Troublemaker - by Carla Kaplan (Hardcover)

About the Book

"This biography of Jessica Mitford, fifth of the six famous Mitford Girls, tells the wild and unlikely story of a British aristocrat who became an American Communist, bringing her astonishing self-transformation to life with a riveting, often hilarious, account of trading wealth and status for a life of radical activism. Who could predict that a British aristocrat would so energize American antiwar and civil rights struggles that Time magazine would crown her "Queen of the Muckrakers"? Jessica Mitford, fifth of the six famous "Mitford Girls," was brought up by an eccentric English family to marry well and reproduce her wealth and privilege, not to advocate for the less advantaged. Her five beautiful sisters have been subjects of books and movies dedicated to their naughty, glamorous lives. Jessica-known as Decca-ran away to America to forge a wilder rebel's life. As this richly researched book details, Decca broke the Mitford mold-fighting fascism in the Spanish Civil War, becoming an American Communist and pioneering witty, wildly popular journalism, including her blockbuster The American Way of Death, placing her at the heart of social justice battles. Decca relentlessly injected laughter into her politics, encouraging the activists she influenced to do likewise. From famed baby doctor Benjamin Spock to best friend Maya Angelou, her anti-authoritarian irreverence had a profound impact on American culture. Mining extensive, untapped sources, Kaplan's passionate biography of an unlikely life demonstrates that Decca's social empathy was hard-won and self-taught, a model with particular relevance today and a powerful, modern example of female adventure and freedom"--

Book Synopsis

FINALIST FOR THE PEN/JACQUELINE BOGARD WELD AWARD FOR BIOGRAPHY AND LONGLISTED FOR THE NATIONAL BOOK CRITICS CIRCLE BIOGRAPHY AWARD

A NEW YORK TIMES EDITOR'S CHOICE - A TOWN & COUNTRY "BEST BOOK" - A BLOOMBERG "BEST" BOOK

Troublemaker tells the wild and unlikely story of Jessica Mitford, fifth of the six famous Mitford Girls, a British aristocrat-turned-American Communist, famous for exposés like The American Way of Death; this biography brings her astonishing self-transformation to life with a riveting, often hilarious account of trading wealth and status for a life of radical activism.

Who could predict that a British aristocrat would so energize American antifascist and civil rights struggles that Time magazine would crown her "Queen of the Muckrakers"? Jessica Mitford, always known as Decca, was brought up by an eccentric English family to marry well and reproduce her wealth and privilege, not to advocate for the rights of others. Her beautiful sisters have been subjects of books and movies dedicated to their naughty, glamorous lives. Decca ran away to America to forge a rebel's life. As this richly researched book details, Decca broke the Mitford mold. Instead of settling for life as a professional Beauty, she fought fascism in the Spanish Civil War, became an American Communist and pioneered witty, hugely popular journalism, including her 1963 blockbuster The American Way of Death. Decca dedicated her life to social justice and proved herself an immensely effective ally, but she also injected laughter into all her political work, annoying some activists with her relentless antics but encouraging many others to find joy in the struggle. From famed baby doctor Benjamin Spock to best friend Maya Angelou, her anti-authoritarian irreverence had a profound impact on American culture. Mining extensive, untapped sources, and with nearly fifty new interviews, Kaplan's passionate biography beautifully illuminates how Decca's hard-won and self-taught social empathy offers a powerful example of female freedom, the dramatic, novelistic story of an extraordinary woman of her time who is remarkably relevant and resonant today.

Review Quotes

"Doggedly researched and resolutely modern . . . . A template for would-be allies in social justice movements that have intensified since . . . Troublemaker is a repository of astounding resourcefulness; a detailed curriculum vitae; a crack against the soft rump of the modern screen-addled slacker." ⎯ The New York Times

"The most significant contribution [to recent Mitford projects] is Troublemaker: The Fierce, Unruly Life of Jessica Mitford . . . . Kaplan is devoted to Decca alone, and to separating her crusading accomplishments from the sins of the flock . . . . It is, as Kaplan notes, an apt time for such a book to emerge." ⎯ The New Yorker

"Jessica, Kaplan noted, has drawn comparatively little interest from biographers. . . But she believes that her subject's life trajectory--which included fighting fascists in Spain and joining the Freedom Riders in Alabama--might especially resonate today. [As Kaplan says] 'A lot of people who have looked at the level of injustice in this country have been asking themselves, 'What can I do?' The way my students put that is, 'How can I be a good ally'?"' -- The Washington Post

