Susan Quinn (1)Critiques

I thought I knew a lot about Eleanor Roosevelt, but I was missing one important part. It's not clear whether Eleanor and Hick's relationship was ever sexual, but it's clear that it was a love affair. Many of Eleanor's best women friends were lesbians, although for the most part, the couples did not include her. These were things not talked about by the press in those days. Franklin's disability was not displayed in images either. Those were different times -- a whole other world from what we have now. Eleanor had a tremendous capacity for work, for caring about people she met, who often became life-long friends, for people in general, and for loving in a variety of ways.

Okay, so this took me a month to finish, but that's not because I didn't enjoy the book: it's because my copy is the heaviest hardback I've ever had the misfortune of encountering. Hence I couldn't bring it when I'm out and about, and since I do a lot reading while commuting ... yeah, it took a while.

But when I read it, I did enjoy it - a lot. Marie Curie is fascinating woman, with a fascinating life. Even though I knew basic facts about her before reading this book, I learned a lot of things I had no idea of. Such as her daughter winning a Nobel prize, or her husband dying in an accident (I thought he died of radiation poisoning too).

Since it was set about a hundred years ago, it was also interesting because I don't know much about the every day life during that time period. I definitely didn't know anything about Poland's history, so I learned a lot not just about her, even thought that would have been quite enough. She was very interesting.

I don't really have much to complain about. It told a clear story, from start to finish, and would explain enough of the history and context of events that may not make sense today, such as the scandal. Although, looking at how the world treated Kristen Stewart after her scandal, we haven't progressed as much as one would like.

this is an amazing history of a time in the US when creativity was federally subsidized.

Skipped through the last third; the recital of the friendship gets a bit stale; though some of the Eleanor and White House anecdotes are still pretty good.

I had only a cursory knowledge of FDR's presidency and was vaguely aware that Eleanor Roosevelt was an important influence and politically active in her own right. So, I learned a lot and found this book provided a look into the workings of the White House and how various decisions played out. The relationship between Eleanor and Hick (Lorena Hickok) was the centre for this narrative. The Roosevelts didn't have a happy marriage; he was serially unfaithful to her and she never wanted to be FLOTUS. Eleanor looked elsewhere for companionship and love. Hick was an important person in her life and their letters to each other survived and provide a lot of the details found in this book. It's well written and gives a good portrait of the two title characters. It provides another perspective of an important time in U.S. history, thereby adding depth to our understanding .½

Slow starting, never really got a good structure going. I finished feeling really let down. A good synopsis of the times, with amusing anecdotes, but it just didn't hang together for me.

A good book that seemed to take a long time to get through. Eleanor Roosevelt and Lorena Hickock had a long-term relationship. Early in the marriage when Eleanor discovered Franklin's breakage of his marriage vows to woe Eleanor's private secretary, Eleanor knew that wanted to divorce him, but his running for the US Presidency precluded that option. She was by his side when necessary, but basically found her own options for closeness and love.

Different in personality, Hick was broad in both weight and in the way she expressed herself. Eleanor chose the middle ground in conflict. Formerly a highly acclaimed AP reporter, Hick gave this up in order to be by Eleanor when ever possible. Traveling throughout the mid west during American's terrible financial depression, she wrote to FDR of grown men crying while standing in line hoping for employment in order to feed his family.

There were interesting tidbits throughout the book, particularly how the Roosevelts freely used the White House as a stopping place for friends and relatives to stay long term.

Highly intelligent, both women pushed for jobs programs and personally fed people throughout their travels.

Hick seemed to want more than Eleanor could give. Theirs was a long lasting relationship that had tremendous range of feeling and compassion.

Really kind of a 3.5, and that's because I'm super interested in the historical time periods it covers. I'm interested to read both more of Susan Quinn's work and more books about ER, and maybe I liked it all the more because I didn't know much about the relationship between FDR and ER or between ER and Hick. Fascinating details about various power lesbian couples slip in here and there; I could have used a lot more context and information about them, but it's a nice start or reminder to read more queer history! Which this ... sort of isn't. Also, as a fat diabetic lesbian, I got annoyed at the constant attitude the book pulled toward Hick about those details.
FINALLY, I was unhappy with how racist Hick appeared in one portion of the book, and it made me not read it for a few days because I just couldn't face Hick. One reviewer on GR mentioned that it's deeply about White Feminism(TR) & yes, part of it definitely is. Again, that makes me seek out other histories of the times, ones that foreground Black and Latina and Asian and Native lesbians, or at least as much as we can know.
OK. Off to find those other books and give them my attention. Interesting listen though.

