Amy Bloom's novel WHITE HOUSES is historical fiction based on a widely known, not disputed fact; Eleanor Roosevelt and a female journalist, Lorena Hickok were involved in a lengthy love affair.

Hick and Eleanor came from very different backgrounds, their characters are illuminated rather than their love affair and it makes for an interesting read.

Hick lived in the white house with Eleanor for 5 years, it is interesting to read what happened then and what would happen now. If you enjoy historical fiction you will truly enjoy this book.

White Houses, a moving historical fiction novel, is not about Eleanor Roosevelt, her marriage or her time in the White House. It is not a typical love story either. It follows Lorena Hickok, one of the most well-known female reporters at that time, her life, career and relationship with Eleanor since they've met in the 1930s. 

Upon reading the novel, you'll get to know Lorena "Hick" quite well, but you'll only get snippets and glimpses of Eleanor through the heart and eyes of Lorena. And that's why it's perfectly thought out. You can read plenty of books where the focus is solely on Eleanor, but so rarely you can find a historical fiction novel on Hick and her life. Their on and off romantic relationship started during the time they met at the Roosevelt's first presidential campaign and continued after his passing. The reader can clearly see Hick's deep love for Eleanor and her pain when they just couldn't be themselves, when they couldn't simply be together.

While Franklin's numerous affairs were well-documented at that time and people found some sort of pleasure on openly gossiping and speculating, Hick's relationship with Eleanor was perceived by others as "perverted" friendship. Lorena was cut out from press photographs and was never accepted or even liked by the White House circles. This was portrayed as a big part of Hick's life in Amy Bloom's book and rightly so.

The novel touches on love throughout years and time, growth, devotion, intimacy, longing and hope. Hick and Eleanor's connection is unique and their story remains truly theirs. We are only granted a privilege to follow their most private feelings and emotions. 

White Houses is beautifully written and worth your time... All of this coming from someone who doesn't normally read historical fiction!

I have kindly received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley and Random House in exchange of a fair review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was a great spring read. This book just reminded me a spring renewal that is going on at this time where I live. Where people also need to renew their spirit. That people come in and out of our lives at different times. This book also made me look into history more. Trying to figure out what events were factual and what were fiction. I love it when a book leaves me wanting to know more about the charters.

I have not read the published letters of Eleanor Roosevelt and Lorena Hickok, so I do not know how many liberties, if any, the author took to create this novel. What I do know, is that I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. The story is told from Lorena's perspective and her personal narrative was intriguing and moving. I immediately connected with the character and had to know what would become of her. It was a beautifully written novel about a long lasting love.

My review:

 There are pros and cons to this. Do I believe Eleanor Roosevelt was a lesbian? Sure, maybe bisexual, who knows. Is this book accurate? No, it's fiction. Those reading this need to take it with a grain of salt. She very well may have been in a romantic relationship with Lorena Hickok but who knows what it was like.

With that being said, the author did do her research and even though it's fiction, it felt very realistic. Amy Bloom did a ton of research, reading through letters, and exploring Hickok's troubled past that makes the reader feel for her and I'm sure that much of the book is true as it's based on real events.

Past that, it made me look at FDR a little differently. I'll have to do more research to find out what is true and what was fabricated but I did learn a bunch .

All in all, it was a very very interesting read. I felt connected to the characters the entire time and I think the book should get more credit. It was wonderfully written and a page turner the entire time for me.  I enjoyed it more than I thought I would and I feel like many others would like it for the story itself.

As someone fascinated by the Roosevelts, I was drawn to Amy Bloom’s White Houses immediately. This story, almost Roosevelt-adjacent, focuses on Eleanor Roosevelt’s relationship with her closest, long term lady-friend (read: partner + love) Lorena “Hick” Hickok. Told in first-person through Hick, Bloom details Hick’s challenging and abusive past amid tender accounts of her time with Eleanor. I enjoyed Bloom’s prose as well as the personable way she writes Hick. Recommended for fans of historical fiction.

While those who have read extensively about Eleanor Roosevelt may not be intrigued by a fictionalized account of her love affair with Lorena "Hick" Hickock, those of us who are less knowledgeable about Roosevelt's private life will find this an eye opening account. Told from Hickock's point of view, the book covers Hick's childhood and the ups and downs of her relationship with both Eleanor and Franklin Roosevelt over the decades they knew each other.

