If you ever wondered what might have gone on in the minds of Eleanor Roosevelt and and the popular World War II general and war hero, Dwight D. Eisenhower, this is the book for you.
In this novel, - a what-if - Adlai Stevenson suffers a fatal heart attack moments before he is to accept the Democratic nomination against Eisenhower for the 1952 presidential election.
Robin Gerber, author of Eleanor vs. Ike
In his place? Eleanor Roosevelt, of course, who had been popular since her days as First Lady under FDR.
So here we have the premise: the popular and talented widow, Eleanor, runs against Ike in the presidential race to beat all presidential races.
The big question? Can a woman succeed in the presidential race and become the first woman president? Eleanor has women, African-americans and unions vote all rooting for her.
But she upsets many, in this troubled time.
Eleanor vs. Ike
In the novel, Eleanor even meets a precocious five year old girl by the name of - can you guess? Hillary Rodham.
Imagine back to what life was actually like in the 1950s:
It was the time of the Red Scare and Senator Joseph McCarthy, who rooted out suspected Communists, under the HUAC, (House Un-American Activities Committee);racial tension and racial discrimination was high; women were at home, cooking, cleaning, taking care of children, with little money of their own and few opportunities in the work world - (women worked during World War II - and this was a boon to many women, but many were told the men who returned from the war needed the jobs).
Can you imagine what life might have been like for a woman - even a woman such as Eleanor - running for president in 1952?
In the novel, the KKK marked Eleanor for death and Eleanor had to move quickly in top political circles in order to save her campaign and her life.
Robin has a great gift for dialogue, in this quick page turning account of what might have happened. Her knowledge of Eleanor, politics and law make the details come alive.
A few gems from the book:
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"Stevenson started to take another step. He held his speech in front of his body with his left hand, and he seemed to try to raise his right, perhaps to wave. But instead, his arm flopped to his side, his mouth opened, perhaps in a gasp, though it was too noisy to hear, his knees buckled, and he crashed forward to the carpeted floor, his head making a dull thud that sent a small vibration through the planking. He lay absoutely still, the handwritten papers of his acceptance speech still clutched in his fist."
***
And this excerpt:
"Mrs. Roosevelt, I'm sorry to dsiturb you, but I wanted my daughter to meet you."
Eleanor smiled at the woman. "I'm pleased you came over, Mrs..." Eleanor held out her hand.
"Dorothy Rodham. And this is my daughter, Hillary. Say hello to Mrs. Roosevelt, Hillary. She was First lady of the United States. She was married to the president of the United States, Franklin Roosevelt."
Eleanor held out her hand, and the liitle girl took it.
"How do you do, Mrs. Roosevelt. Are you a Republican or the other kind?" she asked, looking earnest.
Eleanor's smile broadened. "I'm the other kind, dear."
"Oh." The girl frowned. "My daddy doesn't like the other kind."
***
Before Eleanor leaves Hillary and Mrs. Rodham, she gives Hillary an "Adlai for President" button.
***
Another excerpt (I used language directly from the book, which recounted the times as they were then)
"Did you hear that?" Killen asked, looking at his wife and pointing toward the radio. "The Democrats put that nigger-loving bitch up for president and now we're going to have to hear about her all the time." Killen spit the words like his mouth was filled with dirt. ...
..."Boys, this thing with Eleenoor Rosenvelt," and the group laughed, "well, we're not goin' to put up with it. But I can tell you one thing, it's gonna build the Klan..."
..."Over in Lafayette County, that N-A-A-C -P sprung up 'nother chapter at the Second Baptist Church over there. I say we drive over there tonight and give the boy that started that trouble, this Nathan Hodges feller, we give that boy a little surprise package." He winked at Barrow, and the group talked about the plan as they headed into work.
Late that night, a bomb flew through the window of Nathan Hodges' house, and as he dove to the floor, he could hear several cars racing away into the darkness. Killen drove away last, hoping someone might run out. They had brought bats just in case....
"That was a good one; it sent a message that ugly bitch Rosenvelt should hear."
..."You boys know that the KKK put out that $25,000 reward offer for killing that woman."
..."Well, I just think I might figure out a way to collect on that."
***
A very stirring and motivated read, especially in our politically charged times of the 2008 Presidential election.
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Don't forget Richard Frisbie's live chat with author Robin Gerber, tomorrow, Wednesday February 13, at 4 p.m. HERE
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Robin Gerber is a political columnist and commentator. She is the author of The Eleanor Roosevelt Way: Timeless Strategies from the First Lady of Courage; Katharine Graham: The Leadership Journey of an American Icon.
Robin spent spent more than 10 years working on Capitol Hill. She is also a lawyer and senior faculty member at the Gallup organization, and contrbutes to USA Today and NPR.
List price is $13.95, paperback, but Amazon is offering it for $11.16. Used and new copies are available from $6.89.
- Paperback: 352 pages
- Publisher: Avon, an imprint of Harper Collins.
- ISBN-10: 0061373214
- ISBN-13: 978-0061373213
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Comments: 67
BTW - Did you just get an email from me about the chat - I have no way of knowing if it was sent or not.
HERE
She'd probably have been good. Sad part, in the real world of the 50's, I doubt she could have been elected.
What a wonderful review.
You always do such a wonderful job with these reviews, you must read a lot.
