I was excited to read the part fact/part fiction story of the romance between Eleanor Roosevelt and Lorena Hicks. Unfortunately, I was sadly disappointed. I was looking for a story about these two strong women. It was less of a story and more of reading Lorena Hicks journal. The only time I felt any emotions for the characters was when Hicks was telling the story of her childhood. I received a copy of this from Netgalley and this is my honest review.

Having read numerous fiction and nonfiction accounts of the love affair between Eleanor Roosevelt and journalist Lorena Hickok, I was eager to read Amy Bloom’s fictional imaging of their relationship in later years, in the wake of FDR’s death. I came away somewhat disappointed.

It’s a work of fiction so I didn’t expect extensive historical detail, but I’m left wondering whether readers who didn’t have significant previous knowledge/background of this relationship would get the full context. Perhaps that’s not necessary to appreciate the story of love and friendship.

For me, the early part of the book about Hickok’s abysmal childhood and her work as a journalist were the most intriguing parts of the book, perhaps because I know less about her background than Roosevelt’s.

I especially enjoyed the fact that this tale is told from Hickok’s perspective. Roosevelt is widely known but the talented Hickok is, at best, a footnote in many narratives. Having lived at the White House for a time, Hick, as she was known, was literally cut out of some White House photos. She has the starring role in this novel and her frustrations with Eleanor are apparent, along with her abiding love for her.

I received an ARC from Random House via Netgalley.

I have always been fascinated by Eleanor Roosevelt, a woman who has always intrigued me as a revolutionary for women, but whose personal life beside a man of such power as FDR remained private. White Houses by Amy Bloom is a fictional account of a friendship between Lorena Hickock and Eleanor, it follows them through decades of friendship.

The amount of research that Amy Bloom put in for White Houses is evident, Bloom's writing is beautiful, she was able to convey a story, as well as that emotional conflict that each women felt. Understandably this is fiction, but Bloom's fiction sure makes one believe it is real, and also leaves me wanting to know exactly what really happened!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me a copy of this book to review.

I thought it was well done and very insightful especially since I don't know much about US History. "White Houses" is about the lesbian relationship between First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and Lorena Hickok. I think I would have liked it better if it had been told from Eleanor's perspective instead.

White Houses by Amy Bloom is a fictionalized look into the friendship, and possible love affair, between Lorena Alice “Hick” Hickcock and First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. The story opens in April 1945, soon after President Roosevelt has passed away and Hick is waiting for the arrival of Eleanor, whom she hasn’t seen in years. The story then takes us back to when the two women first met. Hick was a reporter and Eleanor was on the getting ready to set on the road for the White House as Franklin makes his bid for the presidency. Told in a series of memories from her childhood through the Great Depression and her life with the Roosevelts, the book takes a deeper look into these historical icons.
White Houses takes the reader into the characters and shows them as more than the media and history has recorded them. Real people with real issues, concerns and struggles as the United States headed to the depths of the Great Depression and war. I usually love historical fiction and don’t usually mind when a book features real people, but I found this book dragged a bit. If the two women were indeed lovers, the author didn’t display much emotion between them. It felt flat and so matter of fact. I still enjoyed the story and recommend White Houses to readers who like fictionalized stories of historical figures.

White Houses
is available in hardcover and ebook

I really had no idea that Eleanor had a First Friend, which was a euphemism for a female lover. Actually I knew very little about FDR and his wife. While it is a work of fiction, and reads like a great historical novel, it feels so real.

I really thought that this was a fascinating topic for a book. An in-depth behind the curtain view of FDR and Eleanor Roosevelt and their real lives. However, I found the book very confusing as it kept jumping back and forth in time chapter by chapter and then within the chapters. It was very difficult to follow the timeline. I believe that the author was trying to create some tension by starting after FDR's death, but it didn't really work in this instance. And the book fizzled in the second half.. I would have preferred a more chronological approach---I think that it would have read much better that way.

