It’s almost hard to believe that Eleanor Roosevelt’s story began over 100 years ago.  She was born in 1884, and managed to maintain a prominent position in society and US politics through the 1950s.  She was a Roosevelt by birth, the niece of Theodore “Teddy”, she married her distant cousin, Franklin, and was catapulted into the world of politics. 

            Her life, from her own pen, was incredibly interesting.  While reading about her early life, and even the early days of her marriage and motherhood, she doesn’t come across as a happy woman.  It felt like she was merely spouting facts with zero emotion involved.  She wrote about her family while she was growing up, and it felt like she had separated herself emotionally from the events of her childhood.  I didn’t get the sense that she felt much joy early in her life.  It wasn’t until she began talking about the work that she did—working with women and children, speaking up against racism, and campaigning for her husband—that she started to come across as more lively, or even more alive. 

            The more detailed and fascinating tales came from her travels abroad, regardless of where she was going or what she was doing when she got there.  She gave detailed accounts of visiting various dignitaries around the world, which were in sharp contrast to some of the retellings of her interactions with the people in her daily life.  I especially found her visits to Russia the most compelling.  The way she is able to explain how Russia was able to gain and maintain an absolute obeying population blew my mind.  She had more insight in how to better handle the rising threat of Russia than any other historian I have ever studied on the subject.  When I finished this book, I kept going back and rereading those chapters that discussed what she learned during her time in Russia, and I’m still floored by what she had to say.  There’s no chance I could potentially do her words justice, so I would strongly urge anybody interested to read this book.

            I had no idea how completely polarizing she was.  She spent a long time working in American politics.  She worked with the UN, the Democratic party, and spent a lot of her time on the campaign trail for one Democratic candidate or another, well into her 80s.  That woman had more get-up-and-go later in her life than a toddler.  Her life contributed to her continuing to be named one of the most influential people, both in the 20th century and in the entirety of US history. 

Eleanor Roosevelt was an incredible person and this book is proof. Her words are insightful and inspiring. It was alarming how many situations she was in that are so similar to the world today. I highly recommend this to any history buff, feminist, or fan of Eleanor Roosevelt.