“LADY CLEMENTINE”
By Marie Benedict
Sourcebooks Landmark ($26.99)
Author and Pittsburgh resident Marie Benedict is making a career of bringing to light the previously unsung historical achievements of women—both real and imagined. From the imaginative story of a maid who may have inspired Andrew Carnegie’s legendary philanthropy, to a fictionalized biography of actress and scientist Hedy Lamarr, Ms. Benedict gives life to women who have either achieved important goals on their own, or have influenced the achievements of famous men. Now, the author has undertaken her biggest story yet with her new book, “Lady Clementine,” which tells the story of Clementine Churchill, the wife of Winston Churchill for over five decades. Detailed and thoughtful, Ms. Benedict's portrayal of the wife of arguably the most famous Prime Minister in British history makes Clementine a heroine in her own right.
The book begins in 1908 with the wedding of Clementine and Winston, and the author uses this space to tell the story of the couple’s courtship. For Clementine, Winston is an ideal partner, as he supports her desire for independence. More importantly, perhaps, he recognizes her as his intellectual equal while understanding her complicated relationship with her mother, since he has a similar story of his own.
Once married, Clementine and Winston enter into a partnership that is remarkable for its affection, openness, and mutual respect at a time when marriage was often more about tradition than love. Their journey together, which begins with Winston as a member of Parliament, takes the couple through World War I and Winston’s service in Prime Minister David Lloyd George’s government through 1921.
Ms. Benedict then chooses to move forward in time to 1930—avoiding the relatively unexciting years in the interim—which finds Winston in political exile after his party loses power. As the Nazi government takes power in Germany, however, Winston becomes one of the leading voices against Hitler, and once war is declared in 1939, Clementine and Winston again find themselves in central roles in the British government when he is named Prime Minister in 1940—the rest, as they say, is history.
Yet while it is Winston whom historians study, it is Clementine whom Ms. Benedict is interested in, and as such the well-known historical events in the couple’s lives are seen through Clementine’s eyes. Winston is a demanding figure—both as a politician and a husband—and Clementine is often left to find a way to encourage and assist her husband and his duties, while balancing her own struggles with motherhood and the mental strain that these roles put her under.
The Clementine of the book is more than just support for her husband, however. She is also a mother, and the conflict between her desire to participate in Winston’s political life and her love for her children is central to her character, as attention to one always comes at the expense of the other: this struggle becomes literal when their 2-year-old daughter, Marigold, falls ill while her parents are away, and succumbs to her illness. Clementine’s complicated feelings about motherhood, as well as her battles with depression—both her own and her husband’s—make her a fully realized character, with concerns that are still relevant to women, particularly working mothers, in 2020.
However, one drawback to the book is that since the Churchills are such larger-than-life historical figures, there are a great number of events to touch upon, in both in their personal lives and Britain’s history. As a result, Ms. Benedict sometimes moves so quickly from notable event to notable event that the narrative can veer towards reporting, at the expense of illuminating the evolution of Clementine as an individual and a partner. When the pace slows down enough to give the author space to imagine her protagonist’s interior monologues, though, Clementine Churchill comes alive.
Ms. Benedict’s intent in historical fiction, thus far, is to illuminate the fascinating lives of under-appreciated women, and “Lady Clementine” is certainly her most ambitious book in the genre to date. While Winston Churchill has been the subject of innumerable biographies, it is refreshing and vital to see such care given to the story of Clementine Churchill—a fascinating and intelligent woman in her own right—as Ms. Benedict, yet again, corrects the disservice done to women in historical works.
Wendeline O. Wright is a member of the National Book Critics Circle (wendywright@gmail.com).
First Published: January 26, 2020, 3:00 p.m.