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Eleanor and Hick: The Love Affair That Shaped a First Lady
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A warm, intimate account of the love between Eleanor Roosevelt and reporter Lorena Hickok—a relationship that, over more than three decades, transformed both women's lives and empowered them to play significant roles in one of the most tumultuous periods in American history
In 1932, as her husband assumed the presidency, Eleanor Roosevelt entered the claustrophobic, duty-bo ...more
In 1932, as her husband assumed the presidency, Eleanor Roosevelt entered the claustrophobic, duty-bo ...more
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Hardcover, 416 pages
Published
September 27th 2016
by Penguin Press
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Eleanor and Hick by Susan Quinn is a book I picked up from the library. I enjoyed this book and learned a lot of history from it too. When it talked about the history of Hick's life, it is so sad and yet if she lived today, this would not have happened. Sure, she might have had a drunk father that beat her but she couldn't live own her own as a young teen.She also wouldn't have to work at different places to feed herself. Hick had a hard life, a total opposite of Eleanor. I also learned more abo
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I'm of two minds about this book: I appreciated learning about Lorena Hickok's considerable positive contribution to FDR's years as President and as a tremendously affirmative support for Eleanor Roosevelt. However, I did get bogged down with the breadth and detail of FDR's political career, within which I had to sometimes search for the nuggets of the story of "Hick" and Eleanor, to the point that I found myself avoiding "that damn book", and making myself groaningly finish it.
The first half f ...more
The first half f ...more

Eleanor and Hick: The Love Affair that Shaped a First Lady by Susan Quinn shows us the personal life and independent career of Eleanor Roosevelt, and explores her friendships with women and men who enriched her life and whom she deeply loved. Lorena Hickcok (Hick) was an AP journalist covering the White House when Eleanor met her. Sharing a train car while campaigning started a relationship that helped Eleanor become a capable leader and broke Lorena's heart.
Discovering her husband's love affair ...more
Discovering her husband's love affair ...more

Jul 21, 2016
Denise
rated it
liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
lgbt-nonfiction,
reviewed
This is going to be one of the blockbuster popular histories of the fall, certainly to be featured on NPR and other big book promoters like that, so I was super excited to get an advanced copy. But unfortunately I was quite let down, because the book was actually kinda flat, and I was disappointed in it, though I’ve thought about it for several days and I still can’t totally put my finger on why it seemed so meh. I am slightly crazy about Eleanor Roosevelt, who is America’s greatest politician w
...more

3 stars or 4 stars? I honestly don't know. As evidence of a love story through a changing time in our country's history, strong four stars. Otherwise, it is rather dull. Audiobook I found my mind wandering it was easy to lose track of the narrative because little action takes place. I'm glad I read it, just not happy I own it and can't sell it
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I found Eleanor and Hick: The Love Affair That Shaped a First Lady to be somewhat underwhelming. I guess with a subtitle like that I expected there to be tons more focus on the actual relationship/love affair between Eleanor and Hick, but you don't really get that. I mean, you get some, but a lot of this book is focused on what these two ladies did separately as opposed to together.
I also would have liked it if this book included more of the letters that Hick and Eleanor wrote each other. I know ...more
I also would have liked it if this book included more of the letters that Hick and Eleanor wrote each other. I know ...more

The first half of this was really good! Very readable and engaging. I'd heard of Hick before, but had no idea she and Eleanor had such a close (probably romantic, possible sexual) relationship.
Then my library loan expired and I had to wait to read the second half, so some of my waning interest is probably due to that, but also the second half of the book was more about Eleanor and Hick as individuals. Which was still interesting, but wasn't what the book promised.
Eleanor had other close, special ...more
Then my library loan expired and I had to wait to read the second half, so some of my waning interest is probably due to that, but also the second half of the book was more about Eleanor and Hick as individuals. Which was still interesting, but wasn't what the book promised.
Eleanor had other close, special ...more