There were some amazing stories in this book and times when I felt that I was really in the time it took place. But, then I would get bumped out due to uneven story telling.

I think that it was a good premise for a book---just not well executed.

Oh how I wanted to love this book. A fictionalized account of the love affair between first lady Eleanor Roosevelt and reporter Lorena Hickok?? I am there! Unfortunately, for me, the premise turned out to be one of the only things I enjoyed about this book.

whitehouses

Told from the point of view of Hickok, I was ready to be a fly on the wall of an endearing, emotional, illicit relationship between two women in the 1930s. Instead, the best parts of the book were when we were learning about Lorena's childhood - in which sexual abuse, poverty, and neglect were a mainstay. She even did a short stint in the circus! I would happily read an entire book about her interesting and devastating childhood.

I found the narration to be choppy, distancing, and not very believable. It didn't make me feel anything for any of the characters and at 75% in, I should care about what happens next!

There was SO much lamenting about the relationship (or lack thereof at some points) that I found it both sad and monotonous. It was like I was reading the same thing again and again. I didn't get any sense of character development or of the story moving forward.

This is one of those books where you jump back and forth through different times in the characters lives. A device that I enjoy if it is done well. Unfortunately, I often found myself confused and having to reread to figure out where I was in their relationship. It was too scattered and in my opinion, not very well done.

I know a lot of people really enjoyed this book but for me it was an intriguing premise that fell flat.

1.5/5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is a beautifully written book. I have long been a huge fan of Eleanor Roosevelt's, and this book is a respectfully written story about the depths of a woman who was special in so so many ways.

White Houses is a fictional accounting of the relationship between journalist Lorena Hickok ("Hick") and First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. It is truly a love story as told through the eyes of Hick. I found it fascinating and wonderful to read although it did jump around a bit as Hick remembered different times and places and adventures.

Lorena “Hick” Hickok didn’t have it easy from the start. She was abused, separated from her sisters, lost her mother at a young age, and lived in poverty. Now, she has worked hard, and as a journalist, she was tasked to report on Frankilin Roosevelt’s presidential campaign. Hick grows closer to his wife, Eleanor Roosevelt, and is asked to move in the White Houses where she is labeled as the “first friend.” As the years go by, they, as individuals and as a couple, undergo different experiences and encounter challenges that just makes them stronger. It isn’t until the death of dear Franklin that really ignites them and proves their love to be true.

Amy Bloom’s portayal of Hick’s life and realationship seems close to reality, even though it is just a fictional account. I like how she wrote the backstories of Lorena’s life, especially during her time with a traveling circus. Gosh, I love that part. For me, that was the best part of the book because it was where she knew more about herself.

The way Amy wrote the words was precise. I admire the way she plays with them and is able to insert some witty remarks in her sentences, here and there. The writing was one of the reasons why I liked the book because it made me feel like I was actually there, years ago even though I’m living in the present.

I was just slightly confused with the lack of quotation marks in the flashbacks because sometimes I can’t distinguished which ones are supposed to be said by a person. Another thing that confused me was that the parts weren’t divided “approriately” (I guess). Sometimes, I just think that there were chapters that could’ve been cut short and made into a new chapter so it doesn’t add to the confusion, that’s all.

The amazing parts were really the flash backs where there are a lot of, in the book. But being honest, I had some parts where I was reading and felt bored. It’s probably because it slightly involves politics and a few topics wherein you need deeper understanding.

The idea of re-imagining a previous first lady and her “first friend” really fascinated me so I read it. I came for the idea, I stayed for the story. If you like a good gay re-imagine of historical ladies with a hint of drama and politics, I could say you should pick this up.

My deepest gratitude to NetGalley, Random House, and Amy Bloom for introducing me to the fictional world of Eleanor Roosevelt and Lorena Hickok (and for the book)!

Two more unlikely lovers are found in this book. We have the first lady Eleanor Roosevelt, aloof, patrician and rich. A lady born with a silver spoon in her mouth. Nurtured and admired by her husband (notoriously unfaithful though!) and then we have Lorena Hickok born on the wrong side of the tracks, disliked Eleanor at first sight and rough diamond if ever there was one.

