Franklin and Eleanor: An Extraordinary Marriage

i've had this book on hold for so long, i can't remember where i first read about it or who might have recommended it to me. it looked a wee bit boring, so it sat in my stack of library books for a while before i cracked it open. kind of regretting this now, because it's AMAZING and i couldn't put it down and now i owe $2.10 in late fees.

i've never been interested in politics, so i'm somewhat ignorant on most presidential history. i knew FDR was a big deal for his New Deal and WW2 and the polio and the unattractive wife who supposedly did a bunch of stuff too. the book touches on all those things but really focuses on FDR & Eleanor's marriage and its endurance despite so many factors seemingly waging against it. apparently since Eleanor's death, more and more details have been leaked about their unorthodox relationship, and it's become one of the most controversial and rumor-riddled marriages in modern history. i don't want to give away details but it was quite the surprising read for me- in the amount of tabloid worthy bits, and in the way they "adopted" people and cultivated a strange and diverse community around themselves. it looks ho-hum but it's a compelling, juicy page turner that somehow both tells the truth (inasmuch as we can know) and endears you to the couple. i highly recommend it.

my favorite photo from the book. Eleanor holding FDR's drink, and he with her knitting.