A âriveting and enlightening accountâ (Bookreporter) of a mostly unknown chapter in the life of Eleanor Rooseveltâwhen she moved to New Yorkâs Greenwich Village, shed her high-born conformity, and became the progressive leader who pushed for change as Americaâs First Lady.
Hundreds of books have been written about FDR and Eleanor, both together and separately, but yet she remains a compelling and elusive figure. And, not much is known about why in 1920, Eleanor suddenly abandoned her duties as a mother of five and moved to Greenwich Village, then the symbol of all forms of transgressive freedomâcommunism, homosexuality, interracial relationships, and subversive political activity. Now, in this âimmersiveâŚoriginal look at an iconic figure of American politicsâ (Publishers Weekly), Jan Russell pulls back the curtain on Eleanorâs life to reveal the motivations and desires that drew her to the Village and how her time there changed her political outlook.
A captivating blend of personal history detailing Eleanorâs struggle with issues of marriage, motherhood, financial independence, and femininity, and a vibrant portrait of one of the most famous neighborhoods in the world, this unique work examines the ways that the sensibility, mood, and various inhabitants of the neighborhood influenced the First Ladyâs perception of herself and shaped her political views over four decades, up to her death in 1962.
When Eleanor moved there, the Village was a zone of Bohemians, misfits, and artists, but there was also freedom there, a miniature society where personal idiosyncrasy could flourish. Eleanor joined the cohort of what then was called âThe New Womenâ in Greenwich Village. Unlike the flappers in the 1920s, the New Women had a much more serious agenda, organizing for social changeâunions for workers, equal pay, protection for child workersâand they insisted on their own sexual freedom. These women often disagreed about politicsâsome, like Eleanor, were Democrats, others Republicans, Socialists, and Communists. Even after moving into the White House, Eleanor retained connections to the Village, ultimately purchasing an apartment in Washington Square where she lived during World War II and in the aftermath of Rooseveltâs death in 1945.
Including the major historical moments that served as a backdrop for Eleanorâs time in the Village, this remarkable work offers new insights into Eleanorâs transformationâemotionally, politically, and sexuallyâand provides us with the missing chapter in an extraordinary life.