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That Churchill Woman
The Paris Wife meets PBS's Victoria in this enthralling novel of the life and loves of one of history's most remarkable women: Winston Churchill's scandalous American mother, Jennie Jerome.
Wealthy, privileged, and fiercely independent New Yorker Jennie Jerome took Victorian England by storm when she landed on its shores. As Lady Randolph Churchill, she gave birth to a man who defined the twentieth century: her son Winston. But Jennie--reared in the luxury of Gilded Age Newport and the Paris of the Second Empire--lived an outrageously modern life all her own, filled with controversy, passion, tragedy, and triumph.
When the nineteen-year-old beauty agrees to marry the son of a duke she has known only three days, she's instantly swept up in a whirlwind of British politics and the breathless social climbing of the Marlborough House Set, the reckless men who surround Bertie, Prince of Wales. Raised to think for herself and careless of English society rules, the new Lady Randolph Churchill quickly becomes a London sensation: adored by some, despised by others.
Artistically gifted and politically shrewd, she shapes her husband's rise in Parliament and her young son's difficult passage through boyhood. But as the family's influence soars, scandals explode and tragedy befalls the Churchills. Jennie is inescapably drawn to the brilliant and seductive Count Charles Kinsky--diplomat, skilled horse-racer, deeply passionate lover. Their impossible affair only intensifies as Randolph Churchill's sanity frays, and Jennie--a woman whose every move on the public stage is judged--must walk a tightrope between duty and desire. Forced to decide where her heart truly belongs, Jennie risks everything--even her son--and disrupts lives, including her own, on both sides of the Atlantic.
Breathing new life into Jennie's legacy and the gilded world over which she reigned, That Churchill Woman paints a portrait of the difficult--and sometimes impossible--balance between love, freedom, and obligation, while capturing the spirit of an unforgettable woman, one who altered the course of history.
Wealthy, privileged, and fiercely independent New Yorker Jennie Jerome took Victorian England by storm when she landed on its shores. As Lady Randolph Churchill, she gave birth to a man who defined the twentieth century: her son Winston. But Jennie--reared in the luxury of Gilded Age Newport and the Paris of the Second Empire--lived an outrageously modern life all her own, filled with controversy, passion, tragedy, and triumph.
When the nineteen-year-old beauty agrees to marry the son of a duke she has known only three days, she's instantly swept up in a whirlwind of British politics and the breathless social climbing of the Marlborough House Set, the reckless men who surround Bertie, Prince of Wales. Raised to think for herself and careless of English society rules, the new Lady Randolph Churchill quickly becomes a London sensation: adored by some, despised by others.
Artistically gifted and politically shrewd, she shapes her husband's rise in Parliament and her young son's difficult passage through boyhood. But as the family's influence soars, scandals explode and tragedy befalls the Churchills. Jennie is inescapably drawn to the brilliant and seductive Count Charles Kinsky--diplomat, skilled horse-racer, deeply passionate lover. Their impossible affair only intensifies as Randolph Churchill's sanity frays, and Jennie--a woman whose every move on the public stage is judged--must walk a tightrope between duty and desire. Forced to decide where her heart truly belongs, Jennie risks everything--even her son--and disrupts lives, including her own, on both sides of the Atlantic.
Breathing new life into Jennie's legacy and the gilded world over which she reigned, That Churchill Woman paints a portrait of the difficult--and sometimes impossible--balance between love, freedom, and obligation, while capturing the spirit of an unforgettable woman, one who altered the course of history.
400 pages, Hardcover
First published January 29, 2019
1266 people are currently reading
9215 people want to read
About the author
Stephanie Barron
37 books884 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Stephanie Barron was born Francine Stephanie Barron in Binghamton, NY in 1963, the last of six girls. Her father was a retired general in the Air Force, her mother a beautiful woman who loved to dance. The family spent their summers on Cape Cod, where two of the Barron girls now live with their families; Francine's passion for Nantucket and the New England shoreline dates from her earliest memories. She grew up in Washington, D.C., and attended Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School, a two hundred year-old Catholic school for girls that shares a wall with Georgetown University. Her father died of a heart attack during her freshman year.
In 1981, she started college at Princeton – one of the most formative experiences of her life. There she fenced for the club varsity team and learned to write news stories for The Daily Princetonian – a hobby that led to two part-time jobs as a journalist for The Miami Herald and The San Jose Mercury News. Francine majored in European History, studying Napoleonic France, and won an Arthur W. Mellon Foundation Fellowship in the Humanities in her senior year. But the course she remembers most vividly from her time at Princeton is "The Literature of Fact," taught by John McPhee, the Pulitzer Prize winning author and staff writer for The New Yorker. John influenced Francine's writing more than even she knows and certainly more than she is able to say. If there were an altar erected to the man in Colorado, she'd place offerings there daily. He's her personal god of craft.
Francine spent three years at Stanford pursuing a doctorate in history; she failed to write her dissertation (on the Brazilian Bar Association under authoritarianism; can you blame her?) and left with a Masters. She applied to the CIA, spent a year temping in Northern Virginia while the FBI asked inconvenient questions of everyone she had ever known, passed a polygraph test on her twenty-sixth birthday, and was immediately thrown into the Career Trainee program: Boot Camp for the Agency's Best and Brightest. Four years as an intelligence analyst at the CIA were profoundly fulfilling, the highlights being Francine's work on the Counterterrorism Center's investigation into the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103, over Lockerbie, Scotland, in 1988, and sleeping on a horsehair mattress in a Spectre-era casino in the middle of Bratislava. Another peak moment was her chance to debrief ex-President George Bush in Houston in 1993. But what she remembers most about the place are the extraordinary intelligence and dedication of most of the staff – many of them women – many of whom cannot be named.
She wrote her first book in 1992 and left the Agency a year later. Fifteen books have followed, along with sundry children, dogs, and houses. When she's not writing, she likes to ski, garden, needlepoint, and buy art. Her phone number is definitely unlisted.
Stephanie Barron was born Francine Stephanie Barron in Binghamton, NY in 1963, the last of six girls. Her father was a retired general in the Air Force, her mother a beautiful woman who loved to dance. The family spent their summers on Cape Cod, where two of the Barron girls now live with their families; Francine's passion for Nantucket and the New England shoreline dates from her earliest memories. She grew up in Washington, D.C., and attended Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School, a two hundred year-old Catholic school for girls that shares a wall with Georgetown University. Her father died of a heart attack during her freshman year.
