Book description
A Rothschild by birth and a Baroness by marriage, beautiful, spirited
Pannonica - known as Nica - seemed to have it all: children, a
handsome husband and a trust fund. But in the early 1950s she heard a
piece by the jazz legend Thelonious Monk. The music overtook her like
a magic spell, and she abandoned her marriage to go and find him.
Arriving in New York, Nica was shunned by society but accepted by
the musicians. They gave her friendship; she gave them material and
emotional support. Her convertible Bentley was a familiar sight
outside the clubs and she drank whisky from a hip flask disguised as a
Bible. Her notoriety was sealed when drug-addicted saxophonist Charlie
Parker died in her apartment. But her real love was reserved for Monk,
whom she cared for until his death in 1982.
The Baroness traces Nica's extraordinary, thrilling journey -
from England's stately homes to the battlefields of Africa, passing
under the shadow of the Holocaust, and finally to the creative ferment
of the New York jazz scene. Hannah Rothschild's search to solve the
mystery of her rebellious great aunt draws on their long friendship
and years of meticulous research and interviews. It is part musical
odyssey, part dazzling love story.
Hannah Rothschild is a freelance director and writer. Her feature
documentaries, including the Jazz Baroness, have been shown on the BBC
and HBO. She has written for newspapers and magazines including Vanity
Fair, Vogue, The Independent, The Spectator, Bazaar and House and
Garden. Vice President of the Hay Literary Festival, Trustee of the
National Gallery and Waddesdon Manor, this is her first biography.
