Muv

<p>‘Rachel Trethewey has done the seemingly impossible in a book about the Mitfords: she has found something original to say, thanks to her excellent scholarship, and has written Muv’s story exceptionally well.’ – <strong>SIMON HEFFER, author of <em>Sing As We Go: Britain Between the Wars</em></strong></p><p><strong>Nancy, Pamela, Diana, Unity, Jessica, Deborah: these are the flamboyant Mitford Girls, the Bright Young Things who defined their era.</strong> The trials, tribulations and outrageous escapades of these six controversial sisters continue to fascinate us. Yet what about the seventh and arguably most vital Mitford woman of them all – their mother?</p><p>Sydney Redesdale, known as ‘Muv’, is often portrayed as different from her daughters – outside of that exclusive girl gang. Without doubt, she was a divisive character, her daughters squabbling about the ‘real Muv’ for even longer than they argued about their political differences. They could never agree: was she a scapegoat or saint, mother or manager? Even later biographers couldn’t quite pin her down: just who was this elusive woman who nurtured such colourful children?</p><p>How could these exceptional daughters have sprung from such apparently ordinary parents? In reality, Sydney was far from ‘ordinary’: she was the original Mitford girl, from whom much of her daughters’ legendary strong will, self-confidence and extremism was born. Set against the backdrop of a country and a family divided, the story of her life – one of eccentricity, tragedy and resilience – is told here in full for the first time.</p>