A forbidden love affair, the friend in the White House which everyone knew but was never discussed. A subject matter which was anyway never up for discussion. A love affair which matured which had its fair share of adulterous relationships on the way, its ups and downs and the tragedy for Lorena that it was never acknowledged openly, that she was always relegated to the background. Photographs with her in it were cropped and the media was restrained (unlike now).

This piece of history is never spoken of but it existed alright. Told very evocatively, very emotional, at the same time pragmatic within the guidelines of its times, the author told this story very well.

When I was in 8th grade, I wrote a term paper on Eleanor Roosevelt. I did a ton of research, jotting down notes on FDR's first lady for months. I don't remember the focus of my paper, but I can tell you what never showed up in any of my library books: Eleanor's sapphic adventures.

"White Houses" is the story of the love affair between Lorena "Hick" Hickok, a journalist, and the First Lady. 

Hick meets Eleanor during FDR's first presidential campaign. The women fall for each other to the extent that Hick moves into the White House (into an adjoining bedroom from Eleanor!) and takes on a government job to avoid a journalistic conflict of interest.

To FDR's inner circle, Eleanor and Hick's relationship appears to be common knowledge, much as the president's long term affair with his secretary was also well-known. Eleanor was very much a stickler for propriety, though, so avoided open displays of affection. 

I really wanted to like "White Houses". However, I hated the way it was written. Some of the story is told after FDR's death when Eleanor retreats to her Manhattan apartment. She and Hick have not been together for years now but fall back towards on another during Eleanor's grief. The rest of the book is told in random vignettes that skip around through Eleanor and Hick's relationship. 

As the reader, it was not always easy to tell when the stories took place. Yes, there were years at the start of each chapter, but I would have preferred a chronological telling of their relationship. When exactly did they meet? When was the height of their affair? When did they break up? Those details are in the book but you have to wade through the moments of their relationship to get to them. 

The lack of chronology was a real problem for me. I also would have preferred a more fleshed out story than short glimpses into periods of their lives. I am not a fan of short stories for precisely this reason: I feel like I barely get to know a character before the story is over and done with. 

In the beginning, Hick tells a bit of her sad upbringing and how she escaped life as a domestic drudge. However, I would have liked to hear how she became a well-known journalist and how that brought her into Eleanor's circle. 

On the plus side, this book led me into a deep dive on the Roosevelt family. I found myself stopping to google the various friends and family of FDR and Eleanor and getting sucked into reading about their lives. So in that sense, the novel was interesting, but I would have preferred to have learned more from the book itself. 

"White Houses" was definitely not my favorite.

In “White Houses,” the relationship of Eleanor Roosevelt and Lorena Hickok is told. It is told through Hickok’s voice. They meet befor Franklin Roosevelt becomes president. Lorena who is a journalist gets a job covering Eleanor Roosevelt but due to their intimacy, it was decided that she should cover something else. The two of them have been disappointed in love. Hickok‘s relationship is kept secret for the most part as Franklin’s relationship with his secretary. However she is known as “first friend” and has a bedroom in the White House.

Their relationship is one of joy. It lasts for a long time but then Lorena is sent away and returns when Franklin Roosevelt’s death. You must read the book to find out what happens—I’m not giving any spoilers. It’s a fascinating book to read. I had no idea that Eleanor was involved in a lesbian relationship.

As a lover of political history, I wanted to love this story, but it feel flat for me. While I know that the author based her story on available facts, I found it so hard to believe that a lesbian relationship featuring the first lady would have gone on for so many years so far under the radar. As for the writing itself, it jumped around too much and felt disjointed. Definitely a disappointment.