In 1981, she started college at Princeton – one of the most formative experiences of her life. There she fenced for the club varsity team and learned to write news stories for The Daily Princetonian – a hobby that led to two part-time jobs as a journalist for The Miami Herald and The San Jose Mercury News. Francine majored in European History, studying Napoleonic France, and won an Arthur W. Mellon Foundation Fellowship in the Humanities in her senior year. But the course she remembers most vividly from her time at Princeton is "The Literature of Fact," taught by John McPhee, the Pulitzer Prize winning author and staff writer for The New Yorker. John influenced Francine's writing more than even she knows and certainly more than she is able to say. If there were an altar erected to the man in Colorado, she'd place offerings there daily. He's her personal god of craft.
Francine spent three years at Stanford pursuing a doctorate in history; she failed to write her dissertation (on the Brazilian Bar Association under authoritarianism; can you blame her?) and left with a Masters. She applied to the CIA, spent a year temping in Northern Virginia while the FBI asked inconvenient questions of everyone she had ever known, passed a polygraph test on her twenty-sixth birthday, and was immediately thrown into the Career Trainee program: Boot Camp for the Agency's Best and Brightest. Four years as an intelligence analyst at the CIA were profoundly fulfilling, the highlights being Francine's work on the Counterterrorism Center's investigation into the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103, over Lockerbie, Scotland, in 1988, and sleeping on a horsehair mattress in a Spectre-era casino in the middle of Bratislava. Another peak moment was her chance to debrief ex-President George Bush in Houston in 1993. But what she remembers most about the place are the extraordinary intelligence and dedication of most of the staff – many of them women – many of whom cannot be named.
She wrote her first book in 1992 and left the Agency a year later. Fifteen books have followed, along with sundry children, dogs, and houses. When she's not writing, she likes to ski, garden, needlepoint, and buy art. Her phone number is definitely unlisted.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 613 reviews
March 22, 2019
A soap opera telling of a women who is known for bearing Winston Churchill. Switching times, descriptions of the dissolute life of the upper classes, constant descriptions of clothing, there wasn't much depth. Just couldn't maintain interest, and I never felt connected to these characters. Though I did feel sympathy for the young Winston.
ARC from library thing.
ARC from library thing.
August 29, 2020
3.5 stars
I listened to this one as an audio. I have to say just how much I like Saskia Maarleveld's narration. She is very entertaining and her expressions and voices are exceptional. She is one of the reasons I chose this book on Audible.
This story started out a bit slow but I'm glad I stuck with it. Very interesting to read about the woman who helped her husband enter the folds of government and later helped shape the life of one of the most important men of the twentieth century. Jennie Jerome Churchill was a fascinating person. Born in a prominent American family and then marrying into an aristocratic British family. I especially enjoyed the storytelling about the young Winston Churchill.
Sometimes the timeline was hard to follow as it switched back and forth between Jennie's childhood and present time. I think this is why I am holding off giving it 4 stars. Regardless it is a nicely written piece of work. I just loved, loved, loved the ending line when the government official came to take back Randolph's governmental "robes." She said no she would not give them back. "I'm saving them for my son." And what a son he turned out to be!
I listened to this one as an audio. I have to say just how much I like Saskia Maarleveld's narration. She is very entertaining and her expressions and voices are exceptional. She is one of the reasons I chose this book on Audible.
This story started out a bit slow but I'm glad I stuck with it. Very interesting to read about the woman who helped her husband enter the folds of government and later helped shape the life of one of the most important men of the twentieth century. Jennie Jerome Churchill was a fascinating person. Born in a prominent American family and then marrying into an aristocratic British family. I especially enjoyed the storytelling about the young Winston Churchill.
Sometimes the timeline was hard to follow as it switched back and forth between Jennie's childhood and present time. I think this is why I am holding off giving it 4 stars. Regardless it is a nicely written piece of work. I just loved, loved, loved the ending line when the government official came to take back Randolph's governmental "robes." She said no she would not give them back. "I'm saving them for my son." And what a son he turned out to be!
December 31, 2018
Did you ever hear the saying that behind every great man stands a great woman? Have you ever wondered about a great man and the mother who raised him?
In the book, That Churchill Woman we meet the woman who was the mother of Winston Churchill, who of course would go onto great prominence as leader of England during World War 2.
Jennie Jerome was her name. She was a woman raised in luxury, having been born to an American family with influence and money. She arrives in England and to all accounts becomes a woman who is followed, written about, and admired though often spoken of disparagingly. She came to Victorian England so staid in their morals and convention and married Lord Randolph Churchill. The marriage, as presented in this book, was not a happy one for Randolph was seldom home and was a closeted homosexual.
However, Jennie makes her own way. Rumored to have had many encounters with other men, she is drawn to Count Charles Kinsky and falls deeply in love with him. However, Jennie well knows the "rules" of the times and even though she could divorce Randolph, she instead charts Randolph's rise in the environs of British politics and Parliament. She walks a narrow path of what her desires are and what the times dictate.
She was her own person, strong willed and willing to do what needed to be accomplished, even at the risk of losing the man she loved and the children she gave birth to. Jennie had an indomitable spirit and through her legacy, she was able to provide England, her adopted land with a man who would eventually lead them through the most trying time one could imagine.
Thank you to Stephanie Barron, Ballantine Books, and Net Galley for an advanced copy of this book due to be published on January 29, 2019.
My reviews can also be seen here: http://yayareadslotsofbooks.wordpress...
In the book, That Churchill Woman we meet the woman who was the mother of Winston Churchill, who of course would go onto great prominence as leader of England during World War 2.
Jennie Jerome was her name. She was a woman raised in luxury, having been born to an American family with influence and money. She arrives in England and to all accounts becomes a woman who is followed, written about, and admired though often spoken of disparagingly. She came to Victorian England so staid in their morals and convention and married Lord Randolph Churchill. The marriage, as presented in this book, was not a happy one for Randolph was seldom home and was a closeted homosexual.
However, Jennie makes her own way. Rumored to have had many encounters with other men, she is drawn to Count Charles Kinsky and falls deeply in love with him. However, Jennie well knows the "rules" of the times and even though she could divorce Randolph, she instead charts Randolph's rise in the environs of British politics and Parliament. She walks a narrow path of what her desires are and what the times dictate.
She was her own person, strong willed and willing to do what needed to be accomplished, even at the risk of losing the man she loved and the children she gave birth to. Jennie had an indomitable spirit and through her legacy, she was able to provide England, her adopted land with a man who would eventually lead them through the most trying time one could imagine.
Thank you to Stephanie Barron, Ballantine Books, and Net Galley for an advanced copy of this book due to be published on January 29, 2019.
My reviews can also be seen here: http://yayareadslotsofbooks.wordpress...
