The Churchill Sisters: an intimate look into the daughters of Winston Churchill

The Churchill Sisters by Dr. Rachel Trethewey is a deeper look into the daughters of Winston and Clementine Churchill. Bright, attractive and well-connected, the Churchill girls, Diana, Sarah, and Mary, were not just members of any family. They are the daughters of the greatest Englishman. From their larger than life father to their golden boy brother, Randolph, to their eccentric and exciting cousins, the Mitford Girls, they were often overlooked but lived lives filled with passion, drama and tragedy. The eldest, Diana, was intense and shy. Sarah was glamorous and stubborn. She even nicknamed herself “The Mule.” The baby, Mary, was dependable and determined. As each sister is different, they still had a strong sense of responsibility toward their family and their country. They were eyewitnesses to some of the most important events in world history from Tehran, Yalta and Potsdam. What stories could they tell? 

The Churchill Sisters is an intimate look into the lives of these three women. Dr. Trethewey draws from previously unpublished family letters from the Churchill archives as well as memories and impressions from their children. Before reading The Churchill Sisters, I knew very little about Winston Churchill’s daughters and even less about Winston as a father. Dr. Trethewey brought these women out of the shadows of historical obscurity and tells their amazing stories. From their early lives, to their relationships with their parents, to the major historical events of the early 20th century, The Churchill Sisters is a fascinating read. It was a joy to read as Dr Trethewey wrote the historical events and the sisters with ease that I eagerly turned each page to discover more. Heartfelt, honest and enjoyable, the sisters come alive on the page as we discover their joys and hardships. I highly recommend The Churchill Sisters. 

The Churchill Sisters is available in hardcover, eBook and audiobook. 

Endless Incarnation Sorrows: one mistake leads to generations of suffering

Endless Incarnation Sorrows: A Spiritual Odyssey of Mortal Imprints on Earth by Lucia Mann is the story of reincarnation in which a curse is handled out through time and life after life. Inspired by true events of the Ms. Mann’s ability to perceive and recognize the memories of people and places from the past and the connection to her current life after multiple hospital resuscitations. The story opens in the Judean Desert, 609 BCE where a group of women are traveling, in search of a new home. Rebekah bas Sora is pregnant, a result of a scandalous affair. When her daughter, Lala, is born, she is born with physical deformities, which do not belong to anyone in the family. It is immediately believed that she is cursed. The story continues with another generation who is born with these physical deformities and who seemed doomed to live a life of misery. From Lala’s struggles to Leandra in the Ptolemy Royal Dynasty, BC. To Laurencia in Medieval Spain during the Inquisition to Lyveva in Northumbria, 793 AD. To Lidiya in Ireland, 1847. To Lucja in Poland, 1939 to Maria in Sicily (who’s full story is told in Ms. Mann’s book The Sicilian Veil of Shame). To Shiya in South Africa, 1950 (Ms. Mann’s book Rented Silence) to Madeline Clark in Canada, 2018 (featured in Addicted to Hate). Is there a curse which links these women? Are they doomed to live a life of misery?

I have read and reviewed Ms. Mann’s books for a few years and each book is a powerful, often disturbing, revelation into events that many do not know occur or have occurred and were difficult to read, given the subject matter. When compared to her other books, Endless Incarnation Sorrows was easier to read and not as powerful. Possibly because I do not believe in reincarnation and familial curses as she has presented in this book. Possibly because the subject matter wasn’t presented as disturbing and heartbreaking as in her other books. Overall, the book was enjoyable. The writing style was easy to follow, and it was interesting to see different historical events and the people who lived during such times. The treatment of people simply based on who they are or what religion they follow is a story as old as time. The connection to her other books was also enjoyable. If you have read Ms. Mann’s other books, you may enjoy Endless Incarnation Sorrows.

Who would be my special dinner guest?

My writing prompt this week, which sometimes turns into a blog post, was which celebrity would I enjoy having dinner with. As I couldn’t think of one individual, I expanded it to three, died or alive, that I would find interesting. I know that they say to not meet your heroes, but I think it is fun to think of what would happen during a hypothetical dinner. I picked three celebrities, then I thought why did I chose these individuals and what would we discuss? My celebrities I chose Charlotte Bronte, one of my favorite authors, Queen Victoria, an historical figure and Queen Elizabeth II, the longest reigning monarch.

