Gone with the Windsors [Hardcover]

Laurie Graham (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 2006

The hilarious and touching new novel from Laurie Graham; the fictional diary of Mrs Simpson's best friend in pre-war London. Laurie Graham's new novel is the fictional diary of Maybell Brumby, a wealthy American widow who arrives in London in 1932 and discovers that an old school friend is in town; Bessie Wallis Warfield, now Mrs Ernest Simpson. Maybell and Wally are made for one another. The one has money and a foothold in good society, courtesy of a sister who married well. The other has ruthless ambition and enough energy to power the National Grid. Before the year is out Wally has begun her seduction of the Prince of Wales, and as she clambers towards the throne she makes sure Maybell and her cheque book are always close at hand. So Maybell becomes an eye-witness to the Abdication Crisis. From her perch in Carlton Gardens, home of her influential brother-in-law Lord Melhuish, she has the perfect vantage point for observing the anxious, changing allegiances for and against Queen Wally, and the political contours of pre-war London. When the crisis comes and Wally flees to the south of France, she insists on Maybell going with her. 'Are you sure that's advisable, darling?' asks the King. 'Of course it is,' snaps Wally. 'She's the Paymaster General.' Maybell's diary records the marriage, the Windsors' exile, and the changing complexion of the Greatest Love Story. It takes the sound of German jackboots at the gate and personal tragedy to make her close its pages for the last time.

--This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The diary entries of shallow and oblivious Baltimore socialite Maybell Brumby comprise Graham's fourth novel, which explores the fictional lives of intimates involved in the 1936 abdication of King Edward VIII. Maybell, widowed by her older husband, leaves for London in 1932 to join her sister Violet and falls in with her school friend Bessie Wallis "Wally" Simpson, the married woman (twice, in fact) who has set her sights on the then Prince of Wales. Through Maybell's American patricianism, Graham (The Future Homemakers of America) skewers the tedious royal family and their aristocratic hangers-on. Maybell's self-absorption and dim-wittedness make her endearing at odd moments (as when she learns that her other sister, "Doopie," is deaf rather than mentally handicapped); her chatty tone is grating when the action—primarily Wally's plotting, conquest and royal assumption—slows. Graham depicts the abdication as a kind of bedroom farce and uses Maybell's ignorance to add ambiguity to the controversial relationship of the duke (as he is known after abdication) and Wally to the Nazi regime. As WWII becomes imminent, the leisured friends must make a run for it, and the partings are not all amicable. This light romp through sordid territory is sly, gossipy fun. (Aug.)
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Review

“Delightful...If you like P.G. Wodehouse - or if British royalty is your cup of ... tea - go with the Windsors (USA Today )

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 416 pages
• Publisher: Harper; First Edition edition (August 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060872713
• ISBN-13: 978-0060872717
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 5.3 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,154,384 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Delightful!, June 3, 2006

By 

Tamela Mccann "taminator40" (Nashville, TN USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: GONE WITH THE WINDSORS (Hardcover)

This is the delightful story of Wallis Simpson and Edward VIII's romance as told through the eyes of Wally's close friend, Maybell. Written in diary format, Maybell arrives in London as a widow in 1931 and settles herself into the upper crust circles, detailing the parties and lives of the friends and family she knows. We see Edward VIII meeting and falling in love with Wally, and we watch as events force his hand for the woman he loves. Maybell is unflagging in her friendship for both, and she's a wonderful gossip with a flare for fashion and friendships. Mostly humorous, we see not only the subtle shifts in the Windsors' relationship, but in Maybell's relationships as well. Graham has a wonderfully breezy style that makes Maybell leap off the pages, and into our hearts. Excellent story and great fun as well. Highly recommended!

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A fictional take on one of the 20th century's most infamous love stories, June 9, 2006

By 

Beth Cholette "doctor_beth" (Upstate NY USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: GONE WITH THE WINDSORS (Hardcover)

Gone With the Windsors is a diary-style novel. Maybell, the author of the journal entries, is a fictional childhood friend of Wallis Simpson, the woman who famously went on to marry the Duke of Windsor, former King of England who abdicated his throne to be with her, a twice-divorced American. In 1931 London, Maybell becomes re-acquainted with Wally and enters a social circle that eventually encompasses the eligible prince.

Those who consider the match between Edward and Wallis to be a great love story might be somewhat disillusioned by this book, which portrays Edward as a childlike, lovesick fool and Wally as a ruthless, manipulative, selfish social climber. Still, it is a fascinating read, especially set against the historical backdrop of the events leading up to World War II. This is an entertaining book that is ideal for summer reading, and I definitely recommend it.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fast Times with the Duke and Duchess, November 20, 2006

By 

lisatheratgirl "lisatheratgirl" (New York, NY) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Gone with the Windsors (Hardcover)

This book is a lot of fun, especially if you've read all the factual accounts, from the dignified Edward VIII by Frances Donaldson to the entertaining/trashy The Windsor Story and Duchess. The author throws enough actual people into the story and gets most of the facts and details right to lend it credibility, although the narrator is a fictitious former schoolmate of Wallis Warfield's from Baltimore, whose two sisters have relocated to London. Maybell is no great shakes as an intellectual, talking about Pluto's Republic and Edna Piaf, but she proves herself a more genuine and loyal friend than many of the other hangers-on in the Windsors' circle. The total selfishness of the Duchess and the immaturity of the Duke are brought out very well. The whole 1930s cafe society scene also comes to life in excellent detail. Fans of Gosford Park will love this. The one jarring note that I found was that everyone, including the Duke, called Wallis "Wally" throughout. I dont think anyone but the American tabloids called her this in real life, and I dont think she would have liked it. Her real name actually was Bessiewallis (one word) after her aunt Bessie Merryman (who in real life played a much greater role in the story) and her father, T. Wallis Warfield. Apart from that, the characterization is perfect. Hitler is storming across Europe and the Duchess is upset she didn't get a particular diamond pendant for her birthday. King George VI and Queen Elizabeth were also shown as they really acted, treating their older brother very shabbily, especially during the war. The book is close enough to the real thing that readers who haven't delved into the background will get the picture. Highly recommended.