Celebrity gossip has always been the rage. From who Rock Hudson was sleeping with to the breakup of Jennifer Aniston's marriage, the public devours rumors. Much has been written about Eleanor Roosevelt and her many affairs.
Eleanor Roosevelt was a trailblazer. She wasn't a First Lady who was going to sit back and just be a pretty face. She traveled the country, she met with the public, she insisted the White House live on the same food rations that the American people were using.
Lorena Hickok was a well respected journalist who lived at the White House and maintained a close relationship with the First Lady. Did this include more than just friendship? This is where White Houses by Amy Bloom comes in.
Amy Bloom has written a fictionalized account of the relationship between these two strong willed women. This is not about the politics or the struggle of hiding their true selves. This is a story about love. (Fictionalized) Eleanor and 'Hick' had a deep friendship above all things. They truly cared about each other.
They couldn't have been more different. Hick is often rough, or rather, a little self loathing. She had a hard life. Sex abuse, abandonment, all things that would have caused anyone else to just give up. Eleanor was bent on saving the world, growing up in the lap of luxury, boarding schools and a highly publicized marriage.
This story traces the (fictionalized..maybe?) story of the relationship. From the beginnings, to the deep 'in love' state, and to the end, these two women had an intense friendship that they both needed.
Bloom writes beautifully and has taken this story into places that people could only imagine. Only two people really knows what happened between Eleanor and Hick, but something it's nice to just imagine two people in love.
White House was released by Random House on February 13, 2018. Additionally, the book has been optioned for television. Congrats to Amy Bloom on this exciting news.
Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and Amy Bloom for providing a copy of this book for review.