Troublemaker
The Fierce, Unruly Life of Jessica Mitford
From British country homes to republican Spain and civil rights America, the inspiring, wildly entertaining story of Jessica Mitford—investigative journalist, radical activist, renegade aristocrat.
‘Jessica Mitford is a sister of mine. If I had to go into a room with a leopard, I wouldn’t hesitate to ask for her.’ — Maya Angelou
‘The cult of the Mitfords, which now features a shelf of books and several TV documentaries, threatens in itself to become a bore on an almost Bloomsbury scale. But [their] mad father, when making dispositions of his property, wrote in his will the words “except Jessica.” And the bookstore at the Devonshire stately home in Chatsworth displays works by and about every Mitford sister but her. These paltry aristocratic gestures confirm, as do [her] letters, that it was Decca, exiled and intransigent, who was the exceptional one.’ — Christopher Hitchens
Description
Jessica ‘Decca’ Mitford was raised to marry well, not fight for others’ rights. Yet she rejected her eccentric, blue-blooded roots, running away from England to become an antifascist and antiracist. Why is this rebellious heroine less famous than her glamorous sisters, who ranged from naughty to Nazi?
Troublemaker is the remarkable story of Decca’s life in pursuit of justice, in the Spanish Civil War and the Communist Party USA; her intrepid social reporting, and her relentless antics. Carla Kaplan celebrates a fierce intellect and powerful ally who brought joy to the struggle, unearthing fascinating details through interviews with the Mitford family, and exploring Decca’s thousands of witty letters. From Vietnam War dissident Dr Spock to Decca’s close friend Maya Angelou, this Mitford sister’s irreverent anti-authoritarianism deeply influenced American culture. Back home in Britain, her activism shamed those of her class—and her family—on the wrong side of history.
This passionate, often hilarious biography captures an extraordinary woman, and an extraordinary time in world history. Facing today’s injustices, we need Decca’s vibrant, committed example more than ever.
Reviews
‘Too much writing about the Mitfords has been trivia. But Carla Kaplan’s impressive study of Jessica Mitford’s troublemaking life and political activities on the American left proves once and for all that she was the only Mitford sister worth taking seriously.’ — Polly Toynbee, Guardian columnist
‘Jessica Mitford was the best, brightest and most dynamic of the Mitford sisters. Her commitment to social justice and civil rights meant she had more impact than all the rest.’ — Baroness Helena Kennedy LT KC, leading international lawyer
‘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)
‘A long overdue tome dedicated to putting Decca front and centre.’ — Town & Country, ‘Must-Read Books of Fall 2025’
‘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.)
‘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 twentieth century is a breathtaking and singular achievement.’ — Jamie Raskin, congressman and No. 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 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
‘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, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of King: A Life
‘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 humour of Mitford’s unique personality.’ — Tamara Payne, Pulitzer Prize–winning co-author of The Dead Are Arising: The Life of Malcolm X
‘A remarkable book about a remarkable woman. If you don’t know a lot about Decca (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
Author(s)
Carla Kaplan is an award-winning writer; the Davis Distinguished Professor of American Literature at Northeastern University; and a Guggenheim and ‘Public Scholar’ Fellow. She is the author of the New York Times Notable Books Miss Anne in Harlem and Zora Neale Hurston: A Life in Letters, among others.
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