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Eleanor and Hick
Eleanor and Hick: The Love Affair That Shaped a First Lady | Susan Quinn
A warm, intimate account of the love between Eleanor Roosevelt and reporter Lorena Hickoka 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-bound existence of the First Lady with dread. By that time, she had put her deep disappointment in her marriage behind her and developed an independent lifenow threatened by the public role she would be forced to play. A lifeline came to her in the form of a feisty campaign reporter for the Associated Press: Lorena Hickok. Over the next thirty years, until Eleanors death, the two women carried on an extraordinary relationship: They were, at different points, lovers, confidantes, professional advisors, and caring friends. They couldn't have been more different. Eleanor had been raised in one of the nations most powerful political families and was introduced to society as a debutante before marrying her distant cousin, Franklin. Hick, as she was known, had grown up poor in rural South Dakota and worked as a servant girl after she escaped an abusive home, eventually becoming one of the most respected reporters at the AP. Her admiration drew the buttoned-up Eleanor out of her shell, and the two quickly fell in love. For the next thirteen years, Hick had her own room at the White House, next door to the First Lady. These fiercely compassionate women inspired each other to right the wrongs of the turbulent era in which they lived. During the Depression, Hick reported from the nations poorest areas for the WPA, and Eleanor used these reports to lobby her husband for New Deal programs. Hick encouraged Eleanor to turn their frequent letters into her popular and long-lasting syndicated column "My Day," and to befriend the female journalists who became her champions. When Eleanors tenure as First Lady ended with FDR's death, Hick pushed her to continue to use her popularity for goodadvice Eleanor took by leading the UNs postwar Human Rights Commission. At every turn, the bond these women shared was grounded in their determination to better their troubled world. Deeply researched and told with great warmth, Eleanor and Hick is a vivid portrait of love and a revealing look at how an unlikely romance influenced some of the most consequential years in American history. From the Hardcover edition.
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TheSpineView
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#RememberNovember @Klou
Day 1: The Favourite

I have not seen the movie but when I read the synopsis I was reminded of this book. Not only for the relationship of these two women but the because of the influence Hick had with Eleanor.

Klou Perfect! 👌👍 3y
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LisaLovesToRead
Pickpick

Quinn provides insight into a presidency and also the personal lives of the Roosevelts.

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Cortg
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Pickpick

I loved learning more about FDR‘s presidency through First Lady Eleanor! A fresh take on history from a woman‘s perspective and it was nice to read about Eleanor and Hick‘s friendship and how it shifted and changed but was always present during the 30+ years that they had known each other. ❤️

40 likes2 stack adds
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Cortg
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Yikes! I always have 3 books going. 1 physical book (or kindle,) 1 audio and 1 serial reader. Today I start a new kindle and audio book and tomorrow I start a new serial read. Weird.

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Skygoddess1
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Pickpick

After reading two fictional accounts of the Lorena Hickok and Eleanor Roosevelt relationship ship, I was intrigued to read a nonfiction accounting of their relationship. This book not only covers their relationship and friendship, but the history of the periods in which they lived and were active in. #TIL (Today I learned)was that Eleanor had same sexual relationships when she was in school. Would recommend the audiobook. #NFNov

rsteve388 9 pts 4y
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Librarybelle
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Catch up from yesterday! I admire Eleanor Roosevelt, yet I had to bail on this book...I just couldn‘t get into the writing style. This book chronicles the relationship between Eleanor and Loretta Hicks. I‘m sure somewhere along the way a #RingOfKeys passed between them. I‘m glad Eleanor found happiness...I‘m not a fan of FDR and how he treated her! #MusicalNewYear

TheBookHippie I bailed toooo!!!! Also huge fan of Eleanor! (edited) 5y
Librarybelle @TheBookHippie I‘m glad I‘m not the only one who bailed! 5y
TheBookHippie @Librarybelle I was sad I really wanted to read about it!! It was not written well 😳. I tried twice 🤦🏽‍♀️🤦🏽‍♀️🤷🏽‍♀️ 5y
Cinfhen I read the historical fictional account of their friendship/ relationship. It was ok 5y
vivastory It's a shame that the book was disappointing! 5y
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Broke_Girl_Reads
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Pickpick

