Susan Elia MacNeal

Mrs. Roosevelt's Confidante

Sahi K

It’s the winter of 1940 and two weeks after Pearl Harbor. America has finally joined the war and PM Churchill is coming to DC to meet President Roosevelt. His entourage includes the usual folks – Maggie, John and David. Maggie is back as his secretary but is mostly there to make sure that there are no impediments to the war effort. When Mrs. Roosevelt’s temporary secretary allegedly commits suicide, Maggie steps in to ensure that any conspiracy afoot to disgrace the First Lady and in turn the President and Prime Minister’s alliance is nipped in the bud. There is also the execution of a young black sharecropper which the First Lady is trying to get pardoned and Maggie starts to investigate how the two things are related and how deep the conspiracy goes.

The book is as breezy and enjoyable as I have started to expect from this series. I really like that I can finish it in a single setting and have fun along the way. Maggie continues to amaze me with her courage and confidence. As I haven’t read anything after the first book in the series, I did miss some references but I will read all the books as soon as I get them from my library. Even though it’s a fun read, there were some heavy discussions about the futility of the death penalty and the wrongful occupation of the colonies by the empire which I really liked. Segregation, Jim Crow and unfair jury trials are discussed which bring to light the ugly reality of the times. It also showed that you can vehemently disagree politically but still be best friends who love each other. I think that’s a good takeaway for the current over-sensitive world.

Note: Everyone in the book gifts each other books for Christmas. I totally loved it!!! How I wish people would gift me books too 😉😉😉

Douglas E. Welch

Ryan B Harvey

The story of how the Ivinsons settled in Wyoming, as told by their great granddaughter, Mrs. Neal MacNeal.

Mrs. Roosevelt's Confidante

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