Genre: Memoir
Publisher: Simon & Schuster, 2013
Pages: 256
Rating: Do Not Recommend
Synopsis: A magical memoir about a singular childhood in England and India by the daughter of Lord Louis and Edwina Mountbatten
Few families can boast of not one but two saints among their ancestors, a great-aunt who was the last tsarina of Russia, a father who was Grace Kelly’s pinup, and a grandmother who was not only a princess but could also argue the finer points of naval law. Pamela Mountbatten entered a remarkable family when she was born at the very end of the Roaring Twenties.
As the younger daughter of the glamorous heiress Edwina Ashley and Lord Louis Mountbatten, Pamela spent much of her early life with her sister, nannies, and servants—and a menagerie that included, at different times, a bear, two wallabies, a mongoose, and a lion. Her parents each had lovers who lived openly with the family. The house was always full of guests like Sir Winston Churchill, Noël Coward, Douglas Fairbanks, and the Duchess of Windsor (who brought a cold cooked chicken as a hostess gift).
When World War II broke out, Lord Mountbatten was in command of HMS Kelly before being appointed chief of Combined Operations, and Pamela and her sister were sent to live on Fifth Avenue in New York City with Mrs. Cornelius Vanderbilt. In 1947, her parents were appointed to be the last viceroy and vicereine of India and oversee the transfer of power to an independent Indian government. Amid the turmoil of political change, Pamela worked with student leaders, developed warm friendships with Gandhi and Nehru, and witnessed both the joy of Independence Day and its terrible aftermath. Soon afterwards, she was a bridesmaid in Princess Elizabeth’s wedding to Prince Philip, and was a lady-in-waiting at the young princess’s side when she learned her father had died and she was queen.
Vivid and engaging, well-paced and superbly detailed, this witty, intimate memoir is an enchanting lens through which to view the early part of the twentieth century.
Review: Few people are born into wealth and fame, let alone royalty. Most of us we can only try to imagine such lifestyles, and the experiences that come with having the world at your fingertips. These glimpses into their world are few and far between.
Maybe if this was the first memoir I'd read, I would leave it with a different opinion, but I thought it was pedestrian in nature, and at times, downright snooze-worthy. Where was the adventure and the excitement? What are Lady Hicks' takeaways from all of her experiences? This was written more from someone who had researched her life after the fact than as the person who actually lived it.
As a writing professional, I wanted to mark up this book with a red pen, asking her to develop certain thoughts and events.
Daughter of Empire was certainly not a bad read, but with the amount of memoirs published each year, this one can be skipped. I was relieved it was only 240 pages.
Maybe if this was the first memoir I'd read, I would leave it with a different opinion, but I thought it was pedestrian in nature, and at times, downright snooze-worthy. Where was the adventure and the excitement? What are Lady Hicks' takeaways from all of her experiences? This was written more from someone who had researched her life after the fact than as the person who actually lived it.
As a writing professional, I wanted to mark up this book with a red pen, asking her to develop certain thoughts and events.
Daughter of Empire was certainly not a bad read, but with the amount of memoirs published each year, this one can be skipped. I was relieved it was only 240 pages.
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