I read a lot of historical fiction, but I found this one very disappointing. Its coverage of both the war and the characters was superficial and dull. The characters were inconsistent and even confusing in their motivations and beliefs, and the side story of the Wilsons was meaningless and distracting. There was a hint of rising feminist sentiment, but even that failed to hit the mark. It was an easy read, and had an interesting anecdote here and there, but I wouldn’t recommend it for anyone for who wants a in-depth exploration of the Churchills’ relationship, family, and wartime strategy.

This author has a way of describing a scene so fully that you can imagine all the tiny details.

Sometimes you see the man who is the leader, but you do not see the woman behind/beside him. It is she who keeps him going, takes care of the little details and listens to the concerns. You do not realize the strength it must take to carry such a great burden especially in the forties.

This historical fiction novel follows Clementine Churchill in through the years leading up to World War II and through it. We follow two different perspectives - Clementine Churchill and Jenny Miller. Jenny is a character based on Janet Murrow, who was the wife of Edward R. Murrow. He was an American broadcast journalist and war correspondent. Jenny also lived a life of working along a husband who outshined her. Both ladies deal with the struggles and joy fame can bring.

It was a captivating story about Clementine Churchill and the women who made a huge and significant contribution during the war.
It was beautifully written and heart touching historical fiction.

I really enjoyed the story and the narrator was excellent and did justice to the life of the characters.

Thank you NetGalley and to the publisher Bookouture Audio for the ARC-audio.

Anna Stuart, prolific chronicler of strong women during WWll, gives us a an in-depth look into the woman next-to Winston Churchill, his wife, Clementine. Not only was she the backbone of Sir Winston, but also the British people. We are afforded a a well researched fictionalized viewpoint of the tumultuous war years through Clementine’s eyes. Stuart has a knack for weaving accurate details into an interesting tale.

Kudos to Jane McDowell for an excellent narration of the story. Listening to her reading felt as if Mrs. Churchill was reading her diary to me!

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for the complimentary copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was a very good book! If you like Historical reads that keep your attention this is the one for you! This book has two women POVs. I love how this book focuses on the strong women behind powerful men in history.

I absolutely loved The English Wife by Anna Stuart! It’s a beautifully written, immersive look at Clementine Churchill, not just as Winston Churchill’s steadfast supporter during WWII but as a force in her own right. The book highlights her quiet strength, showing how she worked behind the scenes to support women, communities, and the war effort in ways that often went unnoticed.

One of my favorite things about this book was how it shed light on the vital roles women played during the war. While Churchill led publicly, women like Clementine worked tirelessly to keep morale up, ensure people had shelter, and make complex news accessible to everyone. The love story between Clementine and Winston was another highlight. It was so touching to see their deep, 30-year-old bond. Their way of communicating felt warm and familiar, like a cozy blanket, and it was beautiful to read about a marriage built on respect and support.

Jane McDowell’s narration made the story even better! Her ability to switch between American and English accents brought the characters to life in such an engaging way. She captured the emotion of the story perfectly, making it even more immersive.

This book is a must-read, or listen, for historical fiction fans. It’s a beautiful tribute to an incredible woman, and I was hooked from start to finish!

Thank you #NetGalley, #BookoutureAudio, and Anna Stuart for the Audio-ARC of The English Wife in exchange for an honest review. I was captivated by Jane McDowell's voice characterization. She was the perfect narrator for this Historical Fiction novel; McDowell's accent contributed to the characters' believability. Stuart clearly well-researched Prime Minister Winston Churchill and his wife Clementine Churchill, their family members, their friends, and WWII battles. Stuart's writing is brilliant! She maintains the English diction and word choice as well as euphemisms. The narrative show listeners what it was like for Clementine during WWII. The listener can imagine the Clementine rushing to Churchill during air raids, or Clementine giving hospital tours to news reporters, or Clementine comforting her American friend Jenny Miller (a character based on Janet Murrow). Stuart carefully shows Clementine's heroics and fears, her happiness and frustration with Churchill, and her choices to place Churchill first in her life, so he can achieve his goal of becoming and holding the position of Prime Minister.

The American point of view is seen through Jenny Miller and her husband. Listeners / Readers learn how the media crafted their reports to show British support. This American perspective also permits the discussion of British people escaping to America in order to save their lives versus remaining in England to show support for their homeland.

I thoroughly enjoyed this audiobook, and I have ordered a physical copy to add to my bookshelf.

I didn’t really know much about Clementine Churchill before reading this and the book was well researched. I found myself googling to learn more about the whole Churchill family and in doing so, learned about the American couple portrayed in the story as well. I like how the author emphasized the important role of Clementine not only in her husband’s life but in the war effort. She was impressive. An interesting read!

