Lady Clementine

by Marie Benedict

  In some ways, my research for all my novels is quite similar. I begin by assembling and delving into any original source material that I can locate about the woman I’m writing about, filling in informational blanks with secondary source materials. Once I’ve finished amassing that data and created a timeline and broad outline, I’ll cast my net wide, researching relevant details about the character’s time period—from macro information such as political and military issues, cultural developments, and socioeconomic circumstances, to micro details such as attire, popular foods, and home decor. Unique aspects arise for each woman, of course, and I often find myself homing in on particular pieces of research. In Clementine’s case, it was a collection of letters between Clementine and Winston spanning the course of their relationship (which encompassed much of their lives) assembled by their daughter Mary. Not only did these letters provide singular insight into Clementine’s voice, but they also gave me an extraordinary look into the feelings they shared with each other, the way they spoke to each other and the topics about which they communicated.

  This book is a piece of historical fiction, which of course means that while it’s based heavily on historical figures and events, it necessitates a bit of artistic license. Were there any specific moments or characters that forced you to rely more on fiction than fact?

  I approached this novel as I did my other historical fiction: I look at the research on the macro and micro aspects of my character’s world as the architecture of my story—the foundation, the pillars, the roof. But in between the pillars and in the space between the foundation and the roof, there will always be gaps, unknowns from the research. And it is in those gaps that the fiction comes in to tell the story, using—I hope—a blend of the logic I developed over my decade as a lawyer, as well as my familiarity with the characters, time, and setting I’ve attained from the research. As just one example of this, on the night before D-Day, we know that Clementine spent part of that evening with Winston. But we do not know the precise conversations they shared or the comfort and advice she might have offered him, and we cannot know the exact impact those exchanges might have had on his decision-making and leadership on the critical day. Therein lies the fiction.

  Like any relationship, Clementine and Winston’s marriage changes with time. Theirs is especially strained, however, because of their growing political differences. Given this emotional complexity, was it difficult to write the evolution of their relationship?

  Clementine and Winston had a particularly complex relationship because their bond not only filled emotional voids left in each other by their difficult upbringings, but it also fed their shared passion for politics and its underlying goals. In some ways, these two aspects of their relationship were intertwined. So when Winston’s politics began to deviate from Clementine’s, their relationship became difficult in some respects, and I had to really dig in to her psyche to envision how this would have affected her, given her feelings for her husband and their ongoing projects, as well as her somewhat fragile nerves. I imagined that, in order to carry them through challenging times, she focused upon those values that united them—the betterment of the lives of the English people and their safety in wartime—instead of the issues that divided them.

  Clementine’s inner conflict between her role as a mother and her career is something that can resonate with many contemporary women. Were you inspired by personal experience when you delved into this issue?

  As a mother myself, I found researching and writing about Clementine’s role as a mother particularly intriguing and eye-opening. I learned a tremendous amount not only about her very specific parenting experiences, but also about the mothering standards for women of her class in that era, which were quite different and much more hands-off than our own, and it made me reconsider various modern-day practices. This understanding provided a lens through which I could view Clementine’s parenting decisions more fairly, because they were oftentimes very dissimilar to the choices mothers would likely make today. But no matter the distinctions between parenting practices of her day and ours, I believe Clementine’s struggles over making the correct choices for her children—and living with the ramifications of poor selections—is something to which all mothers can relate, particularly those who juggle career demands as well.

  As a writer of historical fiction, a large part of your job consists of creating deep inner lives for characters based on real people. Have you ever worried about misrepresenting someone or writing them inaccurately?

  I always worry about my representation of the historical women about whom I write. I feel incredibly honored and privileged to tell their stories, along with a tremendous responsibility toward them. I try to keep that sense of responsibility at the forefront of my mind as I write my fictional interpretation of a piece of their histories—always reminding myself that it is indeed fiction that I write.

  Clementine was a deeply influential figure in Winston’s professional and personal life. Do you think he would have been as successful if he hadn’t had Clementine supporting him?

  While no one can know for certain what Winston’s legacy would have been without Clementine, I believe she was integral to his success. Historians can debate the impact her insights, intellect, and advice may have had on his political decision-making and leadership—particularly since the research isn’t as robust as I might like in that arena—but there can be no doubt that she supported him enormously from an emotional perspective. That role alone was very likely critical to Winston’s well-being, which ensured that he could fulfill the necessary leadership position in World War II. That said, I personally believe her professional and political impact was wide-ranging and key.

  Acknowledgments

  The story Lady Clementine might have languished in the shadows—like countless narratives of other key historical women—without the support and dedication of so many people. I must begin, as always, with my wonderful agent, Laura Dail, whose fabulous advocacy and impeccable advice made this book—in all its forms—possible. I am incredibly fortunate to have the phenomenal folks at Sourcebooks helping to make Lady Clementine into the best version of itself and tirelessly championing its story, in particular my delightful and brilliant editor, Shana Drehs; Sourcebooks’s inspiring leader, Dominique Raccah; not to mention the astonishing Todd Stocke, Valerie Pierce, Heidi Weiland, Kaitlyn Kennedy, Lizzie Lewandowski, Heather Hall, Michael Leali, Margaret Coffee, Beth Oleniczak, Tiffany Schultz, Ashlyn Keil, Adrienne Krogh, Will Riley, Danielle McNaughton, and Travis Hasenour. And my appreciation for all the marvelous booksellers and librarians and readers who have enjoyed and recommended Lady Clementine, as well as my other books, is boundless.