January 8, 2019
The story starts in 1883, England. Jennie Churchill is a guest at Sandringham estate, which belongs to Bertie, the Prince of Wales. There, she meets Count Charles Kinsky, a knight of the Holy Roman Empire. He becomes one of her many lovers.
The story alternates in time, including the time when she meets her husband and her childhood in NYC and Newport.
In 1873 on the Isle of Wight, a 19 year old Jennie Jerome meets Lord Randolph Spencer-Churchill, 24 years old, at the Regatta Week races. At their first conversation he already reveals the passion for history and says to stand for Parliament. She questions herself, if she comes across as too shallow. But what he sees is: “She radiates life; he finds her vitality mesmerizing.”
“The Duchess (Randolph’s mother) (…) mourned Randolph’s marriage to an American of no family. (…) whom she judged to be too showy, too opinionated, and far too much in the public eye.”
At present time, when Randolph visits his mother, Jennie gallops every day with Charles Kinsky.
When her older son catches pneumonia at boarding school, her visits are quick as she still has parties to attend. “Sick child or not, the dinner must go forward.”
Some parts are interesting, especially those including the structure of society and politics. But when it comes to the story of Jennie as a woman, mother, a human being, I didn’t find her story compelling. I didn't feel any connection with her character. Overall, the story is not consistently engrossing.
@FB/BestHistoricalFiction
The story alternates in time, including the time when she meets her husband and her childhood in NYC and Newport.
In 1873 on the Isle of Wight, a 19 year old Jennie Jerome meets Lord Randolph Spencer-Churchill, 24 years old, at the Regatta Week races. At their first conversation he already reveals the passion for history and says to stand for Parliament. She questions herself, if she comes across as too shallow. But what he sees is: “She radiates life; he finds her vitality mesmerizing.”
“The Duchess (Randolph’s mother) (…) mourned Randolph’s marriage to an American of no family. (…) whom she judged to be too showy, too opinionated, and far too much in the public eye.”
At present time, when Randolph visits his mother, Jennie gallops every day with Charles Kinsky.
When her older son catches pneumonia at boarding school, her visits are quick as she still has parties to attend. “Sick child or not, the dinner must go forward.”
Some parts are interesting, especially those including the structure of society and politics. But when it comes to the story of Jennie as a woman, mother, a human being, I didn’t find her story compelling. I didn't feel any connection with her character. Overall, the story is not consistently engrossing.
@FB/BestHistoricalFiction
September 10, 2022
A novel that pairs a favorite author with a fascinating subject? Yes, please! Having Millard's "Hero of the Empire" in mind made this book all the more compelling. Barron did extensive research and it shows in her treatment of the subject. Having glimpses of Jennie's childhood illuminated the choices she made in her adult life. It is so good to have another Stephanie Barron book to read! Would make a fine book group selection with much to discuss regarding women's rights, family dynamics, late 19th century politics and more.
Coming out on September 20 is a new book about Jennie Jerome: The American Adventuress.
Coming out on September 20 is a new book about Jennie Jerome: The American Adventuress.
November 14, 2021
Based on extensive research, author Stephanie Barron traces the life of Jennie Jerome, an American heiress who married Lord Randolph Churchill and was the mother of Winston Churchill.
As the wife of Randolph Churchill, Jennie became part of England’s aristocracy.
She also became a much needed advisor to her husband as he rose to prominence in Parliament. She was an intelligent, independent, and beautiful woman who sparked controversy among her peers.
Jennie’s magical life was challenged as Winston’s life was endangered when he contracted pneumonia and then when her husband’s health and sanity began to deteriorate as his death approached.
Throughout it all, Count Charles Kinsky stood by Jennie and their love was undeniable. But Jennie’s sense of loyalty and duty prevailed and she remained by her husband’s side.
The Gilded Age is brought to life in this novel. Secrets, liaisons, and jealousies are revealed as the pampered lives of aristocrats is portrayed. Anyone interested in this period of history would find this novel worth the read.
As the wife of Randolph Churchill, Jennie became part of England’s aristocracy.
She also became a much needed advisor to her husband as he rose to prominence in Parliament. She was an intelligent, independent, and beautiful woman who sparked controversy among her peers.
Jennie’s magical life was challenged as Winston’s life was endangered when he contracted pneumonia and then when her husband’s health and sanity began to deteriorate as his death approached.
Throughout it all, Count Charles Kinsky stood by Jennie and their love was undeniable. But Jennie’s sense of loyalty and duty prevailed and she remained by her husband’s side.
The Gilded Age is brought to life in this novel. Secrets, liaisons, and jealousies are revealed as the pampered lives of aristocrats is portrayed. Anyone interested in this period of history would find this novel worth the read.
February 5, 2022
On 15th of april 1874, at the British embassy in Paris Jeanette Jerome, daughter of a prosperous American financier, married Lord Randolph Churchill, the third son of the duke of Marlborough.
The couple will remain married until Lord Randolf’s death and will have two sons, the future Prime Minister Winston Churchill and his younger brother Jack.
Lady Randolf was an intelligent and charming woman and actively supported her husband in his political career. Some even say that she campaigned on his behalf. But the marriage was not happy, or not happy for long anyway, since Lord Randolf turned out to be a man with many secrets.
Jennie was known for both her independence and her beauty and is said to have had many prominent lovers during the time of her marriage, among them Prince Charles Kinsky the romance with whom is the central theme of this novel.
The intensity and importance of that relationship as shown in the book, is perhaps not entirely historically accurate, but together with the politics of the time and characters of both Jennie and Randolf and their relation to their children creates an interesting and engaging picture of the background in which their sons grew up.
I enjoyed this book a lot. Historical fiction at it’s best.
The couple will remain married until Lord Randolf’s death and will have two sons, the future Prime Minister Winston Churchill and his younger brother Jack.
Lady Randolf was an intelligent and charming woman and actively supported her husband in his political career. Some even say that she campaigned on his behalf. But the marriage was not happy, or not happy for long anyway, since Lord Randolf turned out to be a man with many secrets.
Jennie was known for both her independence and her beauty and is said to have had many prominent lovers during the time of her marriage, among them Prince Charles Kinsky the romance with whom is the central theme of this novel.
The intensity and importance of that relationship as shown in the book, is perhaps not entirely historically accurate, but together with the politics of the time and characters of both Jennie and Randolf and their relation to their children creates an interesting and engaging picture of the background in which their sons grew up.
I enjoyed this book a lot. Historical fiction at it’s best.
January 11, 2019
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!
READ THE REST OF THE REVIEW OVER AT FRESH FICTION!
