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Review
'A touching, funny memorial to a vanished age'
(Stephen Moss, Guardian )'I was captivated . . . unputdownable'
(Bel Mooney, Daily Mail )'The Duchess is an exhilarating writer, with a great gift for storytelling, and a prose style of elegant simplicity'
(Jane Shilling, Evening Standard )'Wait For Me! proves irresistible, even for die-hard Mitphobes like me'
(Craig Brown, Mail on Sunday )'Funny and sad, the irresistible combination that is one of the secrets of charm'
(Daily Telegraph )'She [Debo] is in possession of what I can only describe as a uniquely Mitford-esque sensibility; loving but unsentimental; devoid of self-pity; unwilling to bore others with her own travails; able to find the ridiculous in almost anything . . . these qualities - disarmingly rare in Oprahworld - are , to me, indisputably admirable'
(Observer )'An entertaining, lively portrait'
(Scotsman )'The one book this year that everyone will want in their Christmas stocking'
(A. N. Wilson, Spectator )'Admirably done, cannily blending disclosure and reticence in a charming book that kept me riveted, both by what is said . . . and what remains firmly under wraps'
(Daily Telegraph Biographies of the Year )'I cried several times during Deborah Devonshire's memoir . . . the calibre of events, cast and author could hardly be higher and Debo has potted an extraordinary life (though ordinary to her) with kindness and humour'
(Rachel Johnson, Observer Christmas special )'[Debo] is a glorious testament to the fact that we should never retire early in case our brains atrophy. It's stuffed full of wonderful people, and Debo has a great ear for the killer, defining quote . . . Just reading this book made me hare off to visit Chatsworth . . . The best books make you see the world differently and maybe want to change yours. We will not see her like again'
(Liz Jones, Daily Mail Christmas books special )'Talk about a life lived in full . . . Her memoirs, Wait for Me! are as fascinating and entertaining a portrait of the last century as you could hope to read'
(Sandra Parsons, Daily Mail Christmas books special )'Deborah Devonshire has had an astonishing life and her memoirs are peopled by a cast of characters that includes Winston Churchill, the Queen, John F. Kennedy, Lucian Freud and Elivs Presley . . . She's also unusually frank about her late husband's alcoholism. Yet while there's a lot of sadness in this book, there's no self-pity. Instead, you get the impressions that, at 90, Deborah Devonshire's zest for life, gossip and mischief is as strong as ever'
(John Preston, Daily Mail Christmas books special )'Fans will know the story but the duchess's prose is so lively her telling is pure pleasure. I thought all the Mitford books had been written. How wrong I was'
(Independent )'Delightful Debo, the youngest Mitford sister, reminisces with trademark mischief and her killer instinct for a good anecdote'
(The Times )'An unqualified delight: effortlessly funny and at times moving, clear-sighted, candid and self-effacing, written from the perspective of a long life well-lived'
(Good Book Guide )Product Description
Deborah Devonshire is a natural writer with a knack for the telling phrase and for hitting the nail on the head. She tells the story of her upbringing, lovingly and wittily describing her parents (so memorably fictionalised by her sister Nancy); she talks candidly about her brother and sisters, and their politics (while not being at all political herself), finally setting the record straight. Throughout the book she writes brilliantly about the country and her deep attachment to it and those who live and work in it. As Duchess of Devonshire, Debo played an active role in restoring and overseeing the day-to-day running of the family houses and gardens, and in developing commercial enterprises at Chatsworth. She tells poignantly of the deaths of three of her children, as well as her husband's battle with alcohol addiction.
Wait For Me is enthralling and a total joy, full of the author's sympathetic wit (which she is not afraid to use on herself).
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
205 of 207 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
The Dowager Duchess of Devonshire's eagerly awaited autobiography arrived last week and I am delighted to submit the first Amazon review.
Wisely, the nonagenarian Duchess has found the time to write the book herself, rather than subject herself to the vagaries of a biographer. The result is a delightful personal memoir of a long, varied and interesting life. Her vivid recollections of the years before the Second World War give us an insight into a way of life long since gone.
She chronicles the good times and the bad; the happy and the sad (three infant children died prematurely).
The lives of the Mitford sisters are well documented, but this book is different. It brings us right up to the present time with the Duchess now living a well-deserved, happy and contented life 'in retirement' on the Chatsworth Estate.
Just as Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon who, when she married Prince Albert, never expected to be Queen, so The Hon. Deborah Mitford when she married Lord Andrew Cavendish never expected to become Duchess of Devonshire. Andrew Cavendish's elder brother died in action in the War in 1944 and as a result caused him to become heir to the Dukedom. He inherited in 1950 when his father, the 10th Duke, died prematurely.
Faced with crippling death duties, the new Duke and Duchess heroically rescued Chatsworth from an uncertain future. I suspect that the Duchess underplays the role she took in all of this, and I am sure that her guiding hand has been a major factor in the renaissance of this great house. She lived in the house for 47 years and left an indelible impression on what we see today.
The book runs to 350 pages, but that could easily have been 1,000. It must have been difficult to decide what to include and what to leave out. There are some delightful vignettes. I loved the description of the evening spent at Calke Abbey in the early 1960's with the eccentric Harpur-Crewes. At dinner the first course was melon, followed by cold beef and melon again for pudding! Similarly the description of the 90th birthday party for Sybil, Marchioness of Cholmondeley is wonderfully descriptive.