"As Kaplan shows, Decca found her legacy in the light: in her ebullient personality, her fight for social justice, the delight she took in her triumphs, and her deep connection with other people."⎯ Air Mail

"Can there really be any point in yet another fat book about one of the Mitford sisters? . . . Carla Kaplan's exhaustively researched and thorough account of Jessica . . . comes as a welcome relief . . . . To the end of her life, Decca had the daunting blue gaze, pure upper-class accent and ruthless, exploitative charm of a true Mitford. Kaplan's account is solid, even-handed and, in the end, impressive. It confirms the fact that Decca was surely the only one of all the Mitfords worth taking seriously." ⎯ Anne Chisholm, The Spectator

"The most well-researched biography of Jessica Mitford to date . . . refreshing . . . pays Decca the real compliment of treating her as a public intellectual." -- The Times

"[A] well-researched and unashamedly partisan account . . . . This splendidly readable biography does justice to a remarkable woman's humour, political commitment and courage." -- Financial Times

"Gripping." ⎯ Los Angeles Times

"A perceptive, sympathetic biography of activist, unabashed communist, and muckraker Jessica Mitford . . . . Kaplan captures Decca's energy and verve, her complicated relationship with her aristocratic family, and her unwavering devotion to fighting injustice, racism, and inequality. A brisk, engaging biography." ⎯ Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"Here biographer Carla Kaplan dives deep into [Decca's] life and offers a long overdue tome dedicated to putting Decca front and center." - Town & Country

"An absolutely delicious biography of the best Mitford sister." - The Boston Globe

"Beautifully written, utterly transporting and relentlessly vivid by the recovery of amazing circumstances and astonishing human relationships, Carla Kaplan's remarkable biography of Jessica Mitford is a journey through the many social and political worlds contained in a single family, from British feudal aristocracy and pro-Hitler fascist enthusiasm to the American Civil Rights Movement and card-carrying American Communism. This captivating story--empathetic and yet clear-eyed--of a fascinating woman, her sisters and their lives in the 20th Century is a breathtaking and singular achievement." - Congressman Jamie Raskin (MD-8), #1 New York Times Bestselling author of Unthinkable: Trauma, Truth, and the Trials of American Democracy

"Marvelous, enchanting and hilarious. Carla Kaplan has triumphed, bringing to life the delightful odyssey of Jessica 'Decca' Mitford, the mischievous British aristocrat turned American radical and celebrated muckraker. An inspiring biography by a master biographer."

- Kai Bird, Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer and Director of the Leon Levy Center for Biography in New York City

"Of the legendary Mitford sisters, novelist Nancy got the coverage, Duchess Debo got the glamor, Fascist Diana and Hitler-loving Unity got the notoriety; but it was Jessica, or Decca, who really made a difference in the world. Always on the front lines of history--eloping to fight Fascism in the Spanish Civil War, dodging subpoenas from HUAC as a member of the American Communist Party, writing lacerating investigative journalism--Decca was a warrior for justice who never forgot to laugh at herself. And Carla Kaplan's compassionate, enthralling, and aptly titled Troublemaker is a fitting celebration of this extraordinary woman." - Amanda Vaill, author of Pride and Pleasure: The Schuyler Sisters in an Age of Revolution

"Carla Kaplan's deeply researched account chronicles Jessica Mitford's fascinating transformation from a British aristocrat to an American Communist, journalist, writer, and educator. She unveils a unique angle of 'good trouble' and civil rights allyship, told with the drama and humor of Mitford's unique personality." - Tamara Payne, Pulitzer Prize-winning coauthor of The Dead Are Arising: The Life of Malcolm X

"Here's a book as infectious, stylish, and hard-hitting as its subject--the glamorous and rebellious Jessica Mitford. Carla Kaplan writes with the flair of a novelist and backs it up with relentless research and keen insight. Troublemaker is one of those rare books produced from the marriage of a fascinating, timely story and a wonderful storyteller. An absolute treasure." - Jonathan Eig, winner of the Pulitzer Prize for King: A Life

"Brilliantly researched. Every paragraph is a fit to the struggle for civil rights decency. Illuminating. Joyful!" - Blanche Wiesen Cook, award-winning author of Eleanor Roosevelt (3 vol.)

"A remarkable book about a remarkable woman. If you don't know a lot about Mitford (and her exceptionally weird family), you're in for a treat. If you think you already know a lot about her, think again: you're in for a bracing helping of shock and awe. Because Kaplan's research is so impressively deep, and her prose so pleasingly fleet, her complicated and compelling subject now has the biography she has long deserved." - Daniel Okrent, author of The Guarded Gate