Anne Sebba

4****

Be Careful What You Wish For

An eye-opening view of both Windsors – not just That Woman Wallis Simpson.

With all the ‘friends’ and relatives and political figures, Anne Sebba’s biography needed a list of characters to keep us in touch with who was who. But that’s a small criticism in the face of such meticulous research, and the fascinating insights into the lives of Wallis and Edward.

As another reviewer points out, this biography can be read not just as a study in deviant psychology, but as a classic morality tale. ‘Be careful what you wish for, lest it be granted…’ It strikes me that both Wallis and Edward got exactly what they wished for – and were subsequently cursed by how empty those wishes were.

But had their wishes been denied – and Edward had remained as King…?

It made for a compelling and at times shocking read, but by the end of this book I was left thinking that these two people deserved each other. And that’s a very sad thing to say.