Plus get our latest book recommendations, author news, and competitions right to your inbox.
Passionate Mothers, Powerful Sons
The Lives of Jennie Jerome Churchill and Sara Delano Roosevelt
Table of Contents
About The Book
'Gray has managed to do the virtually impossible, and that is to say something new and perceptive about Winston Churchill and Franklin Delano Roosevelt' Margaret MacMillan, author of Paris 1919
'A fascinating two-way mirror onto a world of privilege' Country Life
Jennie Jerome and Sara Delano: two remarkable, often overlooked individuals who were key in shaping the characters of their sons, Winston Churchill and Franklin D. Roosevelt, and preparing them for the world stage.
Born into upper-class America in 1854, both refused to settle into predictable lives as little-known wives to prominent men. They learned how to take control of their destinies – Jennie in the glittering world of imperial London and Sara in the prosperous Hudson Valley.
The vivacious Jennie married Lord Randolph Churchill, scion of a noble British family. Her deft social manoeuvrings helped not only her mercurial husband but also her ambitious son, Winston. By contrast, deeply conventional Sara Delano married a man as old as her father. After her husband's death, she made Franklin, her only child, the focus of her existence. It was her guidance and financial support that helped him become a successful politician.
'A fascinating two-way mirror onto a world of privilege' Country Life
Jennie Jerome and Sara Delano: two remarkable, often overlooked individuals who were key in shaping the characters of their sons, Winston Churchill and Franklin D. Roosevelt, and preparing them for the world stage.
Born into upper-class America in 1854, both refused to settle into predictable lives as little-known wives to prominent men. They learned how to take control of their destinies – Jennie in the glittering world of imperial London and Sara in the prosperous Hudson Valley.
The vivacious Jennie married Lord Randolph Churchill, scion of a noble British family. Her deft social manoeuvrings helped not only her mercurial husband but also her ambitious son, Winston. By contrast, deeply conventional Sara Delano married a man as old as her father. After her husband's death, she made Franklin, her only child, the focus of her existence. It was her guidance and financial support that helped him become a successful politician.
About The Author
Michelle Valberg
Charlotte Gray is one of Canada’s best-known writers and the author of twelve acclaimed books of literary nonfiction, including The Promise of Canada. Her bestseller The Massey Murder: A Maid, Her Master, and the Trial That Shocked a Country won the Toronto Book Award, the Heritage Toronto Book Award, the Canadian Authors Association Lela Common Award for Canadian History, and the Arthur Ellis Award for Best Nonfiction Crime Book. It was shortlisted for the RBC Taylor Prize, the Ottawa Book Award for Nonfiction, and the Evergreen Award, and it was longlisted for the British Columbia National Award for Canadian Nonfiction. An adaptation of her bestseller Gold Diggers: Striking It Rich in the Klondike was broadcast as a television miniseries. An adjunct research professor in the department of history at Carleton University, Charlotte has received numerous awards, including the Pierre Berton Award for distinguished achievement in popularizing Canadian history. She is a Member of the Order of Canada and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada. Visit her at CharlotteGray.ca.
Product Details
- Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK (October 2, 2024)
- Length: 432 pages
- ISBN13: 9781398527751
Browse Related Books
Raves and Reviews
‘Gray’s impeccable research and insightful look into social constraints of the time bring these women to life, highlighting the often overlooked ways Jennie and Sara shaped not only their own destinies but those of their sons. Perfect for literary nonfiction, history, women’s history and biography readers’
– Booklist
'A fascinating two-way mirror onto a world of privilege'
– Country Life
'Gray has managed to do the virtually impossible, and that is to say something new and perceptive about Winston Churchill and Franklin Delano Roosevelt. With her usual keen eye for the telling detail and her sympathy for her subjects, she argues for the importance of the statemen's relationships with their two very different but forceful mothers'
– Margaret MacMillan, author of Paris 1919
Resources and Downloads
High Resolution Images
- Book Cover Image (jpg): Passionate Mothers, Powerful Sons Paperback 9781398527751
- Author Photo (jpg): Charlotte Gray Michelle Valberg(0.1 MB)
Any use of an author photo must include its respective photo credit
