Review: "That Churchill Woman" by Stephanie Barron

This is another gripping novel about a little-known woman who influenced history, Lady Randolph Churchill or Jennie Jerome. By the title, I assumed this was about Winston Churchill’s wife, what a pleasant surprise to find out it is about his mother. Jennie was an unconventional woman, in an unconventional marriage that managed to cultivate a son who played a major role in World War II.

Ms. Barron uses a very interesting writing style to tell this story. It starts out in the third person, with Jennie being discussed but quickly switches to first person, in Jennie’s own voice. This works well for this novel, it allows you to live and feel through her own eyes, with all her triumphs and incredible heartbreaks brought to life.

This is great historical fiction about an incredible woman who lived life on her own terms. Her contemporaries either loved or hated her as she followed her own rules. Although it involves delicate adult subjects, they are handled gracefully, allowing the book to be enjoyed by teens to adults. I recommend this to anyone that is interested in the more obscure side of history.