Lady Clementine

 Marie Benedict writes about amazing women who have received little attention in history. Kirkus calls it a "rousing tale of ambition and love," and the ambition is not just on the part of Winston. Drawn together at a very fundamental level by their childhoods that were devoid of significant affection, Clemmie and Winston--or Cat and Pug as they affectionately called each other--form a bond so strong that it cannot be sundered by wars, flirtatious women or even the death of a daughter. Based on a voluminous correspondence between the two that was kept and published by their daughter, it is clear that Winston could not have succeeded without Clementine, and Clementine would have withered under the strictures imposed on women at the time without the dramatic stage of Winston's political career. Booklist summarizes the story this way: "Beginning on Clementine's wedding day in 1909 and tracing key events in her life for the next 35 years, the book focuses on Clementine's struggle to be both an emotional and intellectual support to her demanding husband, her mixed feelings about motherhood, and her own strongly held political beliefs, which she was often forced to sideline in service of her husband's ambition."

She supported Winston absolutely although she frequently reined in his harsh attacks on those who worked with him, offered advice that he would hear only from her, and often helped rewrite his speeches. She felt she was an inadequate mother, but she took up the cause of women and children with a vengeance, and was solely responsible for improving the conditions in air raid shelters. She talked to the people who were harmed by the war and carried their concerns to the top levels of government. She had her own struggles with depression as well as disapproval from family members and officials surrounding Churchill for the active role she took in political and government affairs. Having read two books about Churchill (The Splendid and the Vile and Hero of the Empire), this book offered a very different perspective on Churchill that painted him as a flawed human who thought himself destined for great things. Clementine helped hide the flaws and achieve his destiny. 

Publishers Weekly praised Benedict's novel: "Accurate era descriptions add to the realism of the story, and Benedict reveals the connection between Clementine's grounded energy and her thoughtful influence throughout times of war and peace."