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The Bolter is a biography about Idina Sackville a notorious women of Edwardian high society in the early 20th century who deserted her wealthy husband and children for another man and fled to Kenya. Though I enjoyed the book, I did have a few issues. This book goes into great detail about what life really was like among the aristocracy of England and it is fascinating. According to the old Edwardian morality, extramaterial affairs were acceptable as long as they did not threaten either the other spouse’s primary position in society or the marriage itself. Everybody was doing everybody – pretty randy stuff.
The problem I had was with the characters. They are selfish, spoiled people who feel very entitled – think Paris Hilton as a flapper. I didn’t like them. The book was written by Frances Osborne the great-granddaughter of Idina and I felt that she was trying to justify her great grandmother’s behavior and sugar-coat the truth. It was interesting, but I think you need to read it with a grain of salt, or truth.
