Nancy Mitford a satire on Mosley's fascist "Blackshirt" movement. Mitford herself had briefly flirted with this cause, although her enthusiasm was short-lived and she soon became a vociferous opponent of fascism. When the novel was published in 1935 it made little critical impact, while seriously offending members of her own family, particularly her sisters Diana and Unity, both of whom were supporters of Mosley's movement and devotees of the German dictator Adolf Hitler. Diana eventually forgave her, but the rift with Unity, who was outraged by her depiction in the book as the ridiculous "Eugenia Malmains", was never fully healed. By 1936
Diana Tutton sisters, it describes Ned and Julie's love affair, which continues even after they discover that Julie is not adopted but is Ned's biological sister. Ned and Julie marry nonetheless and attempt, with the narrator's help, to keep the marriage a secret from their relatives and friends. Ned and Julie's marriage ultimately fails. As in Tutton's other novels, there is a strong contrast between the matter-of-fact narrative style and the unusual subject matter. Diana Tutton Diana Tutton was a British novelist whose books focused on women navigating difficult relationships and family situations. Her work has been compared to that of Dodie