Lady Clementine

Marie Benedict is a master of historical fiction. Lady Clementine is every bit as wonderful and interesting as her previous novel, The Only Woman in the Room. Benedict has a gift for taking these women that we know from history and making them come alive — their struggles, their heartbreaks, their loves and joys. Lady Clementine focuses on Winston Churchill’s wife, a woman of strength and power. Benedict’s novels remind us of the women who came before us; their hearts and spirits teach us and remain with us.

I was immediately drawn into the life of Clementine Churchill. Benedict writes with a refreshing frankness and skillfully shows the many empowered roles Clementine held — running households that were a whirlwind of activity, as a political and tactical advisor, and as a stateswoman and a speech writer. Full of great historical fiction, a thoughtful exploration of parenting guilt, and moments of self-doubt and overwhelming stress. Clemmie was much more than a backdrop to Winston.