That Churchill Woman

“The perfect confection of a novel … We’re introduced to Jennie in all of her passion and keen intelligence and beauty. While she is surrounded by a cast of late-Victorian celebrities, including Bertie, Prince of Wales, it’s always Jennie who shines and takes the center stage she was born to.”—Melanie Benjamin, New York Times bestselling author of The Aviator’s Wife and The Swans of Fifth Avenue

“Stephanie Barron cuts through the scandal and rumors surrounding Lady Randolph Churchill to bring us the woman herself in all her complexity: caught between worlds as an American in England, an intimate of princes, a favorite target of the scandal sheets, yet intensely private and fiercely loyal. Barron brings us along with Jennie to a world seething with secrets behind a façade of intricate etiquette and elaborate gowns… . An immense accomplishment from a seasoned author.”—Lauren Willig, New York Times bestselling author of the Pink Carnation series

“What a subject for a novel! And what a read for anyone interested in the lives of women who have, until now, been largely unexplored. Jennie Jerome, the feisty mother of Winston Churchill, had a luxurious existence that stretched from the upper echelons of American society to Paris and London. Yet this gilded life had more than its share of heartbreak and tragedy. Adored by some and loathed by others, Jennie chafed at the rigid conventions of the Victorian age. Stephanie Barron’s immersive and richly detailed story gives a fascinating glimpse into the lives of society women, as well as the early life of Churchill himself.”—Jane Thynne, author of the Clara Vine series

“Barron … turns her able hand to biographical fiction in this absorbing volume that captures the life and charm of one of the American heiresses who crossed the Atlantic to catch a titled English husband in the late nineteenth century… . Recommended for fans of Victorian England, Gilded Age New York, historical fiction populated with real people, and high society.”—Booklist

“Barron paints a picture of a beautiful woman with enough determination and animal magnetism to get what she wants… . The characters are captivating.”—Kirkus Reviews

“Finely researched, sumptuous … [Jennie and Charles’s] relationship is complex and realistic. Barron’s commitment to detail and scope allows for illuminating flashbacks and references to actual family letters, which serve to flesh out Jennie’s story with realism and empathy… . Presenting a fiercely intelligent, independent version of Jennie, this satisfying book actively pushes back against her historical reputation as a scandalous woman to great, consuming effect.”—Publishers Weekly

Stephanie Barron studied history at Princeton and Stanford, where she was an Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Fellow in the Humanities. She is the author of the historical suspense novels A Flaw in the Blood and The White Garden, as well as the critically acclaimed and nationally bestselling Jane Austen Mystery series. A former intelligence analyst for the CIA, Barron—who also writes under the name Francine Mathews—drew on her experience in espionage for such novels as Jack 1939, which The New Yorker described as “one of the most deliciously high-concept thrillers imaginable.” She lives and works in Denver, Colorado.

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