Troublemaker

Winner of the Goldsmith Book Prize from Harvard University

Finalist for the PEN/Jacqueline Bograd Weld Award for Biography and for the National Book Critics Circle Award

Selected as a 'Book of the Year' by the New Yorker and Kirkus Reviews and The Boston Globe

From British country homes to Republican Spain and civil rights America, the inspiring, wildly entertaining story of Jessica Mitford--investigative journalist, radical activist, renegade aristocrat.

Jessica 'Decca' Mitford was raised to marry well, not fight for others' rights. Yet she rejected her eccentric, blue-blooded roots, running away from England to become an anti-fascist and anti-racist. Why is this rebellious heroine less famous than her glamorous sisters, who ranged from naughty to Nazi?

Troublemaker is the remarkable story of Decca's life in pursuit of justice, in the Spanish Civil War and the Communist Party USA; her intrepid social reporting, and her relentless antics. Carla Kaplan celebrates a fierce intellect and powerful ally who brought joy to the struggle, unearthing fascinating details through interviews with the Mitford family, and exploring Decca's thousands of witty letters. From Vietnam War dissident Dr Spock to Decca's close friend Maya Angelou, this Mitford sister's irreverent anti-authoritarianism deeply influenced American culture. Back home in Britain, her activism shamed those of her class--and her family--on the wrong side of history.

This passionate, often hilarious biography captures an extraordinary woman, and an extraordinary time in world history. Facing today's injustices, we need Decca's vibrant, committed example more than ever.