January 28, 2019
This latest by Stephanie Barron features complex characters that although based on the real life of Jennie Spencer-Churchill, American heiress and mother of Winston Churchill, THAT CHURCHILL WOMAN is scintillating historical fiction. Wow—to have lived such a life! As with her same deft pen used in the Jane Austen Mystery series, Barron’s incomparable research is ever apparent and adds to the richness of her story.
After losing her sister Camille at a young age, having cheated death herself, Jennie Jerome grew into a forward thinking woman who lived a large life, “lived her best life” as we would say now, regretting little. Her father, Leonard Jerome, told her then, “The only way to fight death, Jennie, is to live. You’ve got to do it for two people now—yourself and Camille. Take every chance you get. Do everything she didn’t get to do. Live two lives in the space of one. I’ll back you to the hilt.”
As an American heiress, she dazzled the British aristocracy and other European elite—“I cannot be one of them, after all. Much better to be the best possible version of myself”—and for a time they loved her verve. Living by certain axioms of London Society such as “Sleep where you like, but be in your own bed by morning” served her well...until it didn’t. She was a keeper of secrets and knew how to manage the men in her life, especially her husband Lord Randolph Spencer-Churchill. Her longtime love affair with Austria’s Prince Karl (Charles) Kinsky reads like tantalizing fiction...that left me rather melancholy for the both of them.
Even the most astute historical fiction readers will be caught off guard by the provocative and engaging prose and insights of this surprisingly powerful and intriguing woman during a colorful era. THAT CHURCHILL WOMAN is not to be missed!
After losing her sister Camille at a young age, having cheated death herself, Jennie Jerome grew into a forward thinking woman who lived a large life, “lived her best life” as we would say now, regretting little. Her father, Leonard Jerome, told her then, “The only way to fight death, Jennie, is to live. You’ve got to do it for two people now—yourself and Camille. Take every chance you get. Do everything she didn’t get to do. Live two lives in the space of one. I’ll back you to the hilt.”
As an American heiress, she dazzled the British aristocracy and other European elite—“I cannot be one of them, after all. Much better to be the best possible version of myself”—and for a time they loved her verve. Living by certain axioms of London Society such as “Sleep where you like, but be in your own bed by morning” served her well...until it didn’t. She was a keeper of secrets and knew how to manage the men in her life, especially her husband Lord Randolph Spencer-Churchill. Her longtime love affair with Austria’s Prince Karl (Charles) Kinsky reads like tantalizing fiction...that left me rather melancholy for the both of them.
Even the most astute historical fiction readers will be caught off guard by the provocative and engaging prose and insights of this surprisingly powerful and intriguing woman during a colorful era. THAT CHURCHILL WOMAN is not to be missed!
July 2, 2019
That Churchill Woman was sadly a disappointing book. Jennie Churchill is not developed at all so I didn't care and I kept questioning everything. For example,we're told she's smart but nothing in the book actually makes us feel that. We're told she helped her husband's career, but we don't see much of how.
I kept wondering why the author wanted to write about her in the first place. She's portrayed as having done nothing but birth Winston Churchill (and barely play any part in his upbringing), stay in a loveless marriage because of duty, and have a love affair in which she made one incomprehensible decision after another.
Made no sense, didn't make me feel anything for anyone, and I learned nothing.
I kept wondering why the author wanted to write about her in the first place. She's portrayed as having done nothing but birth Winston Churchill (and barely play any part in his upbringing), stay in a loveless marriage because of duty, and have a love affair in which she made one incomprehensible decision after another.
Made no sense, didn't make me feel anything for anyone, and I learned nothing.
August 21, 2022
3.5 ⭐️
Jennie Jerome comes from a wealthy American family during the Gilded Age and it was very common for many women during the time period to travel to England to obtain an aristocratic husband. Except Jennie isn't your usual American wallflower. She's energetic, she's opinionated, she's independent, she's beautiful and she enjoys sex
This is a perfect book to read if you want to read about a woman that wouldn't let social rules define her life. Jennie Churchill is a fascinating woman and had a shrewd political mind that her son Winston Churchill must have inherited. Speaking of Winston, some chapters in the second part of the book is from Winston's point of view, which is a double-edged sword because he is so dominating; his life was so interesting even as a boy, that it takes the focus away from Jennie.
I also did quite a bit of research while reading this book that some of what is written in here is denied by some Churchill heirs.
Narration of this was 5⭐️
Jennie Jerome comes from a wealthy American family during the Gilded Age and it was very common for many women during the time period to travel to England to obtain an aristocratic husband. Except Jennie isn't your usual American wallflower. She's energetic, she's opinionated, she's independent, she's beautiful and she enjoys sex
This is a perfect book to read if you want to read about a woman that wouldn't let social rules define her life. Jennie Churchill is a fascinating woman and had a shrewd political mind that her son Winston Churchill must have inherited. Speaking of Winston, some chapters in the second part of the book is from Winston's point of view, which is a double-edged sword because he is so dominating; his life was so interesting even as a boy, that it takes the focus away from Jennie.
I also did quite a bit of research while reading this book that some of what is written in here is denied by some Churchill heirs.
Narration of this was 5⭐️
January 28, 2019
Beautiful, stylish and an accomplished musician, when American heiress Jennie Jerome married Lord Randolph Churchill she aligned her family with one of England’s most noble families. Producing an heir and a spare, her homelife was run by servants while she partied with aristocrats and royalty. Lady Randolph appeared to have it all, yet like other bright shining stars in society, such as Emma Hamilton, Marie Antoinette, or Jennie’s childhood friend Alva Vanderbilt, we soon discover “varnish and gilding hide many stains.”
Her husband Randolph, whom she accepted after a three-day courtship, and against her mother’s advice, has brought heavy baggage with him into the marriage. While she dutifully assists him in his career by re-writing his speeches for parliament, accompanying him to important social and political events, and entertaining royalty in their London home, his heedless actions and rash decisions cannot be offset by her social graces when he blunders and resigns his hard-earned government post in protest. As his career and health decline, Jennie is shocked to learn that he is a closeted homosexual and is seriously ill with syphilis, which will eventually rob him of his political aspirations and his life.
His follies and vices have set a bad tone for their relationship slashing a whole in Jennie’s happiness. To survive her loveless marriage, she escapes to country manor houses for long weekends with the Prince of Wales’ set were gossip, hunting, feasting, and bedroom hopping is de rigueur. In her heart, and in her bed, is the dashing Austrian Count Charles Kinsky, diplomat, prominent horseman and the future Prince of Wchinitz and Tettauis. He is the one man in her life that she truly loves. Sadly, their romance is doomed. A divorce from her husband would result in a scandal that no one of her class could rebounded from, and he must marry royalty.
