Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsPamela Hicks’s memoir Daughter of Empire: Life as a Mountbatten recounts how her parents, Edwina and Louis Mountbatten, negotiated a way through their marital crisis. The phrase “open marriage of sorts” is Devapriya Roy’s characterization in a 2017 review of the book—not a label established here as Hicks’s own wording.
What did Pamela Hicks say about her parents’ marriage?
In a passage attributed to Hicks and reproduced in Devapriya Roy’s April 8, 2017 Scroll.in review, Hicks describes her parents finding a way through a marital crisis: “But eventually, using their reserves of deep mutual affection, my parents managed to negotiate a way through this crisis and found a modus vivendi.”
“Modus vivendi” means a workable arrangement or way of living together. The sentence conveys Hicks’s account of reconciliation through mutual affection and negotiation; on its own, it does not define the terms of that arrangement.
Why does the review call it an “open marriage of sorts”?
Roy’s review—not the quoted Hicks passage—characterizes the arrangement as an “open marriage of sorts.” The review describes Edwina’s relationships and Louis’s response, and says Edwina was often jealous of his affairs. It names Yola Letellier as Louis’s long-time lover and Harold “Bunny” Phillips as someone with whom Edwina found happiness and adventure. Roy writes that a stable “menage a quartre” eventually emerged and says the daughters came to accept and appreciate the unconventional arrangement.
#1 Best Overall
These details are Roy’s summary of Hicks’s memoir, rather than independently verified facts from a full-text reading. The distinction matters: the review attributes the “modus vivendi” sentence to Hicks, while “open marriage of sorts” is Roy’s interpretation. The evidence cited here does not establish that Hicks herself used that phrase.
Which Pamela Hicks memoir is the book?
The book directly relevant to Roy’s review is Pamela Hicks’s memoir, Daughter of Empire. UK-oriented listings use the subtitle Life as a Mountbatten; US listings use My Life as a Mountbatten. Publisher and catalog records identify multiple editions, so publication dates and page counts can differ by edition.
Rank #2
- Used Book in Good Condition
| Listing | Edition detail |
|---|---|
| Hachette India | Paperback, ISBN 9781474606929; listed as published February 24, 2017. |
| Weidenfeld & Nicolson | Edition listed under ISBN 9781780222844. |
| US catalog listings | Use the subtitle My Life as a Mountbatten; edition-specific publication details vary. |
Hicks also wrote India Remembered: A Personal Account of the Mountbattens During the Transfer of Power, an earlier book about the Mountbattens. It is related further reading, but it is not the memoir discussed in Roy’s review.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What is established—and what remains uncertain?
The available account supports a careful, limited conclusion: Hicks’s memoir, as represented in Roy’s review, describes her parents negotiating a workable arrangement, and Roy interprets that arrangement as an “open marriage of sorts.” The review supplies the quoted sentence but not a page number or the surrounding passage from a specified edition. Without checking the memoir itself, its exact edition-specific wording and context cannot be confirmed.
Free tools Windows power users keep installed
One-click scans. No signup required.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- Used Book in Good Condition
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