Eleanor Roosevelt has been a personal hero since I was a teen, but I had never learned about Hick, her whip smart, vivacious, hardworking butch reporter girlfriend. I loved getting a peek into their relationship, and the community of queer women activists that inspired both women to pursue progressive causes. The last third loses its focus on the titular couple, but it‘s still fascinating and worth the read! #queerbooks #nonfiction

Samplergal I liked this book. It was a lovely yet sad story. 6y
25 likes1 stack add1 comment
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Broke_Girl_Reads
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I have never seen a better endorsement for loving cozy mysteries #currentlyreading #nonfiction #queerbooks

djh I love it when my memory is reawakened , and I realize that I have this book! Time to get reading!! 6y
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Broke_Girl_Reads
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This is a tidbit I never learned in school! It‘s really interesting to read about a couple that inspires each other the way Eleanor and Hick did. I‘m not sure I‘ve seen relationships depicted this way in nonfiction before. #queerbooks #nonfiction #currentlyreading

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Samplergal
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Pickpick

I liked much of the book, but it became a bit more like walking in quicksand toward the last third. I was expecting more I think. 3 1/2 🌟

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MsLeah8417
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This was on my Christmas wishlist. I first saw this book last summer and it seems quite interesting. I am looking forward to reading it this winter.

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Librarybelle
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Bailedbailed

I'm setting this book to the side. Maybe I'll try it some other time? The writing is too disjointed and flat to hold my attention. Eleanor Roosevelt is one of my favorite people, and I had such high hopes to read about a relationship that made her happy. Unfortunately, this one is just not for me.

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Librarybelle
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Happy Caturday morning! #Vladimir #Zeke #catsoflitsy

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Lea
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Pickpick

This one falls somewhere between pick and so-so. This isn't a book about a love affair or about how ER was shaped by Hick. So the title is off base. It is a female-centric book set during the FDR presidency and until the end of Hick's life. It has a good bit of information that hasn't been told by every other ER book so that was nice. The info is good but not really relevant to the title. #readwomen

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Yossarian
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Hanging out with Eleanor Roosevelt today. Lots of talk about FDR's infidelities. No mention that anyone at Val-Kill was a lesbian.

LazyLibrary My families house is right behind that! We used to walk there through the back woods when we were kids. 7y
67 likes1 comment
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Lindy
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Pickpick

The warmth in audiobook narrator Kimberly Farr's voice matches the tone of this detailed biography of two very different women who loved each other. I was surprised at how much I learned about American history along the way.
And I've finally got my last letter for #LitsyAtoZ - Q!

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Lindy
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Once when Hick was in bed with the flu, Mrs Mack said, "Didn't anybody ever iron you?" She directed Hick to lie on her stomach, spread a towel over her, and passed a warm iron back and forth over her back and shoulders.

Texreader That sounds like s lovely idea when your chest is congested. So long as it's on the right setting and doesn't burn a hole through you! 7y
RobinW Well people use to 'iron' their hair to make it straight so why not? 7y
geodynamical_nonfiction As a precaution, I would use a damp towel. Doctors always warn against a "dry heat" when healing. Pretty nifty idea. 7y
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Donna_sBookMinute Ehhh ... think I'd opt for a warm soak followed by a hot toddy. 7y
Lindy @Donna_sBookMinute A nice hot bath is what I like too. 7y
Lindy @Texreader @RobinW @geodynamical The idea of using an iron for this purpose surprised me and I'm glad you found it interesting too. 7y
shawnmooney Note the irony! ❤❤ 7y
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Lindy
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None of these women used the word lesbian, but those in their circle, including Eleanor, understood that they were lovers and partners for life.

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Lindy
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[Eleanor writing to Lorena]:
"Oh, how I wanted to put my arms around you in reality instead of in spirit. I went and kissed your photograph instead, and the tears were in my eyes."

booksandsympathy This book sounds so good. 7y
Lindy @booksandsympathy Yes! It is. I'm 4 hours into the audiobook now. 7y
BethFishReads Ooohhhh I must move this up in my mountain-size stack 7y
37 likes1 stack add4 comments
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Lindy
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But her old-fashioned grandmother believed that higher education was a liability in the all-important task of marrying well. Eleanor almost had to leave Allenswood after 2 years because her grandmother got a report that she had been seen walking unchaperoned in a European city.