Amy Bloom + Eleanor Roosevelt = Yes, Please! I have been waiting for this one for months. I have always enjoyed Bloom’s writing – especially her non-fiction writing in magazines. But, I also enjoy her novels. I didn’t know a lot about Eleanor and Lorena Hickok so I was interested in Bloom’s take on that relationship. The insight into Lorena’s background experiences and the effect they had on her later were quite well done. I really enjoyed reading about the Roosevelt marriage through the eyes of a fictional Lorena. It was fascinating … their marriage was definitely unusual. This is certainly a love story. From interviews I’ve listened to with Bloom, it sounds like she tried to base the majority of the story on what has been documented but then elevated the story by adding in fictional elements and suppositions based on the facts. I think Bloom did a great job of making this time in history and the characters come alive. My primary issue with the novel was the way it was all pulled together – I’m not sure if it was a lack of experience with historical fiction or what? I just never felt that it all came together as it could (should?) have. Nonetheless, I definitely think it was a good read, one that I’m glad I picked up. If you’re interested in the Roosevelts, this is definitely one to try!

I usually love historical fiction, but this one did not grab my attention. In fact, I did not even finish it. It is a controversial book, based on the relationship between Eleanor Roosevelt and her best friend/confidante/lover? Lorena "Hick" Hickok. It is well known that these two women had a very close friendship and it is also (apparently) well known that Hick was lesbian. It has been widely supposed that their relationship was sexual, and this book expands on that supposition.

Written in the style of a memoir as told by Hick, it did not capture my interest. I think that in the effort to be faithful to the facts of the story and to include as many of the real-life characters that surrounded the Roosevelts, the storyline becomes disjointed as it moves back & forth in time. The flashbacks and change of focus made the plot difficult to follow.

In addition, since the author clearly believes that Roosevelt and Hick had a sexual relationship, she incorporates several (numerous) sexually charged and sexually explicit (almost graphic) scenes into the story. I found this unnecessary -- I would have preferred more sensual and less sexual. I suppose some will find this homophobic of me, but I've read many books that would fit the GLBTQ genre that I loved, so I don't think that's the case. I just felt that the emphasis on the sexual activities of the couple detracted from the storyline of the relationship that was obviously deeply important to both women.

I expected more.

Since I’m Canadian, I don’t know much about American History. I wasn’t very familiar with the Roosevelts before reading this story. I learned a lot, but this story just wasn’t for me.

The story was quite confusing at times. It jumped around in the timeline. The main story was about Lorena and Eleanor in a hotel in New York following Franklin Roosevelt’s death. But Lorena would tell stories from her past at times. It was confusing when she would jump to a different time between paragraphs. Sometimes, I would be reading a scene and I would forget what the point of it was or even how she got to that story.

Whenever I read historical fiction, I end up googling the characters to see what parts are true. Many of the events in the story really happened. But some seemed over the top. One example of this is a scene with a circus troupe near the beginning of the story. It reminded me of the exaggerated circus story from the movie Big Fish. These scenes didn’t seem connected. This book was really missing an overall plot to weave these scenes together.

Unfortunately, this book didn’t work for me.

I am willing to bet that today's young adults know very little about our longest serving First Lady, Eleanor Roosevelt. Her husband, Franklin Delano Roosevelt served 4 terms in office (1933-1945).

Eleanor's funeral in 1962, when I was 14 years old, honored a woman who could be known as the original Super Woman". As First Lady, she fought tirelessly for labor and civil rights reform and was at the forefront of the women's movement. When the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, she rose to the challenge of comforting the nation through action and words; never sitting still, always on the move, ever present where ever needed. Her flamboyant husband's larger than life personality was balanced by this engaged strong woman capable of challenging the world to seek its better angels.

In 1978, while commissioned to write a biography about Mrs. Roosevelt, Doris Faber (Eleanor Roosevelt: First Lady of the World and Life of Lorena Hickok, E. R.'s Friend) unearthed over 3000 letters written by Eleanor to her friend, Lorena Hickok. These letters, donated to the FDR library by Hickok, revealed a previously unknown and deeply intimate relationship between the two women. An unlikely bond; one born to abject poverty and the other to wealth and privilege. The surprising correspondence led to a deeper look at Lorena Hickok's life story and to this surprising side to the First Lady.

