I was not impressed with this book, though I am generally a big Amy Bloom fan. Perhaps I’m just not interesting enough in the private life of Eleanor Roosevelt to find this book interesting, but it seemed oddly voyeuristic and generally stopped short of providing a lot of insight into this relationship, fictionalized or otherwise. The best parts were about Lorena’s early life, and indeed had Bloom fashioned the whole novel out of that character I would have found it much more satisfying.

Love happens in all places, at all times and, hopefully, for all people. Each person's story includes joy, heartache and changes over time.
Amy Bloom's novel is both universal and specific regarding relationships, as she writes about Eleanor Roosevelt and Lorena Hickok, largely from Lorena's point of view. Their coming together and moving apart is richly imagined as is the era in U.S. history. With appearances by FDR, Missy LeHand and others, historical personages are shown with both their strengths and flaws. This novel evoked many feelings. Definitely a book worth reading.

Such a sweet version of the love between first lady Eleanor Roosevelt and Lorena "Hick" Hickok, an AP reporter from impoverished South Dakota roots. I like the way their upbringings differed so drastically and yet their mutual acceptance was so profound. I like the book's title and the cover photo, and the complexity of all the characters - President FDR: "He was the greatest president of my lifetime and he was a son of a bitch every day". Today's rumor mongers have nothing on the goings on afoot during the Great Depression, which this book is chock full of: from the vile Kennedy boys, to Amelia Earhart and her doofy husband, and the subpar Roosevelt kids and general tense relations with the Teddy camp, etc.

Fifty-five years after her death, and more than 70 years after she left the White House following her husband's death, Eleanor Roosevelt remains one of the most intriguing women in history. She certainly was a role model for trailblazing women not interested in being confined to the boxes in which society wants to contain them, but rather working to bring about change wherever it is needed.

While much is known about her public persona, her personal life has always remained more of an enigma. More and more, it is understood that her marriage to FDR was more one of convenience than romance, and while his affairs were the stuff of gossip, hers, with women, were kept more secret.

Perhaps Eleanor's most notable relationship was with Lorena "Hick" Hickok, once the most prominent female reporter in the U.S. Hick and Eleanor met in 1932 when Hick was covering FDR's campaign for president. Instantly smitten although the two come from vastly different worlds—the patrician Eleanor was both enchanted and horrified by Hick's rough-and-tumble exterior—after spending some time together their friendship deepens into intimacy.

Hick moves into the White House and becomes known as Eleanor's "first friend." Their relationship is as talked about within White House circles as FDR's are, but the president seems content if his wife is, and he gives Hick a job within the administration. And while it is clear both women love each other, Eleanor is conflicted about her feelings for Hick, her role as First Lady, and whether she should continue to enjoy her relationship, or whether she isn't a suitable match, and if she should set Hick free.

Amy Bloom's White Houses is a fictionalized account of the decades-long relationship between two women who have seen so much, yet still find wonder in each other, even at a time where such relationships could mean ruin. It's a story about how the power of love isn't always enough to see you through, but the strength of a friendship can power a relationship. It's also a story of a woman who grew up poorer than poor finds herself in the midst of a life she couldn't even begin to dream of, yet she can't have everything she wants.

"I wasn't in love with Eleanor. We had agreed that 'in love' had burned out after four years for us, the way it does for most of us, in two months or two years and, I guess, never for some lucky people. Instead of a trail of fire roaring through, those people get small candles steadily lighting the way home until death do they part, and only the young are stupid enough to think that those two old people, him gimping, her squinting, are not in love. I got by. I lived amputated, which sounds worse than it felt. I learned to do all kinds of large and small tasks, with part of me missing, and I feel pretty sure that the people who watched me in the world thought that I was entirely able-bodied. (Often broke, occasionally bitter, but not disabled.)"

White Houses follows the two women through three decades of their relationship, and flashes back to Hick's hardscrabble childhood and young adulthood, where she learned how to fend for herself. Although it moves a little slowly at times, it's a poignant love story and a look at history that I found fascinating, moving, and thought-provoking. Hick is brash and confident, yet she has a tender, vulnerable side that Eleanor often brings out in her, while Eleanor had two faces—the public woman bent on saving the world, and the private woman who just wanted to be loved but didn't know if she was worthy.

I have been a big fan of Amy Bloom's for a number of years and find her writing absolutely dazzling. This book is beautifully written, and while I haven't necessarily warmed to Bloom's last few books which took place in times gone by, I really enjoyed this one. Her words conveyed the emotional conflict, the longing, and the protectiveness both women felt, and brought so much depth to this story.

NetGalley and Random House provided me an advance copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks for making this available!

White Houses is a fact based fictional account of the life of Lorena Hickok and her relationship with Eleanor Roosevelt. I found the first half of this novel very engaging and interesting but the second half got a little boring.

There were a lot of things that I really enjoyed about this novel. I learned a lot about Lorena Hickok and found her to be a remarkable and very accomplished person. She came from a very poor and abusive family situation yet became one of the first well known female journalists of the late 1920’s to the 1930’s. This is a tremendous achievement considering the era in which it was accomplished not to mention the lack of opportunity she had growing up. It seems to me that her relationship with the First Lady overshadowed much of everything that she had accomplished which I find unfortunate. I also learned a lot about the Roosevelt White House (he was quite the hound dog) which was very interesting.

This was a love story but I found it sad rather than endearing. Their love was not socially acceptable so it wasn’t something they could enjoy, appreciate or nurture. It had to hidden and neglected over countless years.

The last half of this story was too much lamenting about the relationship (or lack thereof). While I understand the reasons for Ms. Hickok’s affliction, it went on too long and just wasn’t all that interesting.

Overall, I did enjoy this book and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys reading historical fiction. I think it’s an important story to get out there for a lot of reasons, one of which is to learn who Lorena Hickok was and about everything that she accomplished. This novel has convinced me to read more by Amy Bloom.

I thank Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.