"The Mitford Affair" focuses on the family's three eldest daughters in alternating, short chapters: Nancy, the oldest, who narrates her sections in the first person; Diana, the family's golden girl, who leaves her Guinness heir husband for the (married!) British fascist leader, Oswald Mosley; and Unity, a misfit whose zealous devotion to fascism and the Nazi Party takes her to Germany, where she develops a relationship with the Fuhrer himself, Adolf Hitler. (Next-youngest sister Jessica, known as Decca, plays a lesser role in the story -- she's a dedicated Communist, in contrast to Diana & Unity's fascism -- while younger sisters Pamela and Deborah and brother Tom are barely seen or heard from.)
The book follows the family, and the three oldest sisters in particular, from 1932 to 1941, and explores the growing tensions between Diana and Unity's increasing devotion to the Nazi cause and Nancy's increasing unease with it -- which comes to a climax when the war begins.
This was the first book I've read by Marie Benedict, who has written other historical novels focused on interesting women, including actress/scientist Hedy Lamarr, physicist Mitza Maric Einstein, scientist Rosalind Franklin, author Agatha Christie, and Lady Clementine Churchill (a cousin of the Mitfords who also pops up in "The Mitford Affair," along with her husband Winston -- also a cousin to the family). It was a little on the long side, and could probably have been a bit shorter. The constant back and forth between the different characters' stories and viewpoints felt a bit choppy at times, and I was slightly annoyed at first by all the nicknames the sisters have for each other and the people around them, until I finally got them all straight....!
That said, despite its length and the shifting viewpoints, this was, overall, a fast, easy and interesting read that kept me turning the pages, especially near the end, and especially once the war began in 1939. I finished it in just three days. (Dare I say, Nancy's struggles to understand her sisters' obsession with a charismatic but volatile leader and his distasteful political philosophy resonated with this modern-day reader...!) And now, having read this fictional account of the Mitfords' lives, I'm curious to read something on the non-fiction side about them to learn more :) -- and perhaps also read a novel or two by Nancy Mitford, some of which are mentioned in the book.
I was initially thinking 3.5 stars on StoryGraph and debating whether to round up or down on Goodreads -- but the last 20% or so of the book prompted me to assign 4 stars even.
ALI/CNBC note: There's a subplot related to Nancy's efforts -- ultimately unsuccessful -- to have children. CNBC readers will relate to Nancy's encounters with her more fertile, pregnant sisters.
This was Book #12 read to date in 2026 (and Book #2 finished in June), bringing me to 30% of my 2026 Goodreads Reading Challenge goal of 40 books. I am (for the moment, anyway...!) 5 books behind pace to meet my goal. :( You can find reviews of all my books read to date in 2026 tagged as "2026 books."