What I so enjoyed about the book was that I could hear the Duchess reading every word to me. I do hope she can be persuaded to record some or all of it. It would be a marvellous 'Book at Bedtime'.
I could go on, but instead urge you to buy and read the book. Nothing about the Dowager Duchess could ever be described as dull or boring, and every page in this book entertains. It is very well written and I have no hesitation whatever in awarding 5 stars.
On Woman's Hour on Radio 4 last week, the Duchess was interviewed about the book. In conclusion the interviewer asked her what she thought the next decade might bring. In her typical matter-of-fact way the Duchess said brightly "Oh, I suppose I shall die". Let us hope that, for once, she is wrong and that in ten year's time we are celebrating her centenary.
Wisely, the nonagenarian Duchess has found the time to write the book herself, rather than subject herself to the vagaries of a biographer. The result is a delightful personal memoir of a long, varied and interesting life. Her vivid recollections of the years before the Second World War give us an insight into a way of life long since gone.
She chronicles the good times and the bad; the happy and the sad (three infant children died prematurely).
The lives of the Mitford sisters are well documented, but this book is different. It brings us right up to the present time with the Duchess now living a well-deserved, happy and contented life 'in retirement' on the Chatsworth Estate.
Just as Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon who, when she married Prince Albert, never expected to be Queen, so The Hon. Deborah Mitford when she married Lord Andrew Cavendish never expected to become Duchess of Devonshire. Andrew Cavendish's elder brother died in action in the War in 1944 and as a result caused him to become heir to the Dukedom. He inherited in 1950 when his father, the 10th Duke, died prematurely.
Faced with crippling death duties, the new Duke and Duchess heroically rescued Chatsworth from an uncertain future. I suspect that the Duchess underplays the role she took in all of this, and I am sure that her guiding hand has been a major factor in the renaissance of this great house. She lived in the house for 47 years and left an indelible impression on what we see today.
The book runs to 350 pages, but that could easily have been 1,000. It must have been difficult to decide what to include and what to leave out. There are some delightful vignettes. I loved the description of the evening spent at Calke Abbey in the early 1960's with the eccentric Harpur-Crewes. At dinner the first course was melon, followed by cold beef and melon again for pudding! Similarly the description of the 90th birthday party for Sybil, Marchioness of Cholmondeley is wonderfully descriptive.
What I so enjoyed about the book was that I could hear the Duchess reading every word to me. I do hope she can be persuaded to record some or all of it. It would be a marvellous 'Book at Bedtime'.
I could go on, but instead urge you to buy and read the book. Nothing about the Dowager Duchess could ever be described as dull or boring, and every page in this book entertains. It is very well written and I have no hesitation whatever in awarding 5 stars.
On Woman's Hour on Radio 4 last week, the Duchess was interviewed about the book. In conclusion the interviewer asked her what she thought the next decade might bring. In her typical matter-of-fact way the Duchess said brightly "Oh, I suppose I shall die". Let us hope that, for once, she is wrong and that in ten year's time we are celebrating her centenary.
65 of 66 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I loved this book. DD writes so beautifully in an engaging self deprecating manner. I was particularly moved by the description of her husband's (ultimately successful) battle with alcoholism and the effect it had on their lives. There are sad times but many happy ones too. I was totally gripped from beginning to end. Nancy Mitford has met her literary match at last!
76 of 78 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
A very nice book to read. DD is probably one of the few people alive that has met Hitler and J.F.Kennedy. As the youngest of the Mitford sisters, she has witness a lot in her long life. However, her modesty and easy going personality, together with a strong will, have allowed her to overcome many challenges in her life. Great fun as well. Lots of humour in the middle of very difficult passages. I enjoyed it very much!.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
None
downloaded this by accident and decided to read it as I had recently read Mary Lovell`s book `The Mitford girls`. Read more
Published 8 days ago by C. Ellerton
HAPPY WIFE
I purchased this as a gift for my wife. She was so taken with it that she has now read all the books by Deb Devonshire. I think it must be really compelling reading.
Published 1 month ago by Ian
worthy but oh so dull
I bought a couple of books by the Duchess of Devonshire because her contributions to "The Mitfords: Letters Between Six Sisters" are by far the best - very funny, clever and... Read more
Published 1 month ago by John Davison
delightful duchess
The problem with this book is not the name-dropping - after all, she's related by marriage to almost everybody in a certain stratum of society - it's the gaps in logic. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Ms. Fiona Allen
A Charming Delight
The engaging story of the last century's changing world, along a fascinating woman's life. Her memories are abundant of anecdotes in which the tragedy and the fun are told with... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Perseo
A delightful read
I have always been fascinated by the Mitford sisters and this autobiography gives the reader a wonderful, gossipy insight into the life of the youngest daughter,the Dowager Duchess... Read more
Published 3 months ago by margaret1
Interesting read
If you are interested in how the other half live and history then this is very interesting. It takes you through the life of the Mitford sisters with the trials and tribulations... Read more
Published 4 months ago by Mrs. S. M. Smith
Book
Wait For Me!: Memoirs of the Youngest Mitford Sister this book was a present for my daughter-in-law and she just loved it, good value for money
Published 4 months ago by marge64
Good service
I ordered this as a late present and was still surprised to receive it so quickly. I will not read the book so could'nt comment on the choice.
Published 4 months ago by Whatever
What a fascinating life
I always enjoy Deborah Devonshire's writing. She has an easy style that makes you feel you're listening to her talk. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Ms. D. Talbot
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