Amy Bloom's White Houses, is a fiction that turns, what was known about the FDR White House, in-side-out. The story is narrated by Lorena Hickok.

Using historical records and the Hickock letters, Bloom reveals the dichotomy of the official and the personal lives of the inhabitants of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue during the Roosevelt years. With a wink and a nod, Franklin enjoyed close relationships with other women but no one gave a thought about two old women sharing time in each other's company. Their lesbian relationship, housed in the most public of all homes, was fraught with danger of detection. Their discovery could disastrous in so many ways.

The book opens on April 27, 1945 in New York City. The radio blares, sharing news from the European war-front. It has been two weeks since President Franklin Roosevelt's death. Lorena Hickok is expecting company; a friend that sent her away 8 years before and two weeks ago summoned her. Lorena wonders what to expect after the long absence? She has missed her friend and has longed for her company over the years. Has her friend missed her?

She flits about apprehensively checking every detail - the vases of flowers, the music, the food- will remind her guest of favored times together. The door bell rings and an ashen faced new widow and displaced First Lady, Eleanor Roosevelt enters the room. Speechlessly she stumbles through the front door ignoring Lorena's greetings and heads toward the bedroom shedding hairpins and clothing as she goes. She calls out, "Oh, Hick. If you don't hold me, I'll die. Lorena thinks, here is the elephant in the room. Is she just being dramatic or does she really need me?

The atmosphere between the two women is different. Eleanor is not her usual self. Her grief hangs over her like a shroud. They will spend the next three days together, safe from prying eyes, safe to share their secret life. Over the next three days, Lorena does what she has always done: listen, encourage, and allow Eleanor to be free to let down her guard.
The setting stays in New York City, but almost without realizing it we travel seamlessly back and forth through time in Lorena's memory. We cry with her when she is raped by her father. We marvel at her time in the circus (a fantasy addition to an otherwise accurate story). But without a doubt, the most endearing and yet heartbreaking memories are of her long-term relationship with Eleanor Roosevelt.

As a fly on the wall, we listen to the two women enjoy each other's company. The first four years are passionate that slowly, over the years, becomes a slow burn that never dies. As the glitter of Roosevelt life gilds Lorena's life, she is always aware that she is a shadow in Eleanor's life. When she is sent away, she tries to forge a new life, make new friends, but she never found her own identity and purpose; she never stopped obsessing over her one true love.
As this all sounds like doom and gloom, I cannot end without assuring the reader that this book is full of life. Without a doubt, Lorena's smartyalecky demeanor is refreshing staged against pomp and circumstance.

When Franklin was governor of New York, Lorena, then a prominent reporter, interviewed Eleanor.
"I sat right next to her . . . in the old-fashioned drawing room. . .and looked at her cheap, sensible serge dress and flat shoes and thought, Who in the name of Christ dressed you.?"

I loved the book. Recommended reading. Would make a great book club read.

Addendum:
Excerpt from 2016 New York Post article entitled: Eleanor Roosevelt's "mistress" died heartbroken and alone
"After Eleanor’s death in 1962, Hick lived for 5½ more years, worn down by blindness, arthritis and loneliness. She finally died of complications from diabetes at the age of 75.

"With great ceremony, Eleanor was buried alongside Franklin at the Roosevelts’ Hyde Park estate in upstate New York; in addition to the ambassador to the United Nations and two former presidents, Harry Truman and Dwight Eisenhower, President John Kennedy attended her funeral, where she was remembered as “the First Lady of the World.”

"In her anonymity, Hick was cremated. Her ashes sat on a shelf of a funeral home for 20 years before being interred in an unmarked grave at a cemetery in Rhinebeck."

This one started out fast but dragged on and on at the end. It had an air of unbelievability to it, where you couldn't imagine the author in that situation with the FIRST LADY. I mean, it was fiction of course, which had an air of truth to it but still, just a so so read for me.