Hons and Rebels 3 - The End (Pages 104 - end)

 RATING: GOOD

This is the last part of the book. I have enjoyed Jessica Mitford's vision of her own family. I loved the part about her growing up, but I have to say that I found the last part dull. When Jessica travels to America with her husband and meets all these new people, that did not grip my attention so much.

She metions that two book infulenced her: The Brown Book of the Hitler Terror and Out of Bounds. The Education of Giles and Esmond Romilly.

The Brown Book of the Reichstag Fire and Hitler Terror is a book published in Paris, France in August 1933. It was written by an anti-fascist group which included German communist Willi Munzenberg, as well as Hans Siemsen and Gustav Regler.

Out of Bounds. The Education of Giles and Esmond Romilly is the story of their schooldays, first at Newlands and then at Wellington, which was first published in 1935 and has been out of print for many years. Out of Bounds shows the authors political thoughts and beliefs and serves as a moving picture of the struggle against the education, politics and social mores of the 1930s.

Pam married Derek Jackson in 1936.  Jackson was bisexual and married six times. They lived at Tullamaine Castle in Fethard, County Tipperary, with Jackson's bisexuality and womanizing raising some suspicions that it was a marriage of convenience.

Jessica followed Esmond's life and she heard that he had joined the Spanish Civil War. In mid-December, Romilly's unit was sent to Boadilla del Monte, where a strong rebel offensive was under way. In the ensuing battle, nearly all of Romilly's British companions, including Birch, were killed. Romilly survived the fighting, but contracted dysentery and was invalided back to England early in January 1937.

Jessica met Giles when she was invited by Dorothy Allhusen, in whose house Giles was staying. There they planned their flit. 

Jessica and Esmond eloped to Spain, where Romilly picked up work as a reporter for the News Chronicle. After some legal difficulties caused by their relatives' opposition, they married.

When they returned to London, they lived in Rotherhithe Street. Jessica was born and gave birth to a girl, but she died of pneumonia. 

Jessica and Esmond went to America in 1939. There they tried to make ends meet, findind different jobs. Esmond ended up owning part of a restaurant as he got interested in making cocktails. 

Esmond volunteered for the Canadian Air Force while Jessica stayed with Virginia Durr. And the book does not mention that, but he died in the war. Virginia Foster Durr (August 6, 1903 – February 24, 1999) was an American civil rights activist and lobbyist.