Renowned by Jane Austen fans for her Being a Jane Austen Mystery Series, Stephanie Barron is also a best-selling author of thrillers as Francine Mathews (Jack 39, Too Bad to Die). That Churchill Woman, while resplendent with period detail and vivid characters, is as intricately plotted as one her mysteries or thrillers, cleverly moving between Jennie’s childhood and her present-day life, mirroring conflicts or recalling memories that help her through a crisis. What really resonated for me was Jennie herself. She was no saint, yet Barron shapes her choices with plausible instinct and solid reasoning.
Reading about Jennie’s wild gallop on horseback through the English countryside with Count Kinsky, I recalled the advice of her father on cheating death by living two lives in the space of one. She did. What I thought would be a novel about a scandalous Victorian socialite honors a strong, fierce woman who embraced life and love, celebrating the indomitable human spirit.
A remarkable achievement. Victorian Jennie Churchill is an inspiration for women today. Impassioned, brilliant and smashing. You will love her!
Laurel Ann, Austenprose
Her husband Randolph, whom she accepted after a three-day courtship, and against her mother’s advice, has brought heavy baggage with him into the marriage. While she dutifully assists him in his career by re-writing his speeches for parliament, accompanying him to important social and political events, and entertaining royalty in their London home, his heedless actions and rash decisions cannot be offset by her social graces when he blunders and resigns his hard-earned government post in protest. As his career and health decline, Jennie is shocked to learn that he is a closeted homosexual and is seriously ill with syphilis, which will eventually rob him of his political aspirations and his life.
His follies and vices have set a bad tone for their relationship slashing a whole in Jennie’s happiness. To survive her loveless marriage, she escapes to country manor houses for long weekends with the Prince of Wales’ set were gossip, hunting, feasting, and bedroom hopping is de rigueur. In her heart, and in her bed, is the dashing Austrian Count Charles Kinsky, diplomat, prominent horseman and the future Prince of Wchinitz and Tettauis. He is the one man in her life that she truly loves. Sadly, their romance is doomed. A divorce from her husband would result in a scandal that no one of her class could rebounded from, and he must marry royalty.
Renowned by Jane Austen fans for her Being a Jane Austen Mystery Series, Stephanie Barron is also a best-selling author of thrillers as Francine Mathews (Jack 39, Too Bad to Die). That Churchill Woman, while resplendent with period detail and vivid characters, is as intricately plotted as one her mysteries or thrillers, cleverly moving between Jennie’s childhood and her present-day life, mirroring conflicts or recalling memories that help her through a crisis. What really resonated for me was Jennie herself. She was no saint, yet Barron shapes her choices with plausible instinct and solid reasoning.
Reading about Jennie’s wild gallop on horseback through the English countryside with Count Kinsky, I recalled the advice of her father on cheating death by living two lives in the space of one. She did. What I thought would be a novel about a scandalous Victorian socialite honors a strong, fierce woman who embraced life and love, celebrating the indomitable human spirit.
A remarkable achievement. Victorian Jennie Churchill is an inspiration for women today. Impassioned, brilliant and smashing. You will love her!
Laurel Ann, Austenprose
March 11, 2019
I really enjoy Stephanie Barron's historical fiction novels, but this manuscript fell flat for me. In part, I feel as if historic biopics are unfair to their protagonists, even though I realize that Jennie Jerome/Churchill is public domain at this point. The story's speculation, which is based on fact, about her life and marriage almost seems intrusive since she still has living relatives. (Not that this book, or American Duchess, or A Well-Behaved Woman will sway public opinion since generally, no one cares about these women/families much any more). I'd have enjoyedThat Churchill Woman more had Barron made it straight-up fiction about a fictional character, and I'd have bought it simply on the strength of Barron's other work.
As it is, although Barron's writing is as clear as ever, I didn't relate to any of the characters, most especially "that Churchill woman" herself. After That Churchill Woman, American Duchess and A Well-Behaved Woman, it's as if authors have discovered a formula: write about a privileged American woman who marries into wealth or aristocracy, throw in some (lurid) details about parties, clothes, marriage/s, and transgressions, then call it a novel.
I'm ready for this trend—and time-traveling, and bouncing back and forth between historic periods, and dystopia—to end, and for authors I enjoy to revert to their imagination and talent to create stories again.
As it is, although Barron's writing is as clear as ever, I didn't relate to any of the characters, most especially "that Churchill woman" herself. After That Churchill Woman, American Duchess and A Well-Behaved Woman, it's as if authors have discovered a formula: write about a privileged American woman who marries into wealth or aristocracy, throw in some (lurid) details about parties, clothes, marriage/s, and transgressions, then call it a novel.
I'm ready for this trend—and time-traveling, and bouncing back and forth between historic periods, and dystopia—to end, and for authors I enjoy to revert to their imagination and talent to create stories again.
November 16, 2018
I was excited to see this book, and I really wanted to like it. The book is well researched, but it has no soul. Despite a deftly crafted beginning, the author just didn't grab my attention and hold it. The narrative flipped around abruptly. Just when you thought you'd finally find some authenticity in the characters, the scene ended and you'd find yourself elsewhere. The scenes involving young Winston Churchill were well written, but the main character of his mother never evolved to the point where I really cared about her.
October 20, 2018
That Churchill Woman by Stephanie Barron is a bit of a slog — unless you enjoy reading multitudinous descriptions of nineteenth century clothing and all about the upper crust of Britain.
It’s the story of Churchill’s mother, American Jennie Jerome, who moves to England and marries the son of a duke three days after meeting them. It’s not exactly a successful marriage, but they do manage to beget Winston eight months after the wedding. That just about sums up the book. Except Jennie has an affair with a Count, which also has a disappointing end.
Perhaps it’s just the subject — Mrs. Churchill is known to have cheated on her husband numerous times and a man other than her husband apparently fathered her second son– but I can’t help but think the author could improve her writing style. The book has plenty of telling and not so much showing. There’s also not much detailed description, except for the aforementioned clothing. It took effort to finish the book.
Mrs. Churchill isn’t seen as the most loving of mothers: she sends Winston off to boarding school at the age of six and parties while he’s on the verge of death from pneumonia. Yet we are asked to see her as a sympathetic character. It’s a stretch, for me at least. Yes, she is cowed by her husband from visiting Winston. But Jennie is painted as independent and strong in the rest of the book.
Jennie was part of a wave of American young women who fled to Britain in an effort to snare a titled man. She succeeds, but she isn’t really happy. She’s portrayed as romantic, artistic and adventurous, with a troubled young son (Winston) who is tortured at his boarding schools but nevertheless stays there.