I thoroughly enjoyed this new offering by Susan Quinn. Though the correspondence between Lorena "Hick" Hickok and Eleanor Roosevelt has been published previously, Quinn succeeds in providing a fuller backstory & additional context to the intimate relationship between these two complex, nontraditional firebrands who occupied the White House during very tumultuous years and remained friends for life.

I loved the narrative voice of this book.

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 about Eleanor's life. Learning of all of FDR's indiscretions, which is probably just what most men of power did, is still disturbing. Both women were very independant and smart. Something that wasn't popular at that time. Eleanor and Hick had someone to talk with together and to bond with. When it turned to love, well good for them! They sure didn't have it at home. I enjoyed the book but it was slow in many spots but overall I got a lot of history bits here and there even in the slow zones.

This book tackles one of those lesser known bits of history -- specifically, the relationship between First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and AP reporter Lorena Hickok. It has been suggested in the past that these two were more than friends, and this book takes a definite stand on that, noting the author's belief that the Roosevelt and Hickok had a romantic, physical relationship. While there were times that I felt Quinn's own research did not 100 percent support that stand,* I found this book to be a gem overall.

The book works as almost a dual biography. It gives information on both women, starting from their childhoods all the way through to their deaths. In addition, lots of historical context is given, so that the reader learns much about life in the U.S. during the Great Depression, the World's Fair, World War II, etc. An insider's look at the political scene is explored as well. There was definitely a lot that I learned about this era in history from reading Eleanor and Hick. Also, with both women being ahead of their time, there was so much that was applicable to today, especially issues related to social justice.

Quinn certainly did her research for this book, using a multitude of sources for it. These include letters exchanged between the two women (more than 3,300 over a 30-year period beginning in 1932), the unpublished autobiography of Lorena Hickok, Eleanor Roosevelt's memoirs and "My Day" columns, various newspaper articles, and occasional bits of other people's memoirs (e.g., Roosevelt's grandson Curtis). Furthermore, Quinn's writing style is easy and accessible, making this a smooth-flowing and enjoyable read. Although many historical facts are included, it never feels dull or taxing. I highly recommend this book for those who love history and/or biographies.

*Although many of the letters do suggest that there was perhaps a romantic relationship, it appears that Roosevelt had several other similarly passionate friendships. And, there was also indication that Hickok resumed a previous love affair during the same time she was supposedly in a relationship with Roosevelt.

Hick and Eleanor
I was interested in reading a biography of Eleanor Roosevelt after watching "The Roosevelts" on PBS. She had impressed me with her intelligence, her stamina, interest in others and her tolerance of FDR's flings. This book follows her life from about 1932 to just before FDR becomes the President and until her death. Much of the story focuses on her relationship with the American Press journalist Lorena Hickok who becomes a life long friend. It's not clear if they were lovers as their relationship goes through ups and downs during and after the presidency. Hickok was assigned to Eleanor to write stories about the First Lady but quickly realized that she was a writer, orator and organizer in her own right. Hick was assigned to cover human interest stories of the victims of the Great Depression and travelled across the country, reporting back to the White House on the poverty and hopelessness of Americans. Eleanor was often able to meet up with her.
Over time and because of the circumstances of being the First Lady, they drifted apart but continued to correspond almost daily. Hick developed relationships with other women and Eleanor became very involved in speaking tours, writing a daily column called My Day and supporting FDR through the war years. After his death, she became a key supporter of the United Nations Declaration of human Rights. Eleanor died in 1962 and was celebrated by the world for her achievements. Hick struggled with finances later in life but managed to eke out a steady income by writing chapter books on American figures for an adolescent audience. She died in 1968 alone.½

Being an account of First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt's love affair with Associated Press newshound Lenora Hickok. The author assumes that the two enjoyed a physical relationship, a conclusion other writers--especially, oddly, individuals of a leftish persuasion-- have been loath to draw. She assumes this on the basis of their correspondence, which indeed goes well beyond "affectionate", and, though it must be said that plenty of individuals have exchanged similar letters over the years without meeting each other, let alone having had carnal relations, her assumption is indeed sort of the Ockham's Razor conclusion after reading the letters.

