Jennifer Vido: What inspired your new release, THE MITFORD AFFAIR?
Marie Benedict: I’ve been fascinated by the rarified, mesmerizing, often strange world of the Mitfords since college when a dear friend and I backpacked across Europe after a semester abroad and I brought along one of Nancy Mitford semi-autobiographical novels to read during our train travels. But when I came across the Mitfords again as I did research about their cousins the Churchills while writing another novel, LADY CLEMENTINE, I learned about the shocking ways in which these sisters were at the epicenter of World War II — and I knew I had to write this timely tale.
Jen: Who are the Mitford sisters?
Marie: The six Mitford sisters were the aristocratic “it” girls of the 1920s and 1930s in Great Britain. Each sister was more beautiful, brilliant, and eccentric than the next, and they appeared in the headlines so often their mother publicly stated that anytime she saw the phrase “peer’s daughter” in the newspapers, it was about her daughters. The sisters found themselves in the cross-hairs of the lead-up to World War II.
Jen: What happens in Diana’s life that causes discord among the sisters?
Marie: Diana, who was often described as the loveliest girl of her generation, left her wealthy, handsome, enamored husband, Bryan Guinness of the Guinness Beer fortune, for Sir Oswald Mosley, who was the married founder of the British Union of Fascists. Her family - and society at large, for that matter — was aghast at her decision.
Jen: How would you describe the relationship between Diana and Unity?
Marie: Although Diana had never been particularly close with her somewhat peculiar younger sister Unity, they became more attached when Diana fell in love with Mosley, because the sisters both got swept up in the fascist movement. When Unity moved to Germany and became part of the Nazi movement, she and Diana grew even closer — and their relationship became even more troubling.
Jen: What role does Nancy play in the family’s turmoil?
Marie: Nancy becomes suspicious of her sisters’ constant trips to Germany and the high-ranking Nazi company they keep, and, ultimately, must make an excruciating choice between devotion to her family and loyalty to her country.
Jen: What was the most fascinating tidbit you learned while researching this time period?
Marie: I can barely count the number of shocking tidbits about the Mitford sisters alone I came across while researching this book! The sisters were endlessly fascinating -- together and apart -- and the manner in which another sister Jessica became an adherent of communism while Diana and Unity espoused fascism is just one intriguing nugget.
Jen: How can readers stay up-to-date on your latest happenings?
Marie: While I’m fairly active on Instagram and Facebook and routinely post about events and my projects, I also regularly update my website where you can also sign up for my newsletter.
Jen: Thank you for stopping by to chat about The Mitford Affair. Best of luck with your highly addictive and phenomenal read!
Marie: Thank you so much for chatting with me about my latest novel!!
A Novel
Between the World Wars, the six Mitford sisters—each more beautiful, brilliant, and eccentric than the next—dominate the English scenes. Though they've weathered scandals before, the family falls into disarray when Diana divorces her wealthy husband to marry a fascist leader and Unity follows her sister's lead all the way to Munich, inciting rumors that she's become Hitler's mistress.
As the Nazis rise in power, novelist Nancy Mitford grows suspicious of her sisters' constant visits to Germany and the high-ranking fascist company they keep. When she overhears alarming conversations and uncovers disquieting documents, Nancy must make excruciating choices as Great Britain goes to war with Germany.
Women's Fiction Historical [Sourcebooks Landmark, On Sale: January 17, 2023, Hardcover / e-Book, ISBN: 9781728229362 / eISBN: 9781728229379]
Once a New York City lawyer, Marie Benedict had long dreamed about a fantastical job unraveling the larger mysteries of the past as an archaeologist or historian -- before she tried her hand at writing. While drafting her first book, she realized that she could excavate the possible truths lurking in history through fiction, and has done so in THE OTHER EINSTEIN, the story of Mileva Maric, Albert Einstein's first wife and a physicist herself. Writing as Heather Terrell, Marie also authored The Chrysalis, The Map Thief, and Brigid of Kildare. She is a graduate of Boston College and the Boston University School of Law, and lives in Pittsburgh with her family.
Jennifer Vido is best known for her nationally syndicated Jen's Jewels author interview column. A savvy book blogger she dishes the scoop on the latest happenings in the publishing business. As a national spokesperson for the Arthritis Foundation, she has been featured by Lifetime Television, Redbook, Health Monitor, The New York Times, The Baltimore Sun, Healthguru.com, and Arthritis Today. She is the author of the Piper O’Donnell Mystery series. Currently, she lives in the Baltimore area with her husband and two sons.
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