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Lindy
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[1932] When it snowed in New York, 20,000 men came looking for a few days work shovelling. At one site, thousands lined up for 81 jobs.
[image from New York Daily News archives]

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Lindy
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As for the polio which FDR contracted in 1921, and which deprived him of the use of his legs, neither Roosevelt nor any member of his family has ever publicly acknowledged his condition to be an affliction. Rather, they have taken the attitude that it made him better fitted for desk work.

Suet624 I love that. 7y
38 likes1 comment
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Bluzygrl
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Starting this tonight. I love Eleanor Roosevelt. I'm glad someone finally is going to give us a glimpse of the relationship that helped shape this great woman.

cathysaid Oh this looks so good. Added 📚 7y
Bluzygrl @cathysaid I'll let you know how it is as soon as I finish. 7y
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AnythingCanBe
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Only a few chapters in and I already know that this one will end up on my bookshelf.

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BibliophileBytheSea
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Hick ........"I cannot remember when I decided that I liked animals better than people." ?me too?"she sense that animals' judgment was based on something deeper than what you look like, how you are dressed or how you rate with your fellow humans"

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BibliophileBytheSea
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Even between appointments in the 🚗, I'm totally addicted to this book.💕

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BookishMarginalia
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Amazing #bookhaul at @TheBookmarkPR -- fresh out the boxes, in fact! Woohoo! #GetIndie

DeeLew Nice stack!! 😊👍🏻 7y
BibliophileMomma Nice haul👍🏼 7y
Bklover I want to read Eleanor and Hick! Let us know how you like it! 7y
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Hollie I'm looking forward to getting my hands on The Mothers soon! 7y
GlitteryOtters Fresh out of the box always feels so exciting! Enjoy them!! 7y
audiothing Emma Jung looks good 7y
Beth.Pedota Love seeing stacks of books! 7y
167 likes4 stack adds8 comments
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WW2Reads
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Pickpick

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. 5 stars #CatsOfLitsy #History @Penguinpress

CherylDeFranceschi 😻❤️! 7y
Tanzy13 🐱 7y
DebinHawaii Those eyes, that face! 🐱❤️ 7y
Mimi28 Aaaaswwwww!!! 😻😻😻 7y
Allkat Posing! 7y
24 likes4 stack adds5 comments
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WW2Reads
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Halfway through the book. Kitty is very glad I am home this week! #catsoflitsy @Penguinpress

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WW2Reads
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Eleanor Roosevelt's favorite picture of Lorena "Hick" Hickok from 1932. This book is fantastic so far! @Penguinpress #ww2

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WW2Reads
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16 likes3 stack adds
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Brandilarsen
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I love this. Really enjoying this book so far. "There was the surface Hick: blasé and shock-proof, a tough-minded reporter who knew how to drink and smoke with the boys, and who fought for her rights. Then there was the tender-hearted and sometimes shy Hick underneath, who bore witness to the suffering of ordinary people in those terrible times." #eleanor

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Yossarian
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http://graphics.wsj.com/image-grid/fall-books-preview-2016/

Which Fall book are you most looking forward to reading?

lowellette ER volume 3! 8y
Jennick2004 Aah my daughters name is Ellanor Rose and sometimes I call her Ellanor Roosevelt just for fun hehe 😁 8y
Cinfhen Sounds like an interesting read 8y
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Marchpane Really looking forward to 8y
BookishFeminist All of them 💸💸💸 8y
GinaAnderson Let's see...there the new Ian McEwan and the new Ann Patchett and the new Emma Donoghue... 8y
Graciouswarriorprincess Ann Patchett and Jodi Picoult new books. 8y
LauraBeth Commonwealth by Ann Patchett 8y
Bklover I can't wait to read Eleanor and Hick! 8y
95 likes17 stack adds10 comments
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quirkyreader
Mehso-so

I received this as an ARC from @penguinrandomhouse It was OK.

OSChamberlain How does one sign up to receive ARCs from publishing houses? 8y
ScrappyMags @OSChamberlain NetGalley.com the greatest thing next to Litsy!!!! 8y
OSChamberlain Thanks!! 8y
quirkyreader Penguin also has a program called First To Read. Check it out and see if you like it. @OSChamberlain 8y
18 likes4 comments
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Keegz63
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Looking forward to another free read from Penguin's "First To Read" in exchange for my honest review ?

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