Synopsis
The 1920s and 1930s were an age of bolters—women who broke the rules and fled their marriages—and Idina Sackville was the most celebrated of them all. Her relentless affairs, wild sex parties, and brazen flouting of convention shocked high society and inspired countless writers and artists, from Nancy Mitford to Greta Garbo. But Idina's compelling charm masked the pain of betrayal and heartbreak.
Using letters, diaries, and family legend, Frances Osborne explores the life of Idina, her enigmatic great-grandmother, following her from Edwardian London to die hills of Kenya, where she reigned over the scandalous antics of the “Happy Valley set.” Dazzlingly chic yet warmly intimate, The Bolter is a fascinating look at a woman whose energy still burns bright almost a century later.
The Barnes & Noble Review
Say you re 13 years old and reading the Sunday paper when you re transfixed by the story of Idina Sackville, a woman so wild, so daring and dazzling and decadent that it seems sinful to let your little sister see it. And when a fight over the newspaper leads your parents to admit that Idina is, in fact, your great grandmother, what do you do? In the case of Frances Osborne, who suddenly found herself related to one of the most scandalous black sheep of one of England s oldest families, you become obsessed. And then, when you re old enough, you write The Bolter. The relative whose shocking life had caused her to be scrubbed from the family tree became Osborne s passion. And little wonder. Idina, though not a great beauty, was irresistible to men and women alike. She married five times (thus, the Bolter) and had countless lovers. She threw grand dinner parties and notorious spouse-swapping house parties. She had a farm in Africa, two abandoned sons in England, and an utter lack of interest in a conventional life. Though Idina s life was chronicled in the newspapers and scandal sheets of her day, Osborne, an author and journalist, brings depth and context to her infamous great-grandmother. Through interviews with family members and by poring over letters and diaries, Osborne gets beyond the salacious and sensational and introduces us to a real woman. Dense with detail, The Bolter can occasionally be heavy going. But Idina, as mesmerizing as she is doomed, saves it. --Veronique de Turenne