The Sisters

The Saga of the Mitford Family

By: Mary S. Lovell

Narrated by: Annie Wauters

This is the story of a close, loving family splintered by the violent ideologies of Europe between the wars. Jessica was a Communist; Debo became the Duchess of Devonshire; Nancy was one of the best-selling novelists of her day; the ethereally beautiful Diana was the most hated woman in England; and Unity Valkyrie, born in Swastika, Alaska, would become obsessed with Adolf Hitler.

©1991 Mary S. Lovell (P)2013 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

"[A] balanced, well-researched, and beautifully written biography...[an] exceptional achievement." ( Bay Area Reporter, Tavo Amador)

"The Mitford girls were probably the most spectacular sister act of the 20th century." ( Vogue)

I didn’t like the style of the reader who may have been the author. Boring presentation.

I think for me it was the style of the book. I mean, she preferences that saying that she’s reading different letters and journals, etc. I just didn’t like the style. I think these women sound very interesting but I don’t wanna listen to it anymore. I’m totally bored by the reader and the content.

Interesting story.

Great story but somewhat spoiled by the narrator's total lack of understanding of English pronunciation.
High Wycombe is pronounced High Wick-Ham, not Why-Combe.
Cheyne Walk is pronounced Chain Walk, not Chey Knee Walk.
Why not get a narrator from England?

Blood is thicker than water, but...

Would you listen to The Sisters again? Why?

Yes, I have listened twice already. There are details I missed the first time that were worth going back to get the second time.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Sisters?

The stories about Hitler and how opinions changed about him when people met him.

Which character – as performed by Annie Wauters – was your favorite?

Not sure, but she does an excellent job of narrating.

Any additional comments?

I purchased this because I listened to "Wait For Me." They go very well together.

'Saga' is right! What an incredible story

I was aware of Jessica Mitford and Nancy Mitford as authors but hadn't read their works. And I had no idea at all of the amazing lives they led, not to mention the equally amazing lives of their four sisters. Certain aspects of the story reminded me of Downton Abbey, with daughters being presented to the king & queen as debutantes, scintillating dinner parties, fox hunts, and country estates. But I was even more reminded of Forrest Gump: collectively, the Mitford sisters seem to have been in the middle of everything and connected with everyone through much of the 20th century. And the drastically different directions the various sisters took were mind-boggling. How many families could claim one child who was a close friend of Hitler and another who went to fight the fascists in Spain?? Really a fascinating and entertaining read. The narrator was good, though not outstanding, but I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this recording. I am looking forward to reading some of the Mitfords' own works now.

Interesting Muti-Biography

This is a well written biography of a family of controversial sisters. The style is accessible and the author is non judgemental about their controversial beliefs and associations, particularly in regard to the Fascist sympathies of Unity and Dianne. She does a good job of highlighting the attitudes of the parents and how they influenced their daughters. Some aspects of this family and their beliefs certainly do not fit in with the precepts of the current "woke" culture prevailing in much of what purports to be history. The author allows the reader/listener to come to their own conclusions regarding both the subjects and their beliefs. This is appreciated by the reviewer, at least.
This is a good book hampered by the narrator. Annie Wauters either did not rehearse this reading or has real difficulty in reading sentences with multiple clauses. So many times the sense of sentences is broken by poor reading. Also, please take the time to learn how to pronounce British place names. An English voice would have perhaps been appropriate, given the background of the family. How they spoke defined them for good and bad then and now in much of British society and there is little of that sense in the narration.

I love biographies that are this thorough.

This book was an excellent portrait of the mitford sisters I felt and the reason I gave it only four stars was that there was still more to be said that wasn't being said and so the mystery of the mitford's goes on.

Good book - narrator became annoying.

Good book and seems to be a well balanced history of the Mitford.

The narrator has a pleasing tone of voice, but her odd...pauses, especially by the....end, had become...annoying.

Interesting

Fascinating story of a family that lived on the brink of history. I enjoyed it.

The book is wonderful - the narration is a little sketchy.

The book is a wonderful and fascinating look into the incredible lives of the Mitford sisters. The book is well researched and entertaining as well as being informative. My only complaint is relatively minor. The narrator pauses in awkward places, as though parts of the sentences being read are on an awkward page turn or were re-recorded later and inserted so the voice doesn’t entirely match. It gives the impression that the narrator is not as familiar with punctuation or how to appropriately follow it verbally when reading aloud. There are pauses and then the reading continues as though a new sentence has begun only to realize after a moment that what’s being said is a continuation of the previous sentence.
Example: “Unity spent a great deal of time in a cafe she knew Hitler liked. (pause-pause-pause). Because she admired him greatly.” This sort of reading style happens throughout the book. Thankfully, the book is interesting enough that it is possible to overlook for the most part.

Enjoyed!

Excellent and quite informative. They were a fascinating family to say the least. I stumbled upon it while looking at books in kindle and decided to listen instead.