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Jennie Churchill

Winston's American Mother

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Jennie Churchill

By: Anne Sebba
Narrated by: Joanna David
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About this listen

 After a three-day romance, Brooklyn-born Jennie Jerome married into the British aristocracy to become Lady Randolph Churchill.

At a time when women had few freedoms, she was a cornerstone of high society and behind-the-scenes political dynamo. However it was Jennie's love life that marked her out, causing scandal and earning her the epithet 'more panther than woman'.

Yet, in many ways, Jennie was deeply loyal to her husband. When he was dying of syphilis she took him on a round-the-world trip to conceal his violence and mania. He returned in a straitjacket with only weeks to live. After Randolph's death her great project became her son, Winston...

©2007 Anne Sebba (P)2008 WF Howes Ltd Entertainment & Celebrities Europe Great Britain Historical Politicians Politics & Activism Women World Celebrity England Marriage
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If you are interested in Jennie’s life and the reach of influential tentacles then this is very informative. But the story arc is not sufficiently supported by sufficient buttresses. A biography’s timeline is self evident but this was very bitty and disjointed. No flow, nothing rooted to place or time. Narration was monotone- but look what she had to work with?

Interesting but a bit of a slog.

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Although the story is very interesting, I was disappointed with the narrator's pronunciation of well-known words, for example, 'admiralty' and 'Sandys'. Also, shouldn't the editor have noticed? This lowers the standards I expect from Audible.

Poor, incorrect pronunciation.

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Although the narrative covers Jenny Churchill's life from birth to passing.... it chronicles events and glosses over the real meat of what went on in her scandalous liaisons and relationships. I feel there's so much more beneath the surface which is not revealed. She was not a good mother... poor Winston and Jack... although her boys were devoted to her. She was hugely spendthrift and selfish but did some good charity work. Disappointingly she came to a sad end. I expected more from the narrator expecting Joanna David to have been better educated that she appears to be here where she strangely mis -pronounces some commonplace words and names. She should know better. Having listened to an eternity of audiobooks I'm convinced that narrators just don't bother to research a work before they record it. This book is an ok listen but I don't rate it more highly.

Not the full story

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