It was clear when reading this book (or in my case listening to the audio book of Eleanor Roosevelt's Autobiography), she spent most of her time explaining in extraneous detail of things that I thought didn't matter as much to my time. My impression of her, from the story, was that she found this autobiography as a channel to voice her opinions and to defend her positions from oppositions or rumors or what have you that she noted in her time. She poured it all out in this book and I thought that definitely showed her position. But also because of this, it made me question just how objective she was in reflecting her life and those around her.

I enjoyed her telling of her childhood and her telling of her years on her own after FDR's death. I thought she spent too much time dealing with smaller issues that probably mattered or were perhaps of interest to her generation, but weren't so much to many generations after.

I found after reading this autobiography, longing for something more. Perhaps a documentary or a biography of she and FDR. Personally, I read this book 1. to learn more about Eleanor Roosevelt and her accomplishments, and 2 to understand the historical events from the point of views of the leading politicians at the time. And being let down while knowing that this book was not written with my desires in mind. Although I enjoyed Eleanor's writing style, and her way in telling her story, it's time for me to read something more hopefully more objective, perhaps Goodwin's No Ordinary Time and see if I could find out more.

Lastly, if I could, I would abridge this audio to 1/3 of what it was, and I think it would be just as effective in letting 21th century viewers to understand her life and values. But of course, those are just my own 2 cents.