Hons and Rebels

I first read this book many years ago, and I can best describe it as delicious. I've re-read it several times, and it is one of the few books I have enjoyed more each time I read it. Decca is astute, hilarious, and utterly candid. The book is timeless!

The fascist, the writer, the country girl, the Nazi, the communist, and the Duchess... the six Mitford sisters are truly one of the most fascinating group of people of the 20th century. This is Jessica "Decca" Mitford's story: she's the communist. A cousin of Winston Churchill, she rebelled early against her eccentic high-society family and eloped with her cousin (not Winston, obviously: a different cousin, who had been kicked out of several prestigious schools for his political beliefs). She witnessed the Spanish Civil War, lunched with Katharine Graham, lost her first husband in WWII, fled the country just in the nick of time to avoid her very own McCarthy hearing, and dedicated her life to uncovering institutional corruption and scamming of the the American public. Through it all, she retained her excellent sense of humor, her undeniable charm, and an unmistakable grace.It is a little disapointing that this book ends when it does, as Decca certainly continued to lead a fascinating life. However, it is always a priveledge to see inside the Mitford family, especially from the point of view of someone who felt that she was an outsider in the family (whether that was actually true or not is up for discussion).

Proving that the ability to write humorously was not just limited to the more famous Mitford sister, Nancy, Jessica (or Decca as she was known by the family, writes an intentionally hilarious account of the first 20 or so years of her life.As I am going through a Mitford phase at the moment I thought I would start following up the various biographies and memoirs of the sisters and their children. There were six sisters in this family of eccentric, talented and individual children and one brother who unfortunately was killed in WWII. Jessica, the second youngest of the family was born in 1917 and was in the second half of the family - Nancy, the eldest was born in 1904, so they were never really contemporaries. Jessica's book Hon's and Rebels describes her memories of her home life and early marriage years until just before the death of her first husband in WWII. Its a marvellous read, and while other Mitford sisters have said that there are parts of this that are untrue, (memories are not necessarily that reliable) it is an easy, witty and fun read and enough reliability in it to not deceive.I would recommend reading this in conjunction with some of the other broader works of Mitford biographies, I read it with Mary Lovell's recent biography which was helpful = and definitely read Nancy Mitford's first two novels of her series (The pursuit of Love and Love in a Cold Climate) before delving into any Mitford biographies. They are wonderful and draw from her life. Jessica's Memoirs are icing on a wonderful cake. (so to speak)A great, easy read.

The most fascinating of the illustrious Mitford sisters made the story of her life a page-turner. Not only is the book hilarious, it provides a lively, detailed portrait of the Mitfords and their times. It's hard to believe one family had a role in so many events of the 20th century, from London debutante balls to the rise of the Nazis. Absolutely riveting.

The Mitford sisters are now immortal, and are one of the most astounding collection of people of their generation. Nancy's pursuit of love, Diana and Unity the facists, Pam and Deborah, the country ladies, and Jessica the communist.The childhood that Jessica recorded in Hons and Rebels is easily recognisable in The Pursuit of Love, and Love in a Cold Climate.What happened next was entirely different, while the other sisters were in jail, or shooting themselves, or maintaining huge estates in the country, Jessica married a communist, and relative of Churchill (the Mitfords themselves were relatives of Churchill), who ran away from Eton.Esmond was killed in the War, and Jessica married again, and began her career as a 'muckraker' - uncovering the incredible and macabre world of American funerals, and being suspected of Un-American Activities.This book is fascinating, amusing, and, like the stories of all the sisters, quite sad, in a way.Anybody who is interested in the English Aristocracy of the early 20th Century would do well to read this book.