First, the author Charlotte Bronte. I have loved her books for a very long time. I actually enjoy her books over Jane Austen’s (gasp!). I would love to discuss her books in particular Jane Eyre (1847) and the events which inspired her stories. How much of her real experience made it into the book? And did she add a bit more drama for the books? She was born on April 21, 1816 and experienced tragedy at a young age. The death of her mother in 1821, after which her father sent his daughters to the Clergy Daughters’ School where her older sisters, Maria and Elizabeth, would die of tuberculosis in June 1825. The school became the inspiration for the Lowood School in Jane Eyre. She would continue her education and found work as a governess in Brussels, Belgium, which became her inspiration for her books, The Professor (1857) and Villette (1853). Since books by women authors were seen as less than worthy, Charlotte and her sisters, Emily and Anne, decided to publish under masculine pseudonyms. Charlotte Bronte was published as Currer Bell. She died on March 31, 1855, weeks before her 39^th birthday.

Second, Queen Victoria and how she inspired an era which is named after her. She was born Alexandrina Victoria on May 24, 1819 and became Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland on June 20, 1837 when her three uncles died with no surviving legitimate heirs. She became a national icon, identified with strict standards of personal morality. Her long reign, known as the Victorian Era, was a period of industrial, cultural, political, scientific and military change in the United Kingdom as well as the world. Victoria was the first to wear a white dress at her 1840 wedding to Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Austria, which inspired many women to wear white and it is a tradition which is still carried on today. She also helped popularize many of our Christmas traditions such as Christmas trees and sending Christmas cards. When she died on January 22, 1901 at the age of 81, she held the longest reign at 63 years, 7 months and 2 days until her great-great-granddaughter, Elizabeth II, surpassed her on September 9, 2015. She was one tough lady who survived at least six assassination attempts and multilingual, speaking English and German fluently as well as French, Italian and Latin. She even learned Hindu and Urdu phrases when servants from India came to Windsor Castle.

For my third person, I chose Queen Elizabeth II. I have long admired the queen as she was thrusted into a role she was never expected to fulfill. Her father, King George, would take the throne after his older brother, King Edward VIII, abdicated in order to marry American divorcee Wallis Simpson. During World War II, at 14, Elizabeth would broadcast over the radio, speaking to the children who had been evacuated from London during the Blitz. In February 1945, after she turned 18, she was appointed as an honorary second subaltern in the Auxiliary Territorial Service where she was trained as a driver and mechanic. She married Philip Mountbatten, a prince of Greece and Denmark, on November 20, 1947 and would have 4 children, Prince Charles (1948), Princess Anne (1950), Prince Andrew (1960), and Prince Edward (1964). As I mentioned above, Queen Elizabeth II is the longest reigning British monarch in 2015 and the longest reigning monarch in history after the death of Thailand’s King Bhumibol Adulyadej on October 13, 2016. At this post, she has reigned 66 years 11 months and 3 days and has no plans to abdicate. The queen rarely gives interviews, and little is known about her personal feelings. However, she maintains a sense of religious and civic duty and takes her role as queen very seriously. In 2000, she said “To many of us, our beliefs are of fundamental importance. For me the teachings of Christ and my own personal accountability before God provide a framework in which I try to lead my life. I, like so many of you, have drawn great comfort in difficult times from Christ's words and example” (Christmas Broadcast, December 25, 2000). While she does not have any real power in the British government, she performs the State Opening of the Parliament, which opens a new session of Parliament.

In conclusion, from my favorite author to an historical world leader and the history making monarch, these dinners would be filled with fun conversations about literature, culture and world events which these individuals have seen in their lifetimes. The three women lived very different lives, and each had something to say about the world around them. Charlotte Bronte wrote novels and poetry but had to hide her gender as publishers were reluctant to publish a woman’s work. Queen Victoria followed in the footsteps of Queen Elizabeth I and refused to allow a man to dictate her role as queen. Queen Elizabeth has become a beloved queen to many around the around. While being famous, it would be interesting to see how much they would or could have in common with me. Who would you choose?

