The Daughters of Yalta

by Catherine Grace Katz

The Daughters of Yalta provides a very different take on the famous World War II  conference.  FDR, Averell Harriman, and Winston Churchill all brought their daughters as their combination social companion and personal aide-de-camp.  This book gives a portrait of each of the women, their interactions with each other, and their relationships with their fathers.  Very well researched (half the pages are notes so do not be put off by the reported length of the book), the book is very interesting to read and gives insights into the personal preferences, priorities, and foibles of the three men — all of which had a major impact on the outcome of the conference.  It becomes clear that the priorities of FDR and Churchill were sufficiently different to make it hard for them to present a united front to Stalin on many issues; and the health of the leaders made it difficult for all of them to be in top performance condition at all times.

Interspersed with insights into the substance of the conference are reports of what the women (and the leaders) wore, what was served at the lavish dinners, the conditions of the place they were staying and the surrounding area (Ukraine), and a  searing assessment of how Stalin took advantage of every aspect of the entire situation.  Interestingly, Stalin did not bring his daughter, and we gain no insight into him as an individual, only as a political operative.

The three women come across as capable, politically very savvy, and interesting to  know.

Janet Aserkoff