She stays marries to her husband because they are intellectually compatible, but he later learns he has syphilis, which she fortunately has not contracted. Theirs is a marriage of convenience, with both having affairs as they see fit. Winston adores both his father and his mother, but sees little of them.
But Jennie is distracted by her affair with Count Kinski, a Prussian count with parents who are not impressed with Jennie. Her American heritage does not impress much of the British nobility, including her mother-in-law. But Kinski becomes a type of father figure to Winston, who rarely sees his real father.
By this time, Randolph Churchill is descending into madness, and his wife decides to take him on a farewell tour of the world, to see the country he helped annex during his term in Parliament,Burma. But by the time they get to Burma, Randolph is insensate.
Randolph, who was very famous as a politician, dies without leaving his son much of a legacy, and his wife no kind of emotional legacy at all.
All in all, it’s a sad story, and not a well told one. Jennie’s love stories fade into nothingness, and, other than looking good, we are left to wonder what Jennie Churchill accomplished in life other than bearing a man who would change history.
Grade: C
It’s the story of Churchill’s mother, American Jennie Jerome, who moves to England and marries the son of a duke three days after meeting them. It’s not exactly a successful marriage, but they do manage to beget Winston eight months after the wedding. That just about sums up the book. Except Jennie has an affair with a Count, which also has a disappointing end.
Perhaps it’s just the subject — Mrs. Churchill is known to have cheated on her husband numerous times and a man other than her husband apparently fathered her second son– but I can’t help but think the author could improve her writing style. The book has plenty of telling and not so much showing. There’s also not much detailed description, except for the aforementioned clothing. It took effort to finish the book.
Mrs. Churchill isn’t seen as the most loving of mothers: she sends Winston off to boarding school at the age of six and parties while he’s on the verge of death from pneumonia. Yet we are asked to see her as a sympathetic character. It’s a stretch, for me at least. Yes, she is cowed by her husband from visiting Winston. But Jennie is painted as independent and strong in the rest of the book.
Jennie was part of a wave of American young women who fled to Britain in an effort to snare a titled man. She succeeds, but she isn’t really happy. She’s portrayed as romantic, artistic and adventurous, with a troubled young son (Winston) who is tortured at his boarding schools but nevertheless stays there.
She stays marries to her husband because they are intellectually compatible, but he later learns he has syphilis, which she fortunately has not contracted. Theirs is a marriage of convenience, with both having affairs as they see fit. Winston adores both his father and his mother, but sees little of them.
But Jennie is distracted by her affair with Count Kinski, a Prussian count with parents who are not impressed with Jennie. Her American heritage does not impress much of the British nobility, including her mother-in-law. But Kinski becomes a type of father figure to Winston, who rarely sees his real father.
By this time, Randolph Churchill is descending into madness, and his wife decides to take him on a farewell tour of the world, to see the country he helped annex during his term in Parliament,Burma. But by the time they get to Burma, Randolph is insensate.
Randolph, who was very famous as a politician, dies without leaving his son much of a legacy, and his wife no kind of emotional legacy at all.
All in all, it’s a sad story, and not a well told one. Jennie’s love stories fade into nothingness, and, other than looking good, we are left to wonder what Jennie Churchill accomplished in life other than bearing a man who would change history.
Grade: C
March 1, 2019
Dreadful.
May 7, 2019
This gorgeous novelized biography of Jennie Churchill presents a new view of Winston’s American-born mother that drew me from the start.
Written in lush language that holds the reader as close as a lover, it reveals a woman who is not the tart who slept with 200 men and shamelessly neglected her two children. But rather a brilliant beauty who skillfully advanced the career of her husband, Lord Randolph, who remained married to him despite his advancing syphilis, his homosexuality.
At the heart of the story is the star-crossed romance with soulmate Count Charles Kinsky. Oh how they loved each other! Oh how circumstances prevented their being together.
After Randolph’s death she went on to marry two other times. Upon learning of her second marriage, Kinsky sent her a black-bordered card with just three words in French: “Toujours en deuil. Always in mourning.”
One wonders what her life would have been like had she married Kinsky, how Winston’s might have altered.
We will never know. At 67, she broke her ankle tripping down the stairs in fashionable Italian high heels. Gangrene led to amputation of her leg above the knee, resulting in complications that killed her three weeks later.
I mourn this spirited woman who refused to be controlled by others, whose American nature gave her a sense of freedom that eluded her English female peers.
I thank her for birthing and inspiring a son, my favorite figure in history, who kept Western Civilization alive while England stood alone against Hitler.
I thank author Stephanie Barron for giving us Jennie in full resplendent glory!
Written in lush language that holds the reader as close as a lover, it reveals a woman who is not the tart who slept with 200 men and shamelessly neglected her two children. But rather a brilliant beauty who skillfully advanced the career of her husband, Lord Randolph, who remained married to him despite his advancing syphilis, his homosexuality.
At the heart of the story is the star-crossed romance with soulmate Count Charles Kinsky. Oh how they loved each other! Oh how circumstances prevented their being together.
After Randolph’s death she went on to marry two other times. Upon learning of her second marriage, Kinsky sent her a black-bordered card with just three words in French: “Toujours en deuil. Always in mourning.”
One wonders what her life would have been like had she married Kinsky, how Winston’s might have altered.
We will never know. At 67, she broke her ankle tripping down the stairs in fashionable Italian high heels. Gangrene led to amputation of her leg above the knee, resulting in complications that killed her three weeks later.
I mourn this spirited woman who refused to be controlled by others, whose American nature gave her a sense of freedom that eluded her English female peers.
I thank her for birthing and inspiring a son, my favorite figure in history, who kept Western Civilization alive while England stood alone against Hitler.
I thank author Stephanie Barron for giving us Jennie in full resplendent glory!
March 28, 2019
This took me a minute to get into, but I ended up enjoying it a lot. I am a sucker for stories of people who stay in difficult marriages and find ways to make them work in other ways. I am also a sucker for tortured love stories, and the one told here is definitely that.
I'd sort of like to read a straight biography of Jennie Churchill now. Which is really the highest compliment I have for this sort of historical fiction.
I'd sort of like to read a straight biography of Jennie Churchill now. Which is really the highest compliment I have for this sort of historical fiction.
June 22, 2019
I really enjoyed this. It was a slow start and seemed rather insipid at first but then I found myself engrossed. I’m glad I stuck with it. I did find some of the switches in time a bit jarring but overall it was an interesting read. It was fascinating to hear about the people who shaped Winston Churchill. I was disappointed there was no afterward talking about what was true and what was embellished for fiction, as there often is in historical fiction novels like this. In doing some of my own research, it seems quite a bit was fictionalized, to my disappointment.
