The Grit in the Pearl by Lyndsy Spence
The History Press
Soft Cover, 263 Pages
www.thehistorypress.co.uk
This is the biography of Margaret, Duchess of Argyll, who was internationally adored in her youth but ended up destitute and dying in a nursing home in 193. Ethel Margaret Whigham, an only child, was born to a wealthy family in 1912 and raised by a detached and “disappointed” mother. Despite her harsh upbringing, Margaret learned her place in life as an aristocrat and went on to woo those in her social scene and marry the 11th Duke of Argyll. But wedded life didn’t go as planned for her and in 1963, her husband exposed her as an adulterer who had slept with more than 80 men. the ensuing divorce affected Margaret’s life forever, leaving her financially ruined and abandoned. the author is a celebrated historian of a very public figure and this story is also gaining traction in a show A Very British Scandal. But it is always best to read the book for a more accurate rate account.
