itclouie's review against another edition
3.0
While I enjoyed reading the letters between Eleanor Roosevelt and Lorena Hickock, the author's explanation before nearly every correspondence grew irritating.
In some instances, it made sense to provide context and explained events that weren't explicitly mentioned in the letters, but most of the time, it spoiled the content.
Other than that, it was a very interesting read! Halfway through, I started skipping the author's notes and only reading the actual letters.
In some instances, it made sense to provide context and explained events that weren't explicitly mentioned in the letters, but most of the time, it spoiled the content.
Other than that, it was a very interesting read! Halfway through, I started skipping the author's notes and only reading the actual letters.
d_iris's review against another edition
3.0
I thought this book was a fairly interesting read. A lot of the letters just catalog their days without each other, as is to be expected, but you do feel this small kind of yearning; this want to be with each other again. Nothing is overt but you can sense this kindred link between the two women. I did get the feeling that the author, Roger Streitmatter, had a small distaste for the relationship between the two. His overall writing and explanations of unclear events in the letters made it seem as if he were lacking some reverence in regards to their relationship and that bothered me a little bit. His personal bigotry and/or my interpretation of his feelings notwithstanding, it is an appealing read. Isn't it always fascinating to delve into the minds of two honest, real life people in love?
crystabrittany's review against another edition
3.0
The narrative surrounding these two women is so interesting, and Streitmatter does a wonderful job of providing the context and information needed to read the letters like a story. That said, the First Lady wrote odd diary-style letters simply detailing her days and the majority of the letters in this book are hers, which makes for some slightly dull and incredibly monotonous reading in sections. As the war came on and their relationship strained, the book (and letters) became much more interesting.
jules1994's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 Stars.
This was very interesting and quite readable for a biographical report. I read this one with the alleged affair of Eleanor Roosevelt and the author, Lorena Hickok, in the back of my mind, which automatically made me look for signs of this rumoured relationship non-stop. I thought there were a couple of ambiguous scenes, but maybe that was just me interpreting to my liking. One point of critic for me is certainly the ending, which was very abrupt — the only warning I got was basically that I had run out of pages to read. Still a worthy read if you’re at all interested in Eleanor Roosevelt handling the beginning of her long First Ladyship.
This was very interesting and quite readable for a biographical report. I read this one with the alleged affair of Eleanor Roosevelt and the author, Lorena Hickok, in the back of my mind, which automatically made me look for signs of this rumoured relationship non-stop. I thought there were a couple of ambiguous scenes, but maybe that was just me interpreting to my liking. One point of critic for me is certainly the ending, which was very abrupt — the only warning I got was basically that I had run out of pages to read. Still a worthy read if you’re at all interested in Eleanor Roosevelt handling the beginning of her long First Ladyship.
kait_unicorn's review against another edition
3.0
Charming to read, but not quite what I had expected. Hickok is, by her own admission, a terrible journalist.
Still, a delightful bit of insight from a close friend of the former First Lady.
Still, a delightful bit of insight from a close friend of the former First Lady.
sonnet_reads's review against another edition
I love reading stories in someone's own words, so lost diaries or letters are a thrilling treat for my historian brain. Eleanor Roosevelt had a Very Close Female Friend (read: gal pal) and they wrote each other letters nearly every day of their relationship, well past the point of their closeness. Lorena Hickok was a strange single woman writer who got a glimpse into the First Lady's world but managed to hold herself apart from her journalistic duties and foster an actual friendship that lasted decades. If I'm being honest, I was slightly surprised that a man wrote this book with such tender devotion to what is one of the loudest queer secrets in our nation's history, and I was pleasantly surprised with Roger Streitmatter's treatment. Streitmatter offers historical interludes between the letters, contextualizing the relationship within the greater moment outside of it, but he doesn't preach or judge the relationship.
rah10's review against another edition
4.0
This gave me what I thought I was getting with Eleanor and Hick. The letters did the talking and the context was set around each one. I really identify with Hick and her periods of despair. I felt for her throughout.
thisiscourt's review
emotional
informative
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Car accident, Chronic illness, and Medical content
Minor: Alcoholism, Animal death, Death, Incest, Infidelity, and Sexism