April 25, 2019
I am usually a fan of all historical fiction but this is definitely one of those rare books that I could not summon the interest to read more than 30 pages. Plot synopsis: all the royalty and noble people of England slept around in the early 20th century after they got married and this is acceptable and expected. And they wore lots of fancy clothes and rode horses. The end.
March 17, 2019
That Churchill Woman
by Stephanie Barron
Wealthy, privileged, and fiercely independent New Yorker Jennie Jerome took Victorian England by storm when she landed on its shores.
The most famous of the Dollar Princesses, American women who married into British aristocracy. Their husbands were men whose families were the privileged elite, however they were cash poor, hense the marriages to wealthy Americans.
As Lady Randolph Churchill, she gave birth to a man who defined the twentieth century: her son Winston. Jennie lived an outrageously modern life, filled with controversy, passion, tragedy, and triumph.
When the nineteen-year-old beauty agrees to marry the son of a duke she has known only three days, she's instantly swept up in a whirlwind of British politics and the breathless social climbing of the Marlborough House Set, the reckless men who surround Bertie, Prince of Wales. Raised to think for herself and careless of English society rules, the new Lady Randolph Churchill quickly becomes a London sensation: adored by some, despised by others.
Artistically gifted and politically shrewd, she shapes her husband's rise in Parliament and her young son's difficult passage through boyhood. But as the family's influence soars, scandals explode and tragedy befalls the Churchill's. Lady Randolph Churchill’s life was nothing if not interesting. She knew which societal rules to follow and which to ignore. This was a fascinating read, Jennies affairs, Randolph's sexual preferences and death from syphilis, shone a whole new light on Winston Churchill's upbringing and formative years.4 stars
by Stephanie Barron
Wealthy, privileged, and fiercely independent New Yorker Jennie Jerome took Victorian England by storm when she landed on its shores.
The most famous of the Dollar Princesses, American women who married into British aristocracy. Their husbands were men whose families were the privileged elite, however they were cash poor, hense the marriages to wealthy Americans.
As Lady Randolph Churchill, she gave birth to a man who defined the twentieth century: her son Winston. Jennie lived an outrageously modern life, filled with controversy, passion, tragedy, and triumph.
When the nineteen-year-old beauty agrees to marry the son of a duke she has known only three days, she's instantly swept up in a whirlwind of British politics and the breathless social climbing of the Marlborough House Set, the reckless men who surround Bertie, Prince of Wales. Raised to think for herself and careless of English society rules, the new Lady Randolph Churchill quickly becomes a London sensation: adored by some, despised by others.
Artistically gifted and politically shrewd, she shapes her husband's rise in Parliament and her young son's difficult passage through boyhood. But as the family's influence soars, scandals explode and tragedy befalls the Churchill's. Lady Randolph Churchill’s life was nothing if not interesting. She knew which societal rules to follow and which to ignore. This was a fascinating read, Jennies affairs, Randolph's sexual preferences and death from syphilis, shone a whole new light on Winston Churchill's upbringing and formative years.4 stars
April 4, 2019
Co-signing Jess's review that what I really want after reading this is a biography of Jennie Churchill.
January 30, 2019
Behind every great man is a great woman, is a phrase we often hear. This novel gives us a glimpse into the life of one of those great women, Jennie Jerome/Lady Randolph Churchill, Winston Churchills mother. The novel paints a portrait of the bulk of Jennie's life. There are flashbacks to her childhood and her adolescence in New York and Paris. The setting and scene mostly take place though, in London throughout her husband, Randolph Churchill's career and eventual health deterioration. The novel particularly focuses on her affair with Count Charles Kinsky, who was a diplomat in London.
Jennie Churchill was a woman who was either loved or hated by those who knew her. Jennie was a outsider in London during a time when new money and Americans were thought less of. On top of this, Jennie was a woman who was determined to live life by her own rules. The novel was highly researched, not just with Jennie Jerome's life, but what society and political culture was during the time period. Stephanie Barron focused on the political injustices that women faced during this time (Lady Randolph Churchill was definitely politically conscious), as well as providing an inside eye to the law makers who were deciding their fates.
That Churchill Woman, had a lot of cliche moments, lines and scenarios that I felt were cheesy, and at times I literally rolled my eyes. In all honesty, there were times where I debated putting the novel to the side and not finishing. However, I am happy I did finish. While there were elements in the novel that I found lacking, it is well researched and the later half was entertaining. My curiosity kept me going, I wanted to learn more about Jennie, and I found Charles Kinsky quite an interesting character as well.
Overall, this book wasn't my personal cup of tea. I highly enjoyed learning more about the political climate in England during this time period, learning more of Winston Churchill's youth and his father, as well as learning more about Jennie Jerome. I found her fascinating and would love to read a biography of her in the future.
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Jennie Churchill was a woman who was either loved or hated by those who knew her. Jennie was a outsider in London during a time when new money and Americans were thought less of. On top of this, Jennie was a woman who was determined to live life by her own rules. The novel was highly researched, not just with Jennie Jerome's life, but what society and political culture was during the time period. Stephanie Barron focused on the political injustices that women faced during this time (Lady Randolph Churchill was definitely politically conscious), as well as providing an inside eye to the law makers who were deciding their fates.
That Churchill Woman, had a lot of cliche moments, lines and scenarios that I felt were cheesy, and at times I literally rolled my eyes. In all honesty, there were times where I debated putting the novel to the side and not finishing. However, I am happy I did finish. While there were elements in the novel that I found lacking, it is well researched and the later half was entertaining. My curiosity kept me going, I wanted to learn more about Jennie, and I found Charles Kinsky quite an interesting character as well.
Overall, this book wasn't my personal cup of tea. I highly enjoyed learning more about the political climate in England during this time period, learning more of Winston Churchill's youth and his father, as well as learning more about Jennie Jerome. I found her fascinating and would love to read a biography of her in the future.
https://floralsandnovels.wordpress.co...
February 1, 2021
Digital Audiobook narrated by Saskia Maarleveld.
From the book jacket: Wealthy, privileged, and fiercely independent New Yorker Jennie Jerome took Victorian England by storm when she landed on its shores. As Lady Randolph Churchill, she gave birth to a man who defined the twentieth century: her son Winston. But Jennie--reared in the luxury of Gilded Age Newport and the Paris of the Second Empire--lived an outrageously modern life all her own, filled with controversy, passion, tragedy, and triumph.
My Reactions
I’m not sure I would have picked this up if it weren’t a selection for my F2F book group.
