The Grit in the Pearl

The Scandalous Life of Margaret, Duchess of Argyll

By: Lyndsy Spence

Narrated by: Lucy Rayner

Margaret, Duchess of Argyll (1912-1993) was an international celebrity in her youth, adored and observed by millions. But in 1963, the year of the Profumo Affair, the 11th Duke of Argyll shocked the country when he alleged that his adulterous wife had slept with over 80 men behind his back. He produced, as his evidence, a set of sexually explicit Polaroid photographs and explosive love letters. The duke won a divorce, but this had a dramatic effect on Margaret's life. On the verge of financial destitution, she fell from grace and was abandoned by most of her friends prior to her death in a nursing home in Pimlico in 1993.

Lyndsy Spence tells a tragic story of the life and downfall of this fascinatingly complex woman, and shows how she fell victim to a cruel husband, harsh social mores, and an unforgiving class. It uses new sources, including taped conversations, an unexpurgated transcript of her divorce trial, interviews, and letters. The Grit in the Pearl is a meticulously researched and powerful biography, which acts as a potent lens on various themes in the last century: fame, privacy, the media, sex, power, and relationships between classes.

©2019 Lyndsy Spence (P)2019 Tantor

Delicious from start to finish!

I absolutely LOVED this book! Honestly, one of my favorite audible books ever. I adored Margaret with all her flaws and eccentricities. I went along for the ride of this story right from the start and was not bored for a moment . The narrater, Lucy Rayner is stellar. I just enjoy listening to her speak! I highly recommend this book, in fact I did tonight, told my friend she has to buy this book....
Thank you Lyndsy Spense and Lucy Rayner!

Frothy fun

If you ever wanted to know how the rich and aristocratic are different, read this. Depravity, debauchery and debutantes. This book has it all, and you will never look at British aristocrats in the same way.

Interesting historical; narration a bit problematic

It will come across amazing that women in the British aristocracy could be so maligned and shunned once upon a time just by doing what their male counterparts took for granted they could do with impunity. Interesting snapshot of society behaviors, mores and artifices that thankfully are a thing of the past. Kind of a Downton Abbey noir. Narrators can really add to a good yarn (as The Grit in the Pearl is), but I hate to say the narrator’s read did not make the most of the material. With nuanced intonation and cadence, this audiobook would have been 4-5 stars. However, the narrator was practically monotone although having the proper upper class “cut glass” enunciation, and almost every sentence ended in something of a upward lilt - California Valley Girl meets Sloan Ranger - with the result sounding like a series of questions being asked by someone with lockjaw. The speech was slow and I upped the speed to 1.3 - that gave the narration a little umph and seemed to help gloss over the terribly self conscious diction. All in all an interesting life story - I had long heard about the infamous photo - to our modern eyes, it’s much ado about mind your own business. But this book gives it context and provides an astounding account of a woman ahead of her time whose only crime was to own her sexuality.

Wonderful Bio

This was a great biography. I knew very little about her life but now I am intrigued.

A solid 3

Well written; I enjoy this author and the narrator as well. The main character herself was what I didn’t enjoy. I am fascinated by all genders, religions, colors, creeds and enjoy hearing the life stories of those who lived/live among us. Aside from people like her, that is. Lacking substance all around.