The Daughters of Yalta
The Churchills, Roosevelts, and Harrimans: A Story of Love and War
By Catherine Grace Katz
Appearing on the cover from left: Sarah Churchill Oliver, Anna Roosevelt Boettiger, and Kathleen Harriman, together at Yalta in 1945. (U.S. Army Signal Corps)
In February 1945, the Second World War in Europe was coming to a close. As Germany was crumbling thanks to the combined efforts of the Allies, the Allied marriage of convenience was fraying. The three leaders who had long led the effort—Franklin Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, and Josef Stalin—met at Yalta in the Crimea to decide how the war would be concluded. Everyone is familiar with these men and with the travails involved in getting to an agreement at Yalta. Catherine Grace Katz provides an extra dimension to this story by focusing not on the men but on the daughters whose roles in this conference had not previously been told.
Livadia Palace in the Crimea was the conference venue. Vandalized by the Nazis, it was quickly repaired to host the hundreds of high-ranking diplomats and military officers. Kathy Harriman, whose father, Averell, was the American ambassador to the USSR, played a key role in getting it ready. The Soviets supplied battalions of workers, but she provided the brainpower and logistical planning. The palace was infested with lice and bedbugs and had nine toilets and four bathtubs for the hundreds of arrogant and demanding men who would shortly meet there. Her father had encouraged her to be an independent woman, and she demonstrated she was that and more. As the only trusted confidante of Averell, she wielded a profound influence on his actions during Yalta.
Sarah Churchill was in the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF), the women’s arm of the Royal Air Force. A self-described “wild child,” she was often summoned by her father to accompany him to meetings and conferences, where she helped temper Winston’s often mercurial moods. Her natural ability to read people was an asset to her father during the trying times at Yalta, which Katz says was supplemented by her actor’s ability to “summon a wide range of emotions.” She was clearly an asset to Winston. And there was spice, too. Sarah’s sister-in-law Pamela (married to her brother Randolph) was Averell’s lover. Oh, my.
Anna Roosevelt was the oldest of this trio. She tried to bridge the gap between Franklin and Eleanor, a nearly impossible task. She was aware her father was gravely ill from heart disease, and the measures she took to reduce his pain are frankly told. Her story is the most painful of this trio of capable women. Franklin appreciated her presence, but his ability to stand aloof even from family members caused Anna much heartache.
Seated, left to right: British prime minister Winston Churchill, U.S. president Franklin Roosevelt, and Soviet leader Joseph Stalin at the Yalta Conference in February 1945. (National Archives)
Three historic men at Yalta: That story has been told many times and from many perspectives. The story of the three daughters adds a human dimension missing from the standard narrative. Katz has done a superb job of rendering them as key to understanding their fathers. The countless anecdotes in the book are fascinating. Even the most important figures in history have many quirks and faults. Kathy, Sarah, and Anna help us better understand Averell, Winston, and Franklin.
—Thad Zajdowicz, Co-editor, Book Corner
