Enjoy these books Hitler’s Aristocrats: The Secret Power Players in Britain and America Who Supported the Nazis, 1923-1941 by Susan Ronald and Happily: A Personal History — With Fairy Tales by Sabrina Orah Mark

I. Hitler’s Aristocrats: The Secret Power Players in Britain and America Who Supported the Nazis, 1923-1941 by Susan Ronald is an eye-opening and deeply researched work that explores the hidden alliances between high-ranking elites in Britain and America and the Nazi regime during its rise to power. The book delves into how these influential figures, many of them members of aristocratic families or high-society circles, played crucial roles in legitimizing and supporting Adolf Hitler's fascist vision.

Ronald reveals how figures such as the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, American aviator Charles Lindbergh, and British politician Lady Nancy Astor were courted by Hitler's regime for their ability to sway public opinion and politics in their respective countries. Their status and wealth gave them considerable influence, which Hitler leveraged through promises of maintaining stability and order. The book sheds light on how these figures, under the pretext of preventing war or maintaining neutrality, helped propagate Nazi ideology and undermined the fight against fascism.

Ronald meticulously traces these connections, documenting the often overlooked or purposely obscured meetings, communications, and propaganda efforts between these aristocrats and the Nazi regime. Through personal letters, diaries, and archival materials, she pieces together a troubling history of how aristocratic loyalty, personal ambition, and political opportunism blinded these power players to the atrocities being committed by the Third Reich.

The Duke of Windsor, for example, famously met with Hitler in 1937, shortly after abdicating the British throne, and expressed sympathy toward the Nazi cause. Lindbergh, a vocal isolationist in the United States, openly admired Nazi Germany’s military advancements and became an outspoken critic of America’s involvement in World War II. Lady Astor, along with members of the infamous Cliveden Set, hosted discussions that were sympathetic to appeasement policies with Nazi Germany, believing Hitler could be an ally against communism.

The book not only paints a portrait of betrayal but also serves as a timely reminder of the dangers of political manipulation, misinformation, and how the elite can become enablers of extremist ideologies when driven by self-interest. Ronald masterfully shows how these aristocrats, despite their lofty status, were seduced by Hitler’s propaganda and self-preservation, ultimately becoming unwitting contributors to one of history’s greatest tragedies.

This work highlights the complex intersections of wealth, power, and politics, making it a gripping read for anyone interested in the nuanced dynamics that helped shape World War II. Ronald also explores the broader implications of these alliances on modern-day threats to democracy, drawing parallels between historical fascism and contemporary political movements. It's an in-depth examination of a dark period in history, shedding light on the role that those in power can play in either upholding or undermining democratic values.

II. Happily: A Personal History — With Fairy Tales by Sabrina Orah Mark is a captivating memoir that weaves together personal reflection, fairy tales, and social critique in a way that offers readers a fresh look at the relevance of ancient stories in today’s world. Based on her popular column “Happily” from The Paris Review, this book takes fairy tale elements—those familiar tropes of evil stepmothers, trickster figures, and happily ever afters—and brings them into conversation with the author's real-life experiences as a Jewish woman raising Black children in the American South.

Mark uses fairy tales and folktales as lenses through which she views her own life, unpacking how these stories continue to shape our understanding of society, culture, and identity. Her essays explore themes like race, motherhood, belonging, and protection—particularly in the context of raising her two sons in a world that often feels precarious. The traditional roles in fairy tales, such as heroes and villains, become metaphors for the roles we play in modern life. For Mark, fairy tales serve as both cautionary tales and cultural critique, allowing her to examine societal norms around family, womanhood, race, and resilience.

In one essay, for example, she delves into the concept of the "evil stepmother," reflecting on how the figure symbolizes both fear and control. Mark contrasts this with her own experiences as a mother trying to protect her children from the harsh realities of racism and violence. She deftly balances the personal with the universal, drawing from her own life to illuminate the ways fairy tales have been used to enforce societal expectations or challenge them.

Throughout the book, Mark explores how her sons are growing up and becoming more socially aware, and how she navigates the tension between wanting to shield them and wanting to empower them to face the world as it is. Her writing is poignant and often bittersweet, filled with moments of tenderness as well as profound insight into the complexity of raising children in today’s divided social landscape.

The essays are both literary and deeply emotional, blending Mark’s background as a poet and storyteller with her reflections on motherhood, race, and identity. Her prose is layered with metaphor, drawing on classic tales such as Hansel and Gretel or The Snow Queen to reveal deeper truths about the ways we shape our narratives. By integrating these timeless stories into her own personal history, Mark challenges readers to reconsider how much of our lives are influenced by the tales we tell, whether in fiction or reality.

Happily is not just a memoir; it’s a meditation on the power of stories—how they guide us, haunt us, and help us make sense of a chaotic world. Mark’s approach to blending fairy tales with contemporary social issues makes for a thought-provoking and engaging read, perfect for those who are interested in the intersections of literature, family life, and societal critique. This memoir-in-essays offers a unique perspective on the timeless themes of love, fear, and transformation, making it a resonant work for readers who appreciate the deeper, often darker, meanings embedded in fairy tales.