Joan Crawford: A Life from Beginning to End 2 - The End (Pages 27 - end)

 

Joan Crawford got her new name through a contest in the magazine Movie Weekly. 

New Book - Joan Crawford: A Life from Beginning to End by Hourly History (Pages 1 - 27)

 First Published: September 11, 2021 

This is a book about the life of Joan Crawford, who was born in 1904. Her real name was Lucille Fay LeSueur. Her parents were Thomas and Anna Bell Lesueur.

Across the Plains in the Donner Party by Virginia Reed Murphy

 First Published: July 1891

This is the account of the Donner tragedy from one of the survivors, Virginia Reed Murphy. Virginia Reed Murphy (1833 or 1834 – 1921) was an American memoirist and survivor of the Donner Party. 

The Maid's Tale 2 - The End (Pages 59 - end)

 

RATING: VERY GOOD

New Book - The Maid's Tale by Tom Quinn (Pages 1 - 59)

 

First Published: September 15, 2011

This is an account of Rose Plummer, who was born in 1910, adn grew up in Hoxton. Life was hard for her and her family. They lived in a couple of rooms, and they lived in poverty. Hoxton is an area in the London Borough of Hackney,

The Mitford Girls 8 - The End (Chapters 13 - end)

 

RATING: VERY GOOD

Nancy wrote her book "Pigeon Pie" based on her experiences in a first-aid post. 

The Mitford Girls 7 (Chapters 9 - 13)

 

The book makes reference to Diana being painted by Churchill and appearing in "Tea at Chartwell". "Tea at Chartwell" is an impressionistic oil painting (c. 1928) by Sir Winston Churchill, inspired by an August 1927 photograph. It famously depicts a young Diana Mitford (later Lady Mosley)—a close family friend—seated at the dining table alongside the Churchill family and other prominent guests.

The Mitford Girls 6 (Chapters 8-9)

 

Unity wrote a letter to the newspaper "Der Sturmer" saying that she was a Jew hater.  As an ardent admirer of Adolf Hitler and a prominent member of his Munich inner circle, Mitford wrote the letter to publicly prove her extreme loyalty to the Nazi cause and make her mark.  The publication of her letter caused massive public outrage and scandal back home in Great Britain. However, it served its intended purpose in Germany, winning her the favor of Hitler—who rewarded her with a gold swastika badge, VIP access to the 1936 Olympic Games, and entry into the upper echelons of the Nazi party.

The Mitford Girls 5 (Chapters 5-8)

 

Diana's first child, Jonathan, was born in March 1930. Her second son was Desmond.

The Mitford Girls 4 (Chapters 4-5)

 

Tom Mitford learnt German and loved the country. He went to stay with the family of Janus van Almassy, a Hungarian count. 

The Mitford Girls 3 (Chapters 3-4)

 

The book mentions that Decca and Debo created a secret society, called Society of Hons. The name derived directly from the chickens (hens) that the two sisters raised on the family estate. Jessica and Deborah managed dozens of hens, selling the eggs back to their mother to earn their own personal income. Consequently, the "H" in "Hon" was always pronounced out loud, exactly like the word "hen".

The Mitford Girls 2 (Chapters 2-3)

 

As a child, Nacy attended the Frances Holland day school. The few months she spent there represented almost the whole of her formal schooling. Francis Holland School is the name of three separate private day schools for girls in central London, governed by the Francis Holland (Church of England) Schools Trust.

New Book - The Mitford Girls by Mary S Lovell (Chapters 1 - 2)

 

First Published: January 1, 2001

The book starts with the first encounter between Sydney Boles and David Freeman Mitford, the parents of the six Mitford girls. 

Agatha Christie: A very Elusive Woman 8 - The End (Pages 327 - end)

 RATING: VERY GOOD

Agatha wrote her autobiography for years to be published posthumously. She wrote this allegedly from 2 April 1950 - 11 October 1965. It was published in November 1977.

Agatha Christie: A very Elusive Woman 7 (Pages 260 - 327)

 

On 21 September 1943 Rosalind gave birh to her son Matthew Prichard. 

Agatha Christie: A very Elusive Woman 5 (Pages 124 - 242)

 

Agatha Christie wrote two plays about marriage: Ten Year and The Lie. 

Agatha Christie: A very Elusive Woman 4 (Pages 72 - 124)

 During the war Archie's commander was Hugh Trenchard. Marshal of the Royal Air Force Hugh Montague Trenchard (3 February 1873 – 10 February 1956) was a British military officer who was instrumental in establishing the Royal Air Force. With the outbreak of First World War, Trenchard was appointed Officer Commanding the Military Wing of the Royal Flying Corps.

Agatha Christie: A very Elusive Woman 3 (Pages 61 - 72)

 

After the outbreak of the Great War, Agatha volunteered as a the Voluntary Air Detachment at the Red Cross. She worked in the hospital dispensary, where she gained extensive knowledge of poisons, which became a staple of her detective novels. 

Agatha Christie: A very Elusive Woman 2 (Pages 21 - 61)

 

Agatha's father was Frederick Alvah Miller, whose fortune came from his father Nathaniel Miller. 

New Book - Agatha Christie: A very Elusive Woman by Lucy Worsley (Pages 1 - 21)

 

First Published: September 8, 2022

This is a biography of Agatha Christie. The book starts by explaining that Agatha Christie was raised in Torquay, Devon, and the house where she grew up and was so vital in her life was called Ashfield. She lived there from her birth until the time of her marriage, and intermittently thereafter. She reluctantly sold it in 1940; in 1962 it was demolished and replaced with a small estate of houses.