The Daughters of Yalta: The Churchills, Roosevelts, and Harrimans: A Story of Love and War

Analyze Katz’s depiction of the dynamics between Britain, the US, and the Soviet Union. What assumptions inform Katz’s approach to the East/West divide? What are the strengths and limitations of her analysis?

Examine the portrayal of diplomacy and diplomatic tactics in the book. How does Katz portray the various diplomatic factors and dynamics at play? What does she suggest about the nature of diplomacy?

Katz’s narrative implies that the Cold War was inevitable, even at the time of the Yalta Conference. What links does the book create or suggest between the Yalta Conference and the post-war world? Do you agree with her analysis? Why or why not?

Choose one father-daughter relationship from the book. How does Katz depict the context of the relationship, and how may this relationship have influenced the events at Yalta, in either personal or political terms?

Katz demonstrates how Kathleen, Sarah, and Anna were all constrained by society’s attitude to women, but aided by their wealth and privilege. How were the three women oppressed and/or empowered through their circumstances and choices? In what ways did they conform to, or diverge from, the gender expectations of their time?

In what ways, if any, has Katz’s work informed your understanding of WWll and its aftermath? How do Katz’s views on the Yalta Conference compare with those of other historians?

Daughters of Yalta explores the role that personal relationships can play in political events. In your opinion, which of the three women was the most historically significant political force? Why?

Research the various roles adopted by women during WWII, as mentioned in Daughters of Yalta. What contributions did women make to the war effort? How did these experiences shape gender and social dynamics during and after the war?