She knew that one Englishman was worth a hundred foreigners, whereas Tony thought that one capitalist was worth a hundred workers. ”Linda took no interest in politics, but she was instinctively and unreasonably English. He had been molded and shaped carefully by his family and they had reservations about Linda. Linda marries a Conservative prig named Tony. ”Isn’t it lovely to be lovely me?” This story is about Linda and from time to time as Fanny starts talking about herself too much she will remind herself and her reader, firmly, that this book is about Linda. Fanny is best friends with her cousin Linda, a great beauty in a family of beautiful people. It is still covered with blood and hairs, an object of fascination to us as children.”.

This means that Fanny spends most of her time at Alconleigh with her Aunt Sadie “Vague as she was, Aunt Sadie could not always be counted on to ignore everything that was happening around her.” and Uncle Matthew “Over the chimney-piece.hangs an entrenching tool, with which, in 1915 Uncle Matthew had whacked to death eight Germans one by one as they crawled out of a dugout. ”Oh, you are so lucky, to have wicked parents.” Her mother is referred to throughout most of the book as “The Bolter” as she runs through marriages like a crazed colt intent on escaping any form of stanchion. I have a feeling that after each book she probably received a fair share of bristling letters from her extended family as they take exception to one caricature or another or maybe they just all had a laugh knowing that everyone was going to get “got” at some point in time.įanny is the narrator and is reminded all the time how fortunate she is. Mitford draws heavily on her family’s personal history to write these novels. They were certainly a talented, artistic family, and if this book is any indication also quick with the witty dialogue.

Nancy Mitford had five sisters and one brother and when you look her up on wikipedia all of her siblings are in blue which of course means that wikipedia has a worthy entry for each one of them. Nancy Mitford, unlucky in love, like many of her heroines. “Always either on a peak of happiness or drowning in black waters of despair they loved or they loathed, they lived in a world of superlatives.”

The Pursuit of Love by Nancy Mitford