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By Christian Feuerstein

The six Mitford sisters are a source of seemingly never-ending fascination, but eldest sister Nancy often gets short shrift. 

Fortunately a new biography, “Life in a Cold Climate” puts Nancy front and center. Christopher Benfey, the Andrew W. Mellon Professor of English at ������ý, has reviewed it for The New York Times. 

“A stylish and well-informed writer, [Laura] Thompson brings a snobbishness of her own to her sympathetic account of Mitford’s life,” Benfey wrote. “One’s heart sinks with every mention of ‘nowadays,’ a sure signal that a reactionary opinion is about to be aired.”