“Eleanor”by David Michaelis

REVIEW BY MEREDITH MCKINNIE

“She yearned for closeness, and yet her own responses prevented it. She would never be kittenishly playful with him; he would never confront hard truths with her. They could scarcely ever relax with each other.”

Anna Eleanor Roosevelt, born in 1884, is known for being the most outspoken and longest-serving First Lady in American history. Orphaned as a child, Eleanor learned to function with heartbreak and loss. Marrying her 5th cousin Franklin Delano Roosevelt cast Eleanor on the national stage, as she remolded the role of a politician’s wife – from a mere background figure to a promoter and shaper of public policy. While their marriage was unconventional, the partnership of the First Lady and the 32nd President of the United States resulted in the most sweeping legislation the country had ever seen. 

David Michaelis’ book follows Eleanor’s life from birth to burial. Relying on personal correspondence, speeches, family testimonials, and interviews, Michaelis presents the woman behind the persona. Regardless of political ideology, Eleanor is remembered as strong and influential, well-respected by the country during her tenure as First lady and beyond. Some anecdotal examples include traffic stopped on the street to listen to Eleanor speak and a little boy assuming the Statue of Liberty was “Mrs. Roosevelt.” She is credited with introducing FDR to the lower classes, the people he’d never met and would eventually advocate for from the White House. 

Michaelis describes in detail the marriage of many, including FDR’s lovers and Eleanor’s overbearing mother-in-law. After bearing their children, Eleanor resigned herself to a romanceless marriage with the power to shape public policy. Previously of the opinion that women should stay out of politics, Eleanor immersed herself in being the face of the presidency, meeting regularly with constituents while FDR ran operations from Washington. Her connection with the common man inspired millions and rocketed her husband to four terms as president. 

The biography is saturated with personal details and anecdotes. Michaelis does not shy away from the whole truth, exposing Mrs. Roosevelt’s flaws and insecurities alongside her strengths. Though she disagreed with her husband often, she never did so publicly, as she staunchly advocated for women to assert themselves within the accepted decorum of the era. She believed in rules enough to break them from time to time. She embraced change and possessed tremendous foresight, one FDR relied on extensively, often countering advisors in meetings with “But my Missus says…”

Michaelis details Eleanor’s passionate romances, those in the shadows and those in plain sight. The massive amounts of information contained in this book present a complex figure, one enshrined in American history and in the hearts of Americans recovering from The Great Depression and nervous about World War II. This biography is ideal for lovers of history, especially the female history of leaders by proxy. 

“Better to stay self-controlled, subordinate her desires to fulfill the demands of others, make known her true feelings only indirectly. In case of fury, best to turn to the wall, face it alone.”