Thank you First Reads for the opportunity to read Eleanor and Hick. This book chronicles the love between two women and the influence that the First Lady had during the depression, the war and the years following the war. I doubt that Mrs. Roosevelt would have been as effective without the stimulus of Ms. Hickock. And, the focus of the book really is on Hick's influence rather than on the relationship between the two women. So, the subtitle is a bit misleading. No matter. This is a tale that nee
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Lorena Hickok was Eleanor Roosevelt's very close and personal "friend". I cannot even begin to imagine what it must have been like to gay in 1930's and 40's it must be hard enough in our somewhat more enlightened times. Add to that imagine being a lesbian and being the First Lady. Before reading this I had heard the rumors that Eleanor Roosevelt may have been a lesbian and I wanted to learn more about that part of her life.
This book was fascinating but also slow moving and boring at times. I ge ...more
This book was fascinating but also slow moving and boring at times. I ge ...more

Gosh, I'm so disappointed. As a card carrying lesbian from birth, I'm unclear how I had never heard of Eleanor and Hick. So, you can only imagine my reaction when I saw this title. I was beyond pumped. Although full of information, I found this book boring and a struggle to get through. It was neither warm nor intimate. I actually feel bad that I disliked it so much. (((le sigh)))))
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An interesting read for sure. Eleanor and Franklin had an interesting relationship that was peppered and spicy with a dollop of infidelity. I really enjoyed the historical aspect of the book. The personal relationships, however were pretty darn dysfunctional. Not a lot of truth in this marriage but a fair share of jealousy. I probably would have enjoyed the book so much more if it was my first read of Eleanor and Hicks relationship. I read White Houses by Amy Bloom two years ago and I was shocke
...more

One of my passions these days is learning about the history of the world. I can’t remember how I discovered this book, it was possibly a recommendation on goodreads. I do remember reading in a historical book about Eleanor Roosevelt's Tour of the South Pacific in 1943, when she visited our soldiers in Australia during World War II. There was no hesitation with the full 5 star rating I gave it. It was so interesting and enlightening.
Eleanor Roosevelt, was First Lady of the U.S.A from March 4, 193 ...more
Eleanor Roosevelt, was First Lady of the U.S.A from March 4, 193 ...more

4.5.
Eleanor Roosevelt has always been someone I admire and this book affirms this. I’ll note, this is more of a general biography of her life with a focus on her relationship with Hick which is more heavy in the beginning of the book than the second half on. I expected it to focus on their relationship more closely throughout. A great read nonetheless.
Eleanor Roosevelt has always been someone I admire and this book affirms this. I’ll note, this is more of a general biography of her life with a focus on her relationship with Hick which is more heavy in the beginning of the book than the second half on. I expected it to focus on their relationship more closely throughout. A great read nonetheless.

Oct 17, 2020
Debbie Pearson cox
added it
This book provided a very personal look at the life of Eleanor Roosevelt and her special relationship with Lorena Hicks. CNN is airing a series on First Ladies. It will be interesting to see if that relationship is touched upon in the series. The historical background to her life in the White House was quite interesting.

Overall a most interesting, thorough background of Eleanor and Hick’s relationship. The writing and research was well done but I couldn’t understand why Hicks lived in the White House and was allowed to carry on with Eleanor. If Hicks had been a man, I would be of the same opinion. The bits about each woman’s early life was telling and insightful; Eleanor’s hands on approach to helping in and out of the White House was really wonderful and certainly showed her desire to help all people. Her rela
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There were some parts that I thought did not need to be in there, but overall, I enjoyed it.

