An Unlikely Countess

'A spirited and sensitive account of one of the strangest lives imaginable. Louise Carpenter's portrait of the life of Lily Budge is a classic of its kind: elegantly written, with a rare eye for detail and a shrewd and warm understanding of its extraordinary subject.' William Boyd 'Louise Carpenter tells this sensational story without ever exaggerating its more eye-catching excesses. She is sensitive to all sides...a serious and profoundly moving book.' Independent on Sunday 'An entertaining and moving memorial to [Lily's] indomitable, colourful character. Wonderful.' Telegraph 'Louise Carpenter is a biographer of real promise...Her account of this oddly matched couple struggling to get along in Britain's high society is often amusing, sometimes touching...Painstakingly researched and very readable.' Scottish Herald