A More Perfect Union: secrets and scandal if discovered

A More Perfect Union by Jodi Daynard is the story of one man’s journey in America. Its 1794, 15 year old Johnny Watkins has come to Boston from Barbados in order to get an education. He dreams of becoming a great statesman like his hero, John Adams, who thinks the young man can do it. There is one catch. He must pass for white. Johnny is of mixed race. Very few know that Johnny’s father was born a slave. It’s a secret that is heavily guarded. He lives day-to-day risking being found out at any moment. Soon a secret is discovered about a certain presidential candidate in the upcoming election. A secret which dangers Johnny’s future and his very life. Johnny must decide who he can trust. Can he truly trust anyone?

I loved the historical detail in A More Perfect Union. I was confused for most of the book until I realized it was part of a series. I read by other reviewers that it could be read as a stand-alone book but I found that is not the case. As I read, I felt I was reading allusions to information I should already know. I enjoyed the premise and the mystery of this book as Johnny tries to navigate the new American political system. I also think I would have enjoyed so much more if I had read the first two books. I’m going to check out the first two books and reread A More Perfect Union. In the meantime, I recommend this book as a great look into the early years of our country and the development of our political system.

A More Perfect Union

is available on Amazon

in paperback and on the Kindle

Texas Rising: Texas Revolution miniseries

Texas Rising is a 10 hour miniseries about the Texas Revolution against Mexico. It was told in five parts on the History Channel. It starred Bill Paxton as General Sam Houston, Olivier Martinez as General Santa Anna, the “Napoleon of the West,” and Cynthia Addai-Robinson as Emily D. West. Many, many more historical figures of the Texas Revolution are featured. The Texas Revolution took place October 2, 1835 – April 21, 1836. Everyone remembers the Alamo, Texas Rising attempts to bring more of the story to light and reveal the people who fought for independence.

“From the Ashes” (Part 1) begins with the aftermath of the defeat at the Alamo. After receiving the news of the Alamo, Houston and the Texan troops vow revenge and Houston orders Colonel Fannin (played by Rob Morrow) to leave the Goliad fortress in order to combine forces. Fannin refuses. “Fate and Fury” (Part 2) begins as Colonel Fannin finally comes to his senses and orders the retreat, only to be ambushed by the Mexican army lead by General Urrea (played by Alejandro Bracho). Emily West leaves the safety of the Texans camp, gets close to Santa Anna and becomes a spy feeding information to Houston through another spy in the Mexican army. “Blood for Blood” (Part 3) is the story of the final push to San Jacinto as Houston finally has the army’s trust and support. “Vengeance is Mine” (Part 4), April 21, 1836, the Battle of San Jacinto. Houston puts his plan into action as his troops surprise the Mexican Army and catch them unaware. When Santa Anna discovers that his army has lost, he tries to run and disguise himself as an ordinary solider. However, he is soon discovered and brought before Houston.  The final part “Rise of the Republic” portrays the aftermath of the Texans victory. Santa Anna is sent to Washington to meet with President Andrew Jackson (played by Kris Kristofferson). The Texans, riding high on their success, move forward to create their new republic.

As with any film, there are a few historical facts that were portrayed correctly and some that were not. First, Emily D. West was never at the Alamo. She was actually kidnapped by Santa Anna on April 16 at Morgan’s Point, Texas. She is, in fact, a Texan heroine. She is thought to be identified with the folk song, “The Yellow Rose of Texas” for her bravery.  The song was refers to a beautiful “sweetest rose of color.” The song was extremely popular during the Civil War (1861-1865) and the lyrics have been charged without the years. Many historians still believe that the song refers to Emily D. West. Second, Santa Anna was surprised by the attack at San Jacinto because he was otherwise engaged and left the Texans would never attack, let alone defeat him. He also disguised himself as an infantryman. What gave him away was his mean saluting him and referring to him as “el presidente.” Lastly, Santa Anna, I feel, was portrayed fairly correctly. He was referred to as the “Napoleon of the West” and he had an air of confidence about him that lead to his downfall. Napoleon had Waterloo and Santa Anna had San Jacinto.

Despite the historical inaccuracies and liberties taken for dramatic purposes, Texas Rising was an entertaining adventure about important events in Texas history. While some will debate about what did or did not happen, I viewed this miniseries as entertainment about a historical event. Even though you’d expect better accuracies from The History Channel, it still gave insights to what happened after the Alamo and the road to Texan independence. Most movies I’ve seen end with the Alamo or jump ahead to San Jacinto and ignores the events in between. I had never heard of Goliad and the events which happened there. I recommend Texas Rising to anyone who enjoys historical storytelling and old Western gunfights with hero saving the day.