As a big fan of Eleanor Roosevelt, it's sometimes hard to find biographies that stay true to her while also providing a fresh perspective. This book has managed to do that by taking her widely-acknowledged and yet still slightly secret relationship with Lorena Hickock and putting it center stage. By writing the book as a dual biography of the two women, the author was able to highlight the ways in which their lives intersected and diverged without convoluted effort.
I enjoyed reading more about t ...more
I enjoyed reading more about t ...more

This title is a misnomer. It is not about a love affair between Eleanor Roosevelt and the journalist Hick. It isnt even certain from the passages of their letters that they had a love affair. They did tho love each other and whether there was a sexual relationship is uncertain.
What this book is about is the political life of Eleanor and about the life of her friend Hick or Lorena Hickok. It is also about the presidency of Franklin Delano Roosevelt and the issues of those times especially about ...more
What this book is about is the political life of Eleanor and about the life of her friend Hick or Lorena Hickok. It is also about the presidency of Franklin Delano Roosevelt and the issues of those times especially about ...more

I just could't finish this book. It just couldn't keep my interest.
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When you're in a book club, you'll sometimes get a book you never would have chosen on your own, and you'll think, I'm glad I read that.
This is not one of those occasions.
This is also, I admit, a cheat review, because I was generally so disinterested in this topic that I skipped the whole middle of the book.
Quinn is a decent writer and has done her research, as far as I can tell, but the story she has told is really not so much a love story, as far as I can tell, as a loyalty story.
The clear im ...more
This is not one of those occasions.
This is also, I admit, a cheat review, because I was generally so disinterested in this topic that I skipped the whole middle of the book.
Quinn is a decent writer and has done her research, as far as I can tell, but the story she has told is really not so much a love story, as far as I can tell, as a loyalty story.
The clear im ...more

I checked this book out at the library and was quite surprised to learn so much about Eleanor Roosevelt and her relationship with Lorena Hickok (Hick) an AP journalist covering the White House. I think that the world is aware now that FDR was involved in another relationship and that he and Eleanor were married in name only in an attempt to save his political career.
Being a board minded person, I assume that what is good for the drake is good for the flock, so to speak. So I was ok to learn tha ...more
Being a board minded person, I assume that what is good for the drake is good for the flock, so to speak. So I was ok to learn tha ...more

Greatly enjoyed reading this book. I didn't know much about Eleanor Roosevelt beyond being FDR's wife (and distant cousin), and had never even heard of Lorena Hickok ("Hick"). Hick was a journalist who, in the course of following FDR's career, became one of Eleanor's closest lifelong friends and for a time, perhaps something more. It's clear that after discovering FDR's affair with Lucy Mercer during his time as a (Senator/Representative? forget which) in DC, Eleanor resolved to stay married but
...more

Jun 16, 2017
Angie
rated it
liked it
Shelves:
historical,
history,
friendship,
book-club,
lgbt,
families,
adult-nonfiction,
adult,
nonfiction
"I'm afraid, you and I are always going to have times when we ache for each other and yet we are not always going to be happy when we are together." pg. 129
This was our book club pick for June. Must say, I was pleasantly surprise to find out about the romantic and possibly homosexual relationship of first lady Eleanor Roosevelt with journalist Lorena Hick.
The book was well-balanced with historical anecdotes and documented interactions between Mrs. Roosevelt and Miss Hick. Friends or lovers? As ...more
This was our book club pick for June. Must say, I was pleasantly surprise to find out about the romantic and possibly homosexual relationship of first lady Eleanor Roosevelt with journalist Lorena Hick.
The book was well-balanced with historical anecdotes and documented interactions between Mrs. Roosevelt and Miss Hick. Friends or lovers? As ...more
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Book Club Guide | 1 | 14 | Jun 13, 2017 10:43AM |
Susan Quinn grew up in Chillicothe, Ohio, and graduated from Oberlin College. She began her writing career as a newspaper reporter on a suburban daily outside of Cleveland, following two years as an apprentice actor at the Cleveland Playhouse. In 1967, she published her first book under the name Susan Jacobs: a nonfiction account of the making of a Broadway play called On Stage (Alfred A. Knopf).
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“Hard position when you don’t want to be a dictator but you want your own way,” Eleanor wrote Hick.”
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