I started this year reading three books based on real people who made an impact in the UK: Clementine Churchill, Wallis Simpson, and Prince Harry. Yes, I did pick up Spare, even though we’re all so done hearing about Harry and Megan and couldn’t care less after the Netflix documentary came out. I wasn’t planning on reading the book until I watched Leena Norm’s review of the book. Maybe it will convince you to read it, too.
Clementine: The Life of Mrs. Winston Churchill by Sonia Purnell
Let’s talk about Clemetine Churchill, or Clemmie, as she was known to a very select few. I don’t remember why I chose to read this book, but it may have had something to do with my obsession with The Crown. Clementine is only in a few episodes, maybe only two, if I remember correctly, but there is never any focus on her. She’s nothing more than a background extra in that show.
Purnell’s book, however, opens up the mystery of what the Churchill’s marriage was actually like, and how, despite its unique situations, managed to work for them. The book teaches you all about Clemetine, and by the end, you may feel like you’ve known her for her whole life. This book would be a great read for anyone mildly interested in women who made an impact on history.
That Woman: The Life of Wallis Simpson, Duchess of Windsor by Anne Sebba
After finishing Clementine, I decided to continue the tradition of reading about famous women in Britain. Despite being from Baltimore, Wallis Simpson left one of the biggest footprints on England and the monarchy until Princess Diana came along. I was interested in learning a little more about her since she was an American, and I also wanted to see if The Crown had purposefully characterized her in a specific way.
I did enjoy that this book didn’t seem to be trying to create sympathy for her. Instead, it focused on real accounts from people around her and the Duke of Windsor, and painted a picture of how many different people felt about their relationship. We got to meet Wallis as a young girl, newlywed woman, divorcee, and finally as what many thought was a royal mistress. I got to learn about how she came to meet the former king and how she influenced him, especially around the time of the abdication. Again, it’s a good read if you’re interested in history, and pretty juicy and gossipy, too.
Spare by Prince Harry
Tired of reading about events from before I was born, I decided to pick up a more modern book, in fact, so modern, that it had barely been published for a month by the time I got around to reading it. Spare is full of a lot of events most of us already know about, so to me, it wasn’t too shocking. It was the most disappointing book out of the three — not because of the writing, but because of the content. Harry’s ghostwriter does an excellent job, making the stories so easy to read and focuses a lot on the little details in Harry’s memories that help bring them to life for all of us. The book isn’t really about a member of the royal family’s life, it’s about how the press negatively affected a celebrity’s life. There are a lot of moments where Harry puts the blame on the media, and tries to show how civil he is when his family doesn’t “take his side.” Wether or not everything is true, it’s definitely an easy read, although I don’t think anyone who isn’t remotely interested in the Royal Family would actually enjoy it.
I was originally planning on writing separate reviews for these books, but I decided it would be easier to just combine them into one. It’s hard sometimes to write a long-winded review on a book without giving away too much of the story.
After reading so many predictable biographies and memoirs, I’m in the mood for a good “story”. These are the unread books on my shelf that I plan to get through at some point this year:
- No One is Talking About This, Patricia Lockwood
- When All the World was Young, Barbara Holland
- The Art of Drinking, Barbara Holland
- Endangered Pleasures, Barbara Holland
- I’m Glad my Mom Died, Jennette McCurdy
- The Climb, Chris Froome
- We Are What We Eat, Alice Waters
I still have some memoirs in the mix, but these are all books I wouldn’t normally reach for. I’m excited to try some new reads.
Which books do you have on your TBR list this year? Share one below!
Words From the Riverbed 