I really enjoy historical fiction and this book did not disappoint. It tells the story of Clementine Churchill during the rise and fall of Hitler and her husband becoming Prime Minister. Throughout the novel we meet historical figures that became friends of the Churchills and learn about the work Clementine during this historical period. I have read several books set in this time period and this one feels like a peek behind the scenes - insight to the family dynamic of the Churchills and the impact on WWII.


Thank you to Netgalley for the advance copy of the audio book.

I had the pleasure of reading an ARC e-book of The English Lady by Anna Stuart, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. This heartfelt story weaves together history, romance, and resilience, making for an engaging and emotional read. The novel beautifully captures the essence of a true love story, with well-developed characters and an immersive setting. While there were moments that felt a bit predictable, the depth of emotion and historical detail kept me hooked. A wonderful read for historical fiction lovers!

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for this free audiobook!

This was exquisite storytelling of such a strong and remarkable woman during World War II. Anna Stuart’s research is truly inspiring and she really brought Clementine’s point of view during a tremulous time alive. I was surprised by the depth of insight into the complexities of war, as seen through her eyes, and the unique challenges she faced as a wife to one of history's most powerful figures, a mother and a mentor to other women.

The story unfolds through two central perspectives: Clementine Churchill and Jenny Miller, a character based on the real-life Janet Murrow, wife of Edward R. Murrow, the renowned American broadcast journalist and war correspondent. I was surprised to learn just how much Clementine accomplished—despite the sacrifices she made to support Winston Churchill, she retained her voice and played a crucial role in history. While the pacing occasionally slowed, the overall narrative was thoughtfully told and engaging.

If you're a fan of well-researched WWII fiction and stories about women who shaped the world, this book is a must-read.

This book does what all good historical fiction should do: shed light on an unknown episode in history, this time by writing women back in history when so very often official records leave them out. All the female characters are written with a deft hand and a depth of information that makes the truly stand out of the I have to say I enjoyed finding out more about the woman at Churchill's side throughout one of the most important episodes in Western modern history.

Thank you Boukuture audio and Netgalley for this ALC.

Thank you #NetGalley and #Bookoutureaudio for an advance opportunity to listen to this phenomenal book. I truly am in awe at how much Clementine Churchill was able to accomplish during WW2. Her work in gathering all of the donations for the Aide for Russia campaign was truly inspiring, along with her work in creating hospitals for new mothers. This book has made me really want to research more about her work, and I really loved the narration from her point of view throughout this story. I thought her and Winston’s relationship was the picture perfect version of a marriage, and I am sure they were quite the duo.

As for Jenny and Ned, I understand why they were also written into this story, however I did not relate to these two characters and was not as invested as I was with Clementine. I think that it might because I was so mad at Jenny half of the book for allowing Ned to treat her as he did, it might be because I can’t relate and it is and was what was normal in their time period.

Overall, I thought this book was fantastic, and I truly appreciated the historical research and information at the end of the audiobook as well, and can’t wait to read another of this author’s books!

The English Wife by Anna Stuart
Narrated by Jane McDowell

There is so much that I never paid attention to during my history studies, and thankfully, historical fiction in my old age is helping to interest me into picking up what I missed. I knew the basics about Winston Churchill but I knew nothing about his wife, Clementine Churchill. Now I know that this remarkable woman set aside so many of her passions to be the rock behind Churchill. Unlike many other leaders, Churchill spoke to his wife about his fears, hopes, and ideas and she was a sounding board for them even if her opinions were often dismissed.

Fictional character Jenny (based on the real life Janet Murrow) shows us Clementine's willingness to mentor other women. But also, through the character of Jenny, Winston comes to better appreciate how he has held his wife back from pursuing very important acts of service for the people of his country and those in countries suffering greatly from the war and occupation. Clementine was more than ready to get her hands dirty, whether it was putting out fires from bombs or visiting the bomb shelters and doing all she could to make them more inhabitable for those who had to used them. She was also instrumental in creating maternity hospitals for the wives of officers, to better allow them to do their jobs without having to worry about the wives and children back home.

It's so different to see the war from this direction, from the side of the world leaders and politicians. Clementine could have sat back and enjoyed the luxuries due her station in life but she wanted to be helping people and that included the people in the occupied lands. I enjoyed learning more about Churchill by learning about his family and wife. Now I want to look at Anna Stuart's other works. Jane McDowell does a great job with the narration, voicing both English and US accents very well.

Thank you to Bookouture Audio and NetGalley for this ARC.

The English Wife
By: Anna Stuart
Pub Date: March 26, 2025
I have read a couple of books about Clementine Churchill. Her marriage to Winston Churchill was not easy, but he relied on her during the darkest of times and the people loved her.
She knew when they married of his ambitions, but little did they know that he would become Prime Minister during the war with Hitler.
Clementine helped the community around her and visited hospitals and helped the people.
The author notes were fascinating. Clementine was engaged a couple of times before marrying Winston and they had 5 children. Her aristocratic background was unknown to me. Stuart always delivers a fascinating historical fiction novel.
The narrator was phenomenal.