White Houses

Elevator Pitch

Eleanor Roosevlet (that's right, the famous first lady) had a lover. Lorena Hickock (Hick) not only resigned from the Associated Press to have a relationship with Eleanor, but she was a white house resident while FDR was in office. Before her teenage years, she was well aquainted with death, abuse, neglect and rejection. As Lorena tells her story with jaded-yet-heartfelt prose, she also provides her side-lines perspective of the complicated Roosevelts, their secrets, and their humanity.

What I Thought

Relationships are complicated. Throw in a little aristocracy, a little politics, a little baggage, a little sex, and they are downright intricate. Everyone knows that FDR and Eleanor weren't the definition of marital bliss. But Eleanor's "first friend"? That was out in the open and yet swept under the rug.

Today's media would be ALL OVER this. However, just eighty years ago, American culture was so different that the media was willing to overlook what they didn't want to see, or what didn't glorify the first family. I love how Amy Bloom has brought this to the surface.

I loved the gritty details of Hick's past juxtaposed with the ethereal ones of Eleanor's upbringing. I loved and hated how human and flawed they were. I loved that they made it work for so long, and hated that true love could never blossom. It hurt so good!

Recommended

To all American History buffs, feminists, and lovers of the tragic love story. (Not a spoiler if you can find the relationship on Wikipedia, right?)

Song

"Uninvited" by Alanis Morrissette. Ever the song of the outsider who desperately wants in.