First published 2014
Eleanor Roosevelt recounts her extraordinary journey from a sheltered daughter of New York's elite to becoming one of America's most influential women. Born into Theodore Roosevelt's extended family, she marries Franklin Delano Roosevelt and finds herself thrust into political life during his rise from New York governor to president. Eleanor transforms the role of First Lady, championing the poor and fighting for civil rights, consumer protection, and better housing. She navigates the challenges of the Great Depression and World War II alongside her husband, developing her own political voice through women's organizations and youth movements. After FDR's death, Eleanor emerges as a force on the world stage, serving as a UN Delegate and chairing the Commission on Human Rights. Her memoir reveals a woman who evolved from a dutiful wife into an independent advocate for liberty and human dignity, traveling the world as a diplomat and columnist while working to bridge divides at home and abroad.
Genres: biography, history, 20th-century, autobiography, biography-memoir, 21st-century
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: independent-woman, political-rise, transformation
Setting: New York, United Nations
Period: Great Depression, World War II
480 pages · Kindle Edition · Harper Perennial Modern Classics