As for the book, to me it resembled one of those storied sandwiches, butt of many a joke, which consists of two luscious slices of bread with a repugnant meat filling the space between. The first and last hundred pages of the book are a delight, illuminating the joys and sorrows, ups and downs, triumphs and tragedies of the women's relationship in a sympathetic but not uncritical manner. Alas and alack, that leaves almost 200 pages of middle, which is essentially a superficial history of Roosevelt's war administration. Since this is familiar ground to every schoolchild in America, it will be review for most, and makes for a longish book. This book doesn't really need any filler, but if it did, Quinn's tangents peeking into the broader experience of the now forgotten but apparently numerous political tribades during this period are much more interesting and worthy of expansion than this rather tired collection of familiar political and military anecdotes.

Eleanor in this context being of course Eleanor Roosevelt, wife of Franklin and niece of Theodore. And Hick being less obviously Lorena Hickok, a respected reporter for the Associated Press who fell in love with Eleanor while writing a series of articles about her just before FDR's first presidential election victory. And Eleanor, it seems, loved Hick back, although such a love affair was destined to be thwarted by the individual circumstances of their lives.

Much of the author's evidence for the love affair between Eleanor and Hick is drawn from an archive of letters exchanged between them. The letters were donated by Hick to the FDR Library, with the proviso that they not be made available until after she died (Eleanor had died several years earlier). I appreciated that Quinn was careful not to draw unsupported conclusions about whether their love affair was physically consummated — there simply is no evidence to tell us either way. But it seems clear that the two women at the very least shared an extremely deep emotional bond and attachment that lasted the rest of their lives, even though it didn't always make them happy. Hick, in particular, comes across as someone who wanted much more than Eleanor was able to give her, and suffered jealously whenever the First Lady spent time with other close friends than her.

Apart from the personal relationship between Eleanor and Hick, time and again I was struck by the ways that times were different in the 1930s and 1940s. The Roosevelts seem to have treated the White House as their personal Howard Johnson Motor Lodge, with any number of people actually living in the White House with them for months or years at a time — close friends, extended family, pets of friends and family. And the press, including Hick, were privy to many personal details about the marriage and family life of FDR and Eleanor that would doubtless have created scandal, and tacitly agreed not to write about them. Bill Clinton must weep a bitter tear and then toss back some whiskey whenever he thinks about that.

I've been meaning to read a biography of Eleanor Roosevelt for some time, and I learned a lot to admire about her here even beyond what I already knew. Quinn is clear-eyed about the personal faults in Hick, Eleanor, FDR, and their children, all of whom suffered to varying degrees from the stifling attention of being in the close orbit of a beloved President. I'd still like to read a more comprehensive biography of this remarkable woman sometime, but this was a good place to start.

I found this to be adolescent and simplistic. While concentrating on the relationship between these two women, it ignored the bigger picture.½

Disappointed. The author seems more interested in making a case for a lesbian relationship than actually following historical fact. I am interested in ER historically, but am not buying this version.

Eleanor and Hick THE LOVE AFFAIR THAT SHAPED A FIRST LADY By SUSAN QUINN is a keeper. This is the fourth or fifth book I have read on the topic of these three women and each has given it's own special flavor to the story. This one draws you in immediately, and makes you feel the not only the connection between these two women, but the particular pain of Hick's. The fact that these two women couldn't have come from backgrounds that were more different, they were deeply drawn to each other.

While Eleanor is pretty much the world to Hick, and clearly loves her, Eleanor's position as first lady, her duties and in fact her entire personality make it clear that while she has strong feelings for Hick, other things, other people, other projects, draw her away. As much as I admire Eleanor for the changes she helped to make during a difficult time in our nation, I often feel that Hick's feelings are not completely explored or understood.She would never come first to Eleanor. Living this love during the time period was difficult enough, but for Hick, feeling that she was second, third or lower in importance must have been difficult. Throughout it all, Hick was staunchly patient, helpful and loving. I don't think she was often happy.

