Gone with the Windsors
by Laurie Graham
Written by a Wallis Simpson friend in diary format, Gone with the Windsors is not unlike the popular British series Bridget Jones’ Diary, except Maybell is a bit more old-fashioned and reserved than Miss Jones. The socialite’s life includes planning parties, shopping for the perfect outfit and trying to meet the elite and the royal. When the Baltimore girls, Wally and Maybell, find their way into HRH’s inner circle, things will never be the same.
Being unfamiliar with this particular time in British history, I did learn a lot about the customs and the pastimes of the various classes as well as the hierarchy of royal families. Fashion, food, furnishings and modes of travel are described in detail.
The main characters are given great quirks and personalities, but there are a lot of names to keep up with. Most of them are mentioned several times and so you’ll want to remember with who is who. As the story gets closer to the war it gets more interesting and less trivial. It’s fascinating how differently people viewed the situation.
I enjoyed this book and I would recommend it as a light, fun read, but as historical novels go it is not in my list of favorites.