I find Jennie a fascinating character. Barron does a good job of bringing her to life and giving the reader a “modern” woman who was able to bend the rules of the restrictive society in which she found herself to achieve some measure of personal happiness and fulfillment. And she certainly succeeded in nurturing her son, identifying his gifts, helping him overcome his difficulties, and launching his career!
I knew that Winston Churchill’s mother was an American heiress and that she was known as somewhat of a firebrand. But I didn’t know much else about her story. Stephanie Barron is known to me as the author of a series of cozy mysteries featuring Jane Austen as the amateur sleuth (try them, they’re delightful). So I know that she is able to fill her novels with the kind of accurate period details that I like in historical fiction. She certainly does that here.
This novel has piqued my interest and I think I’ll seek out a biography of Lady Randolph Churchill.
Saskia Maarleveld does a find job of narrating the audiobook. She sets a good pace and has the skill to handle the many characters.
From the book jacket: Wealthy, privileged, and fiercely independent New Yorker Jennie Jerome took Victorian England by storm when she landed on its shores. As Lady Randolph Churchill, she gave birth to a man who defined the twentieth century: her son Winston. But Jennie--reared in the luxury of Gilded Age Newport and the Paris of the Second Empire--lived an outrageously modern life all her own, filled with controversy, passion, tragedy, and triumph.
My Reactions
I’m not sure I would have picked this up if it weren’t a selection for my F2F book group.
I find Jennie a fascinating character. Barron does a good job of bringing her to life and giving the reader a “modern” woman who was able to bend the rules of the restrictive society in which she found herself to achieve some measure of personal happiness and fulfillment. And she certainly succeeded in nurturing her son, identifying his gifts, helping him overcome his difficulties, and launching his career!
I knew that Winston Churchill’s mother was an American heiress and that she was known as somewhat of a firebrand. But I didn’t know much else about her story. Stephanie Barron is known to me as the author of a series of cozy mysteries featuring Jane Austen as the amateur sleuth (try them, they’re delightful). So I know that she is able to fill her novels with the kind of accurate period details that I like in historical fiction. She certainly does that here.
This novel has piqued my interest and I think I’ll seek out a biography of Lady Randolph Churchill.
Saskia Maarleveld does a find job of narrating the audiobook. She sets a good pace and has the skill to handle the many characters.
October 20, 2018
It took me awhile to get through this one, but I am glad I stuck with the story. I know about Sir Winston Churchill, but was clueless when it came to his heritage. Although this is a work of fiction, there is a lot of truths being portrayed. I love to research characters I am reading about and am fascinated with the history I learned. I love having Alva Vanderbilt in the book as I just recently read “A Well-Behaved Woman”,
Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read for an honest review.
Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read for an honest review.
March 26, 2019
Historical fiction about Jennie Churchill. Early in this story someone refers to Jennie as “not faithful to her husband but always loyal”. That quote would come to sum up this character very well.
Jennie married Randall Churchill at 20. It was only after marrying him that she actually got to know him.
Jennie got the reputation for being a cheater, a flirt and even a bad mother.
But this story gives an interesting take on that. Randall kept some very big secrets from Jennie, secrets that may have resulted in a divorce or an annulment in more modern times.
She stayed with Randall but the great love of her life was not her husband.
And Randall was not a good father, he kept Jennie at a distance from her sons.
So, on the outside Jennie might have looked like the bad guy. But this book gives an incredibly sympathetic view to her life. I really felt for Jennie in this story. I wanted better for her.
And my God did I feel bad for poor little Winston.
This was a great work of historical fiction. I love how the author gave a voice to this character. I also want to mention that I’ve been sick while reading this book, I kept thinking I wouldn’t be able to concentrate on it since I wasn’t feeling well. But could I put the book down? Nope. I just kept reading!
I received an early copy of this book from Library Thing. Thank you!
Jennie married Randall Churchill at 20. It was only after marrying him that she actually got to know him.
Jennie got the reputation for being a cheater, a flirt and even a bad mother.
But this story gives an interesting take on that. Randall kept some very big secrets from Jennie, secrets that may have resulted in a divorce or an annulment in more modern times.
She stayed with Randall but the great love of her life was not her husband.
And Randall was not a good father, he kept Jennie at a distance from her sons.
So, on the outside Jennie might have looked like the bad guy. But this book gives an incredibly sympathetic view to her life. I really felt for Jennie in this story. I wanted better for her.
And my God did I feel bad for poor little Winston.
This was a great work of historical fiction. I love how the author gave a voice to this character. I also want to mention that I’ve been sick while reading this book, I kept thinking I wouldn’t be able to concentrate on it since I wasn’t feeling well. But could I put the book down? Nope. I just kept reading!
I received an early copy of this book from Library Thing. Thank you!
April 22, 2019
The Belle Epoque and Edwardian eras are my second-favorite historical periods after the Georgian/Regency period. Not just for the clothes (which are glorious) but the politics and history, and the rich American "buccaneers" who married impoverished British aristocracy is an endlessly fascinating subject for me. Thus, That Churchill Woman was very welcome just from the chosen subject; but even better, it's an engaging read based on meticulous research. Stephanie Barron breathed life into Jennie Jerome Churchill and the other characters in her life--her husband, Lord Randolph Churchill; her father, Leonard Jerome; and particularly Charles Kinsky, who is cast here as Jennie's true lifelong love. So how much is true and how much is made up? You can be sure that much of it is made up, though with an eye to the historical record. That is true of any historical fiction, so the guide must be, is we are to have fiction, is it at least good fiction? In this case, it's excellent fiction. Recommended for an intelligent and enjoyable read.
April 19, 2019
Jennie Jerome was born into luxury to an American family. Arriving in Victorian England, she meets and marries Lord Randolph Churchill. Jennie forges her own path while enduring an unhappy marriage. She devotes much of her time; however, to further her husband's career in Parliament. They become allies, rather than husband and wife. She enjoys the company of other men but falls deeply in love with Count Charles Kinsky. This book was a fascinating portrayal of Winston Churchill's mother (and father). Reasons for her infidelities are revealed later in the book and give the reader a further understanding of Jennie. It reveals glimpses of Winston as a child; he almost died in childhood and was scorned and ridiculed by classmates and his father. He could never earn the love and respect of his father. Although a "fluffy" piece of historical fiction, I learned much about the Churchills and presented a different view of a young Winston and his strong-willed, spirited mother.
July 8, 2024
Highly enjoyable
March 27, 2019
Interesting bit of historical fiction, I especially like reading about the Gilded Age. However, this novel often read more like a well researched term paper than a work of fiction. The author seemed to have included every historical detail she had researched and at times it seemed forced.
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