A history of the Federal Theatre Project of the 1930s. As with most funding of the arts, this project was viewed as wasteful and not producing anything of merit. It was also charged with being overrun with Communists, a common charge against federal projects throughout the 20th century. While costing only about 1% of the WPA budget, this program became the target for Congress to get a wedge into the New Deal. The fact that much of the theatre was experimental didn't help the project. The most prominent criticism of the program, however, was the integration of black and white actors and a black and white audience sitting together. In this pre-Civil Rights world, they didn't even find it necessary to blanket much of the racism, though Communism did seem to be a popular stand in for racism, since the conclusions drawn by Congress seem to be that the integration proves the Communism. A well written book, easy to read, and important. It isn't just a slice of history; much of what is discussed in here continues to be repeated today in efforts to censor art, and in efforts to cut funding for anything that benefits the less wealthy.

As a piece of writing, I'd rate this biography as merely adequate. Quinn's style is unfortunately rather pedestrian and, occasionally, even sentimental. Marie Curie herself, however, remains a fascinating subject, and there is much to learn about her here, both as a scientist and a historical figure and celebrity at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries. For better or worse, Mme. Curie's co-discovery of radium and her lifelong search for other radioactive elements profoundly affected (and continues to affect)human health and history.

Marie Curie should have been a spy. She certainly did a good job of being an international woman of mystery.

This is the fullest of five biographies of Curie I have read -- possibly a little too full. There is arguably a little too much about her social context; at times, this starts to bury the story. And yet, this book deserves credit for not holding anything back. For example, it says straight-out that Curie had an affair with the younger scientist Paul Langevin after Marie's husband Pierre was killed. Indeed, it says it so straight-out that it doesn't really prove it -- it makes a better case for friendship than for actual relationship.

Still, the honesty of this portrayal has much to commend it. There is only one thing that is really lacking: An acknowledgment that both Marie and Pierre Curie were autistic -- and that it was probably their autism that brought them together and made their relationship such a success. But which also brought such grief to Marie after his death; she had no emotional resources to deal with such a loss, and (like most autistics) she was strongly depressive. Perhaps even more strongly so than this book brings out.

That's a nitpick -- after all, autism was still pretty obscure when this book was published. (Maybe someday someone will add a new preface explaining that.) You can find out about Curie's autism on the web.

A bigger nitpick is that author Quinn is clearly not a scientist, and at some places gets a few things wrong. They don't matter much in the big picture, but they can be a little grating for those who do have scientific training. But even those don't really interfere with the broad story.

A final nitpick: The printing job on my copy was lousy; it appears to have been copied from a bad dot-matrix printer. This might be something to watch for; surely by now someone has typeset this thing properly!

Bottom line: This is not an ideal biography. It will probably be many years before we see a proper Curie biography. But it is the best now available. If you want to know how "Manya" Sklowdowska became "Madame Curie," this is a very good place to start.

There are two particularly interesting points of focus in Quinn's book, the more obvious being the development of Horney's work as the first feminist psychiatrist (and Freudian psychoanalyst) at a time when psychoanalysis was not acceptable to the new specialty of psychiatry (that itself had only just become acceptable to neurology by declaring itself to be a specialty of brain diseases). The second theme, a natural concomitant of the first, is the revelation that Europe at the dawn of the twentieth century--the time and place where Horney was coming of age and beginning her study of medicine--was, contrary to my previous impression, rather sexually open (at least among the intelligentsia) and a time of great advances in women's rights. Her life, from her first diary entries in 1898 at age 13 to her death in 1952, was a struggle to dissect herself to achieve self-understanding. Her earliest work was a slight divergence from pure Freudian theory; her later work was a true Horneyan theory, derived less from the brilliant organization of Freud and more from her life experience as a woman and a human being. From the beginning, Horney measured the validity of Freud's theories against her own experience, concluding that the female experience was worthy of its own body of theoretical work. Quinn has allowed Horney to be human, painstakingly documenting her genius, as well as her chaotic personal life that clearly furnished much of the material for developing her own psychoanalytic theory. (November 1994)½

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