That Churchill Woman [Book]

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Stephanie Barron (Jane and the Unpleasantness at Scargrave Manor, etc.) turns her able hand to biographical fiction in this absorbing volume that captures the life and charm of one of the American heiresses who crossed the Atlantic to catch a titled English husband in the late 19th century.

Lady Randolph Churchill, neé Jennie Jerome, was a wealthy and privileged American, her father’s indulged favorite, when she married the second son of a duke with a brilliant political career ahead of him. She went on to rise in aristocratic Victorian society, to the delight of some and horror of others, and give birth to future prime minister Winston Churchill, maintaining appearances as a society matron while living a modern and independent life of her own making, complete with passionate liaisons and artistic pursuits. She wrote speeches for her husband, entertained his parliament colleagues in her home, and parented his sons while he shaped England and traveled for his health after his political career ended.

Recommended for fans of Victorian England, Gilded Age New York, historical fiction populated with real people, and high society.