TheNewYorkTimesbestsellerfromprizewinningauthorDavidMichaelispresentsa“stunning“(TheWallStreetJournal)breakthroughportraitofEleanorRoosevelt,America’slongest-servingFirstLady,anavatarofdemocracywhoseever-expandingagencyasdiplomat,activist,andhumanitarianmadeheroneoftheworld’smostwidelyadmiredandinfluentialwomen.Inthefirstsingle-volumecradle-to-graveportraitinsixdecades,acclaimedbiographerDavidMichaelisdeliversastunningaccountofEleanorRoosevelt’sremarkablelifeoftransformation.AnorphanednieceofPresidentTheodoreRoosevelt,sheconvertedherGildedAgechildhoodofdenialandsecrecyintoanirreconcilablemarriagewithherambitiousfifthcousinFranklin.Despitetheirinabilitytomakeeachotherhappy,FranklinRoosevelttransformedEleanorfromasettlementhousevolunteeronNewYork’sLowerEastSideintoamatchingpartnerinNewYork’smostimportantpowercoupleinageneration.WhenEleanordiscoveredFranklin’sbetrayalwithheryounger,prettier,socialsecretary,LucyMercer,sheofferedadivorceandvowedtofaceherselfhonestly.HereisanEleanorbothmorevulnerableandmoreaggressive,morepsychologicallyawareandsexuallyadaptablethanweknew.ShecametoacceptherFDR’sbondwithhisexecutiveassistant,MissyLeHand;sheallowedherchildrentolivetheirownlives,asshenevercould;andsheexploredhersexualattractiontowomen,amongthemastarfemalereporteronFDR’sfirstpresidentialcampaign,andyoungermen.Eleanorneededemotionalconnection.Shepursueddeeperrelationshipswherevershecouldfindthem.Throughoutherlifeandtravels,therewasalwaysanotherpersonorplaceshewantedtoheal.AsFDRstruggledtorecoverfrompolio,Eleanorbecameavoiceforthevoiceless,herhusband’sproxyintheWhiteHouse.Later,shewouldbethearchitectofinternationalhumanrightsandworldcitizenoftheAtomicAge,urgingAmericanstocopewiththeanxietyofglobalannihilationbycultivatinga“worldmind.“Sheinsistedthatwecannotliveforourselvesalonebutmustlearntolivetogetherorwewilldietogether.This“absolutelyspellbinding,“(TheWashingtonPost)“complexandsensitiveportrait“(TheGuardian)isnotjustacomprehensivebiographyofamajorAmericanfigure,butthestoryofanAmericanideal:howourfreedomisalwaysachoice.EleanorrediscoversamodelofwhatisnobleandevergreenintheAmericancharacter,amodelweneedtodaymorethanever.
