As I listened to this novel in my car, I really wondered where the idea of this novel came from. I kept thinking, did something like this really happen? I guess it is for people like me to read/listen to and wonder these thoughts.
I have mixed feelings about this novel and perhaps they have something to do with the notion that I listened to this novel on audio. I thought this novel was all-over-the-place and I had a hard time following it at times. The idea of Eleanor Roosevelt having a lover through me off too. I have this image of this first lady and when I add a woman to it, it just seems wrong. I’m sorry but that’s how it is with her. I’m not against anyone else’s individual preference as that is your choice but for this historical first lady, I couldn’t see it. Perhaps I should have stopped listening to it but I wanted to know how things ended or what happened over time, so I had to continue.
I know that every story has more than one side to it so I kept this thought in the back of my mind, as I listened to this novel. I liked the compassion and the respect that she showed as she tells the story. As a reporter, I can tell that she likes to talk about others and give all the details that she possibly can. I liked that she was not negative and she didn’t disrespect anyone. I liked how she included a variety of individuals from that time period and she made their stories interesting. I learned about Hick and her life, which before now, I knew nothing.
This was probably not the right novel for me but I did enjoy parts of it.