Thanks for sharing
D.........................................................
I got a lump in my throat, and a tear in my eye, when the author has little Hillary meeting Eleanor.
Sharon, that is probably very true. But she was terrific in the role she had available to her - she really extended that role and made it larger.
Thank you, blaine, TJ, Dorothy, Dee Dee, Jean, Jessica, Richard, Larry, Vivian, Sherine, Lyla, Kimberly, Anne B. Grote, Dan, Judi, Robin, Chris and Amy, Regina, Lora, Sharon.
Everyone, please join us Wednesday, 4PM in Fiction Readers to chat about the book with author Robin Gerber.
most everyone, I had great admiration for Eleanor, she certainly was no beauty, but she was very smart and she had her column My Day long after FDR passed away and many looked to read her thoughts, I know I did. Would she or could she have beat Ike, I don't know, but I tell you, if she had run, she may have given him a run for his money, as I recall myself, not wanting to see a military man as the president of the US. Wonderful article, I hope I remember the live chat as I think it will be really interesting.
In the book Eleanor works on her My Day column....Certainly the best First Lady ever and a great one to FDR, who was very helpful. FDR was no doubt the best Pres ever. And Abe and George, Washington, a very very short list of best ever.
Thanks whitney, Lisa G., Fiction Readers.
I didn't know Hillary's daddy was a Republican. Is that a true statement?
Interesting.
Fern: Me, too. My daughter did several school reports on her and FDR. In fact, in fourth grade, my daughter wanted to be a wax figure of FDR - not Eleanor - for class. So we borrowed my glasses, her brother's dressy suit, a hat and she sat in a wheelchair the whole day the 4th grade exhibit was going on. She learned so much about the Roosevelts.
Thank you, Delaune, Cheryl B., and Charli.
Yes, an amazing concept, very well timed by the author.
Excerpts give a reader the flavor of the book and of the author's writing style. Since I read for writing style, I feel it is important to include.
Holly, thank you.
Emma, thank you.
Lawrence, thank you.
My question is why such an able and charismatic lady could not win the Presidential election? Are the American people so much biased against gender, when relatively backward countries like India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, chose Women Prime ministers and Presidents ?
In the settling of the East and then the Midwest but especially of the West, the principle of being tough-minded and independent were a guiding principle. "I'm going to do it myself," for example.
Even though the US was not the last to give Women the right to vote (a particilar canton in Switzerland (don't remember which one) gave Women the right to vote in the 1960s), it was not the first.
The principle of independence in the US in a way has worked against women, as I see it. In Europe, where the comfortable classes always had a lot of help for women so that women could focus on being WOMEN - such as France's emphasis on personal aesthetics and beauty, the US really wants a WOMAN to be able to do EVERYTHING - work full time, be a mother full time, take care of the house and cook full time, be a good neighbor and be active in the community full time and be a good and loving wife. Oh, and another thing. A woman should be able to live life to the fullest, full time - understand what she is all about as a woman and so on.
All this without help? Not likely and those who could afford it in the US usually had help. Those who can afford it in these times buy the help they need. But still, a woman is expected to be very independent and to be everything to everybody.
My point is that in the US the principle of independence rides strong. That also plays against people helping each other and against tolerance.
I believe the reason lies elsewhere. Perhaps some more research is necessary!
The divorce rate rose after women were able to break away economically from their husbands after the 1950s, mostly in the 60s - beginning but really did not rise dramatically until the 1970s. It was about 1/3 in the 70s; one half by the 80s.
Before the 1960s, esp. in the 19203 and 1930s and 1940s with the Great Depression, and WWII, women did not work much and really could not afford to break away, even in bad marriages. So much the worse for everyone.
But with women working - and the average woman worker only makes now about 70 cents to the male earned dollar - up dramatically from the 1960s and 1970s when women earned 52 cents to the male earned dollar, women have begun to really be able to be independent.
Research shows that most women in fact fare Worse economically after a divorce than before a divorce, though that really depends on the finances and earning abilities of both spouses before the marriage, assets andall.
Even though the US has a great reputation, it has alot of wealthy and a lot of poor. The wealthy slant the statistics one way, whereas the poor tend to be underreported.
There are, I think, greater numbers of hungry and poor women and children now than in the 1970s. In the LBJ great society, most America was middle class - from lower middle to upper middle.
Now, the middle class is disappearing, with greater numbers of Upper Income people - that is families above 200,000 in earnings - but also greater numbers of people on the poverty line, below the poverty line or above the poverty line but not comfortable.
The median income in Massachuetts for a family of 4 is abou $50,000. Yet, the median income at the top State school - public college, UMass-Amherst is $200,000, according to articles read in the Boston Globe a couple of years ago.
So there are so many people here (well only 300 million and not a lot compred to your India, but the statistics tend to be slanted one way or another and it can be difficult to get the whole picture.
Certainly opportunities exist now for women, minorities, everybody that did not exist even 20 years ago. People are changing their minds about a lot of things, but I see things still as being far from ideal, both in terms of opportunities available for women - business is still largely male dominated and run by that kind of mentality - people run i groups and tend to pick like minded people - guys will group with guys and so on. But a greater number of women and women run groups have formed.
Also, America is the land of opportunity. Create an idea and a market and you will sing your way to the bank. That is really what makes America great. Despite whatever laws and trends exist.