Eleanor: A Life

Eleanor: A Life is a single-volume biography of Eleanor Roosevelt, America's longest-serving First Lady. David Michaelis traces her life from childhood through her role as diplomat, activist, and humanitarian. An orphaned niece of President Theodore Roosevelt, Eleanor grew up in a Gilded Age household marked by denial and secrecy. She married her fifth cousin Franklin Roosevelt, who transformed her from a settlement house volunteer on New York's Lower East Side into a prominent political partner. When Eleanor discovered Franklin's affair with her social secretary Lucy Mercer, she offered a divorce but ultimately remained in the marriage, later accepting his relationship with his executive assistant Missy LeHand. The biography portrays Eleanor as psychologically complex, exploring her emotional connections to various people throughout her life, including her attraction to women. As Franklin struggled with polio, Eleanor became an advocate for the voiceless and served as his proxy in the White House. She later became instrumental in developing international human rights frameworks and addressed Cold War anxieties by promoting a "world mind" among Americans. Michaelis presents Eleanor's life as a model of American ideals, examining how personal freedom operates as a continuous choice.