish Benedict would have included a brief note at the end of the book telling the reader how their lives turned out.

I thoroughly recommend The Mitford Affair by Marie Benedict. It is a fascinating read and a great candidate for book discussions.

Thank you to Netgalley and to the publisher for providing me with an advanced review copy in exchange for my honest review.

David Freeman-Mitford, 2nd Baron Redesdale, and his wife Sydney had seven children, one son & six daughters. Part of the British aristocracy, and related to Winston Churchill’s wife Clementine, the family had lost a significant amount of money during the post-WW1 years so the children knew that their lives would be somewhat different to that of a traditional debutante/aristocrat and that they would have to find their own place in a fast-changing world. With distinctive personalities, each of the Mitford children became “famous” in their own way and this book reimagines the life of the Mitford siblings, giving us a glimpse into the complicated, fascinating, and intense world that they were growing up in, and the choices they made.
The story primarily centres round Nancy, Diana and Unity, with their younger sister Jessica coming in towards the end. The chapters alternate their stories/points of view which helps the reader to keep track of what was happening to each member of the family, but also to see how actions and activities linked together. Diana, Unity & Jessica had very strong, and opposing, political views.
• Diana was the “pretty” sister, who attracted interest wherever she went. She has fascist ideas, and became obsessed with the leader of the British Fascist party, Oswald Moseley. She caused scandal when she divorced her “suitable” husband to be with Moseley. She was keen to learn more about the politics of Nazi Germany in order to advance her husband’s career & believed that England could benefit from adopting some of Hitler’s ideas – she was not averse to the idea of Germany invasion.
• Jessica was the second youngest sister, and a communist. She was passionate about supporting those who were oppressed and eloped with her 2nd cousin Esmond Romilly to serve in the press corps in the Spanish Civil War.
• From an early age, Unity had been the odd-one-out in the family. Tall, angular & not conventionally pretty, she was an ardent Nazi, obsessed with Hitler and his policies. She moved to Munich to study German and became close to some of the leading Nazi party members and eventually Hitler. Her acceptance into the highest echelons of the Nazi party gave her the status and recognition she craved. There were a number of rumours that she was Hitler’s mistress!
• Nancy was the oldest sister, and the only family member who seemed to question some of her sisters’ ideas. She was a writer and wrote novels with characters that bore startling resemblances to her sisters. She is depicted as taking some significant risks to help end the war as well as to maintain contact/build bridges with her siblings when they were ostracised by the family.
The book is very character driven, with each sister having unique and interesting characteristics and their individual chapters allow them to explain their thoughts & motivations. Threading through the political differences are divided loyalties, sibling rivalries, betrayals, and an increasing dilemma between family or country.
We must remember that in the 1930s, WW1 was still fresh in everyone’s mind and there was a desire for change. Adolf Hitler had pulled his country back from the devastation of WW1, and some of his ideas were attractive, especially to the young.
I liked the way that the author didn’t shy away from making Hitler a significant character with some redeeming qualities. Much evidence, and the reactions from people like Diana & Unity, suggests that he was a good host, an interesting conversationalist and generally had a quiet, reserved, artistic character. Unfortunately, his extreme ideas led to some of the most devastating actions in European history.
The author brings history to life in an accessible way and does a good job in capturing the essence of the era, from the glamorous aristocratic life to the reality of being part of a family who were being torn apart by conflicting political views. Everything is very plausible!

What didn’t work so well for me.
I already knew quite a lot about the Mitford Sisters & was a little disappointed that there wasn’t more “new” content. I felt that the book stayed quite safe. I was also a little disappointed that there was very little in the book about some of the other siblings & would have liked to hear Deborah’s thoughts as a teenager growing up in the shadow of her infamous sisters, and also Tom who also seemed to support British fascism. He served in WW2 and was posted to Burma after he refused to serve in Europe (or perhaps was seen as too much of a threat with his sister’s closeness to Hitler).

Recommendation
The book does make you think about how young people in the 1930s were influenced by the desire for change and the ideals they saw in the growing fascist & communist movements. Young people today are still experiencing desire for change and similar influences, albeit from different sources.
I would definitely recommend this to anyone who enjoys historical fiction or has an interest in the UK interwar period. I think it would make a great bookclub read as there is a lot to discuss.

Thank you, NetGalley, for an e-ARC of The Mitford Affair by Marie Benedict.
I am a huge fan of Marie Benedict and although I was unfamiliar with the Mitford sisters, I was excited to read her newest novel. Unfortunately, this book did not work for me. It was interesting to learn about the Mitford family's involvement in political events of the 1930s, but for me the book lacked substance and moved too slowly. The three sisters that the book focused on came off spoiled and condescending, which may be true to character but hard to rally behind. I will still recommend this book to Benedict fans; maybe it just wasn't right for me.

What an interesting read! I have heard vaguely about the Mitford sisters but it was so interesting to read a story focused on them and the part of history that they were in.

“…opening my sisters’ eyes to the fascist horror unfolding before them—-has had the opposite effect. It has driven them deeper and deeper into fascism and the men that embody it.”

The story of the Mitford sisters is a bizarre bit of history with which I was only peripherally aware. This book primarily focuses on three of the sisters: Nancy, the novelist, Diana the center of the London social scene, and Unity, the awkward sister, never quite fitting in with society, searching for her destiny. Their lives are hard to comprehend. Especially the lives of Diana and Unity with their obsession over men who are leaders of fascism. Their obsessions actually lead them to meet and form close ties with Hitler himself!

Even after reading this book, I find it hard to wrap my head around the fact that Diana and Unity built personal connections to Hitler. Unity’s blind obsession was particularly overwhelming to understand. And it was hard to read a book where Hitler is described in such a positive regard through their eyes. But the story was intriguing and kept me reading, sort of like a train wreck, where it’s hard to look away. The loyalties of each sister are questionable and Nancy is the only one with any measure of reality.

I didn’t love the writing style. I felt like I was being told what to think about all the time (tell versus show). And I would have liked an authors note explaining what happened to the sisters and their relationships afterwards. It did however make me want to learn more about this history, which is the value in a good historical fiction read.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!