  My extended family and friends have been key to my writing process, not to mention inspirational, especially my Sewickley crew, Illana Raia, Kelly Close, Laura Hudak, Daniel McKenna, Ponny Conomos Jahn, and my sistas. But it is Jim, Jack, and Ben—my boys—to and for whom I am endlessly grateful.

  In terms of gratitude, I would be remiss not to mention the invaluable work undertaken by several writers, researchers, and family members to highlight Clementine Churchill’s life and legacy. While there is an abundance of intriguing writing on Winston Churchill that touches on his wife, I highly recommend the following books for those who want to delve more deeply specifically into the nonfiction world of Clementine: (1) Mary Soames’s Winston and Clementine: The Personal Letters of the Churchills, (2) Mary Soames’s Clementine Churchill: The Biography of a Marriage, (3) Sonia Purnell’s Clementine: The Life of Mrs. Winston Churchill, and (4) Jack Fishman’s My Darling Clementine: The Story of Lady Churchill. And for those who relish an even deeper dive—one of a physically immersive nature—I recommend visits to Blenheim Palace, Chartwell, and the Churchill War Rooms, among many Churchillian locations in and around London, to get a sense of how the inimitable Clementine Churchill actually lived, and not just in my fictional worlds.

  About the Author


  Marie Benedict is a lawyer with more than ten years’ experience as a litigator at two of the country’s premier law firms and Fortune 500 companies. She is a magna cum laude graduate of Boston College with a focus on history and a cum laude graduate of the Boston University School of Law. She is also the author of the New York Times bestseller The Only Woman in the Room, Carnegie’s Maid, and The Other Einstein. She lives in Pittsburgh with her family.

  The Other Einstein

  In the tradition of The Paris Wife and Mrs. Poe, the story of a relationship as fascinating as it is troubling

  What secrets may have lurked in the shadows of Albert Einstein’s fame? In 1896, the extraordinarily gifted Mileva “Mitza” Marić is the only woman studying physics at an elite school in Zurich. For her, science seems like an easier path than marriage, until she falls in love with fellow student Albert Einstein. Charismatic and brilliant, Albert promises to treat her as an equal in both love and science. But as Albert’s fame grows, is there room for more than one genius in a marriage?

  The Other Einstein reveals the forgotten woman whose light was lost in Einstein’s enormous shadow.

  “Superb…the haunting story of Einstein’s first wife who was lost in his shadow.”

  —Sue Monk Kidd, New York Times bestselling author of The Invention of Wings

  For more Marie Benedict, visit:

  sourcebooks.com

  Carnegie’s Maid

  The mesmerizing tale of the woman who could have inspired an American dynasty

  Clara Kelley is not who they think she is. She’s not the experienced Irish maid who was hired to work in one of Pittsburgh’s grandest houses. She’s a poor farmer’s daughter with nowhere to go. But the other Clara has vanished, and pretending to be her might be her best option. If she can keep up the ruse, that is. Serving as a lady’s maid in the household of Andrew Carnegie requires skills she doesn’t have, answering to an icy mistress who rules her sons and her domain with an iron fist. What Clara does have is a resolve as strong as the steel Pittsburgh is becoming famous for, coupled with an uncanny understanding of business, and Andrew begins to rely on her. But Clara can’t let her guard down, even when Andrew becomes something more than an employer. Revealing her past might ruin her future—and her family’s.

  Carnegie’s Maid tells the story of the brilliant woman who may have spurred Andrew Carnegie’s transformation from ruthless industrialist to the world’s first true philanthropist.

  “Downton Abbey fans should flock to this charming tale.”

  —Pam Jenoff, New York Times bestselling author of The Orphan’s Tale

  For more Marie Benedict, visit:

  sourcebooks.com

  The Only Woman in the Room

  New York Times Bestseller

  She possessed a stunning beauty. She also possessed a stunning mind. Could the world handle both?

  Hedy Kiesler’s beauty almost certainly saved her from the rising Nazi party and led to marriage with an Austrian arms dealer. Underestimated in everything else, she overheard the Third Reich’s plans while at her husband’s side, understanding more than anyone would guess. She devised a plan to flee in disguise from their castle, and the whirlwind escape landed her in Hollywood. She became Hedy Lamarr, screen star. But she kept a secret more shocking than her heritage or her marriage: she was a scientist. And she knew a few secrets about the enemy. She had an idea that might help the country fight the Nazis…if anyone would listen to her.

  A powerful novel based on the incredible true story of the glamour icon and scientist whose groundbreaking invention revolutionized modern communication, The Only Woman in the Room is a masterpiece.

  “A novelist that makes a career out of writing about the only woman in the room… In Benedict’s telling, that story is a ready-made thriller as well as a feminist parable.”

  —New York Times

  For more Marie Benedict, visit:

  sourcebooks.com

  Thank you for reading this Sourcebooks eBook!

  Join our mailing list to stay in the know and receive special offers and bonus content on your favorite books and authors!

  CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP

  Books. Change. Lives.