Lady Clementine by Marie Benedict

 Clementine Hozier-Churchill (1885-1977) was a woman of great intelligence, who had skillfully influenced her husband’s political career.

London, 1908. Clementine Hozier attracts attention of Winston Churchill by her intellect and responsiveness. He is very impressed with her, stating, “…you listen, understand, and engage with the important issues of our day.”

After five months of courtship he proposes.

She quickly realizes “that if she wants to play a meaningful part in his life, she must become involved in his political world,” which naturally fits her. And Winston encourages her to take a charge no matter how unusual the issue is, specifically if it’s fit for a woman.

On June 28, 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, gets shot in Serbia. The brewing war is now inevitable.

The strategic plan of Dardanelles to cut off Turkey from helping Germans fails.

Winston Churchill is dismissed from his position of lord admiral.

Since he can’t command the war from afar, he decides to join the men in the trenches and fight alongside them.

And she on the other hand, plunges into repairing her husband’s damage by meeting with governmental figures and making other engagements, anything to bring him back in favor.

From the trenches, he rises to the position of minister of munitions, then ascending to secretary of state for war and air.

When Winston falls out of favor again, Hitler gains his momentum. “Hitler has mustered the forces he’s secretly assembled to conquer and lay waste to Poland. (…) Hitler thumbed his nose at England by blatantly invading Poland.”

Later as a wife of Prime Minister, she receives criticism which she uses as fuel. She turns it around and uses as positive ammunition, “involving women in the war in a meaningful way,” by convincing her husband to hire women in supportive, administrative, and manufacturing capacities.

The story entails major events, making the pace fast. It gives a glimpse at brewing relationships among European countries; then Nazi Germany annexation of Austria, and then invasion of Poland – ultimately leading to WWII. It’s an interesting glimpse from British perspective of slow reaction of then current PM Chamberlain; and later the efforts of new PM and his wife to woo the Americans into the war, to help end it.

This book paints a portrait of a very strong woman, who knows how to tackle man’s world. She is a woman to reckon with. But she struggles as a mother. Motherhood gives her more anxiety than the challenges thrown at her by men. And still where she feels most comfortable, she sees room for improvement for herself. While meeting Mrs. Roosevelt, first she notices her out-of-style dress, but then what impresses Clementine the most is how Eleanor conducts herself. And that’s what inspires her - to be even a better diplomat.

Well-written, with steady pace, informative, but not overwhelming, presenting a story of a commendable woman with an engaging prose.

P.S. Highly recommend other books by this author: The Other Einstein, Carnegie’s Maid, The Only Woman in the Room.

Release date: 7 January 2020

Source: Sourcebooks Landmark