Deborah Devonshire is a natural writer with a knack for the telling phrase and for hitting the nail on the head. She tells the story of her upbringing, lovingly and wittily describing her parents (so memorably fictionalised by her sister Nancy); she talks candidly about her brother and sisters, and their politics (while not being at all political herself), finally setting the record straight.
Throughout the book she writes brilliantly about the country and her deep attachment to it and those who live and work in it. As Duchess of Devonshire, Debo played an active role in restoring and overseeing the day-to-day running of the family houses and gardens, and in developing commercial enterprises at Chatsworth. She tells poignantly of the deaths of three of her children, as well as her husband's battle with alcohol addiction.
Wait For Me is enthralling and a total joy, full of the author's sympathetic wit (which she is not afraid to use on herself).
Praise for "Counting My Chickens . . .
""More entertaining than anything I could say about it." --P. J. Kavanagh, "The Spectator
"Praise for "Home to Roost
""Nobody with an interest in the past century could fail to be interested in the gossip, which extends to just about everyone of interest." --Matthew Bell, "The Independent on Sunday
""Behind the wit and quips, there is something else stronger and more rigorous. She goes to the ballet at Covent Garden with the Queen Mother and notices that throughout the entire performance, the Queen Mother's back 'never once touched the chair.' That is how the Duchess is too--never a slouch, never a saggy moment, even in grief alert, attentive, observant." --Adam Nicolson, "The Spectator
"Praise for "In Tearing Haste
""One of the great twentieth-century correspondences . . . Bursting with wit and conviviality." --James Purdon, "The Observer "(London)
"Beguiling . . . Hugely enjoyable . . . What th
"Charming, captivating, and at times wickedly funny. 'Wait for Me!' was the refrain of young 'Debo', the baby of the family. Now ninety, she has caught up beautifully." --"Time
""A national treasure." --Sarah Lyall, "The New York Times
"""Wait for Me!" . . . teem[s] with memories of love, war, betrayal, heartbreak, housekeeping, and frolic . . . tantalizing . . . riveting." --Liesl Schillinger, "The New York Times Book Review
""Admirably done, cannily blending disclosure and reticence in a charming book that kept me riveted." --Miranda Seymour, "The Guardian" (London)
"[Debo] is in possession of what I can only describe as a uniquely Mitford-esque sensibility: loving but unsentimental . . . able to find the ridiculous in almost anything." --Rachel Cooke, " The Observer" (London)
Praise for "Counting My Chickens . . .
""More entertaining than anything I could say about it." --P. J. Kavanagh, "The Spectator
"Praise for "Home to Roost
""Nobody with an interest in the past century could fail to be interested in the gossip, which extends to just about everyone of interest." --Matthew Bell, "The Independent on Sunday
""Behind the wit and quips, there is something else stronger and more rigorous. She goes to the ballet at Covent Garden with the Queen Mother and notices that throughout the entire performance, the Queen Mother's back 'never once touched the chair.' That is how the Duchess is too--never a slouch, never a saggy moment, even in grief alert, attentive, observant." --Adam Nicolson, "The Spectator
"Praise for "In Tearing Haste
""One of the great twentieth-century correspondences . . . Bursting with wit and conviviality." --James Purdon, "The Observer "(London)
"Beguiling . . . Hugely enjoyable . . . What these letters so wonderfully demonstrate is an unfailing appetite for life." --Anne Chisholm, "The Spectator
"Praise for "T""he Mitfords
""Funny, loving, sparkly, snarky, heartbreaking, chilling, gossipy, wise." --Amanda Lovell, "O, The Oprah Magazine"
Praise for "Counting My Chickens . . .
""More entertaining than anything I could say about it." --P. J. Kavanagh, "The Spectator
"Praise for "Home to Roost
""Nobody with an interest in the past century could fail to be interested in the gossip, which extends to just about everyone of interest." --Matthew Bell, "The Independent on Sunday
""Behind the wit and quips, there is something else stronger and more rigorous. She goes to the ballet at Covent Garden with the Queen Mother and notices that throughout the entire performance, the Queen Mother's back 'never once touched the chair.' That is how the Duchess is too--never a slouch, never a saggy moment, even in grief alert, attentive, observant." --Adam Nicolson, "The Spectator
"Praise for "In Tearing Haste
""One of the great twentieth-century correspondences . . . Bursting with wit and conviviality." --James Purdon, "The Observer "(London)
"Beguiling . . . Hugely enjoyable . . . What these letters so wonderfully demonstrate is an unfailing appetite for life." --Anne Chisholm, "The Spectator
"Praise for "T""he Mitfords
""Funny, loving, sparkly, snarky, heartbreaking, chilling, gossipy, wise." --Amanda Lovell, "O, The Oprah Magazine"
Praise for "Counting My Chickens . . .
"Praise for "Home to Roost
"Praise for "In Tearing Haste
"Praise for "T""he Mitfords
A national treasure.--Sarah Lyall "The New York Times "
"Wait for Me!" . . . teem[s] with memories of love, war, betrayal, heartbreak, housekeeping, and frolic . . . tantalizing . . . riveting.--Liesl Schillinger "The New York Times Book Review "
Admirably done, cannily blending disclosure and reticence in a charming book that kept me riveted.--Miranda Seymour "The Guardian (London) "
[Debo] is in possession of what I can only describe as a uniquely Mitford-esque sensibility: loving but unsentimental . . . able to find the ridiculous in almost anything.--Rachel Cooke "The Observer (London) "