Based on archival information that Bloom researched extensively at the Roosevelt Presidential Library, the book seems to have a solid foundation of factual details - like Hickock living at the White House during at least two different periods of time (!) and the two women traveling together in relative anonymity in the early, passionate days of their relationship.

The relationship appears to have been an open secret among those close to the Roosevelts and quite a bit is revealed about Franklin's affairs and the way he treated those he loved...or just passed the time with.

The book moves back and forth across time periods fluidly, revealing important bits of their joint story and their individual histories a little at a time. While the reader is frequently reminded that two women in a loving relationship was not acceptable by most standards at the time, the book is mostly from Hick's point of view which reminds us that their love was perfectly natural but incredibly complicated due to Franklin's position in the nation and his health. Heartbreaking and eye-opening, White Houses offers wonderful insight into the lives of Hick and the Roosevelts and others in their circle.

(FYI: this book was just optioned to be a TV movie.)

My book club selected Amy Bloom's White Houses, and I was looking forward to reading it. Thanks to Random House and NetGalley, I received a copy in exchange for my honest review.

I generally enjoy historical fiction, I am not bothered by "faction," and I truly enjoy a good roman a clef. So why did this one not work for me? There is a ton of good material for the history part, and I did like the inclusion of tidbits about the Lindbergh kidnapping, war rationing, the polio camp, and the depths of poverty throughout the country in the 1930s. I think my problem was that the characters were flat, and there was no real depth of emotion. It reminded me of my friend's attempt to write a romance novel, but the end result was incredibly like her day job as a technical writer.

I am a huge Eleanor Roosevelt fan, and although the publisher's blurb says "historians are divided on whether the two had a romantic relationship," I am fascinated by the story of Eleanor finding true love (unlike her relationship with her cuz, whose liaisons in the White House were well known), and I appreciated the story of Hick's successful rise from extreme poverty to the life of a successful journalist. Perhaps I should read Susan Quinn's Eleanor and Hick for more on the story of the relationship between the First Lady and the "First Friend," because this one just didn't do it for me. Three (generous) stars.

While the subject was enlightening for me since I knew nothing about this relationship between the first lady and the journalist I did not really care for the book. I found it dragged in places and it was not a page turner, I had to force myself to go back to the book instead of ...well instead of almost anything else. I was not sure if the narration was reliable. Did these ladies have love affair or a warm, loving friendship? I did like reading about the life of the first lady and thought about how different that life is today. With social media and everyone with a camera in their hands plus security and modern travel modes protecting privacy for a public figure is certainly a complex job but in the past it seems it was not much of a consideration. While I remain fascinated of the lives of first ladies I prefer nonfiction to read about them.

Thank you to NetGalley and Amy Bloom for allowing me to read and review White Houses. I enjoyed this book but agree with other reviewers that it lagged in spots.

I like the parts about Hick's upbringing and some of her details as being the "First Friend." However it dragged it many parts.

Told from the perspective of Lorena Hickock, longtime friend and confident of Eleanor Roosevelt. This work of fiction is based on real letters written between two friends. A love story between two women, in a time when it would have never been acceptable for two women to love each other. Two very strong, independent women who also depend on each other as the years go on.

Amy Bloom's book, White Houses, was an enjoyable read. It is written in the point of view of Lorena Hickok, Elenore Roosevelt's "companion" at a time when such companions were not spoken of and respectfully reveals their relationship to the reader in a way that is beautiful and not a tell-all for gain. This book reads very much like truth and I had to keep reminding myself that it was historical fiction. For me, it was a quick read and after finishing the book, I found myself researching this very interesting time in history that I'd previously known nothing about.

I was really into this one for the first 50%, but it got very slow after that.

A fictional account of the relationship between Eleanor Roosevelt and Lorena Hickok. A story of love and friendship and all the complexities that accompany any love affair, and in this case, at a time when homosexuality was forbidden.

Bloom’s writing style is hypnotic. I love this insight into the White House and the lives of the Roosevelt’s. I found myself researching the characters, to see what new information I might find. Excellent job Amy Bloom!

I didn’t know anything about Hicks, the storyteller in this fictional account of her friendship/love with Eleanor Roosevelt.

It’s a quick read. Historical with boundaries. For me, it read as a story shared with care not to over step. It is not Eleanor’s story which is what I thought I was reading but I’m glad I read this book.

Here’s a sample of Bloom’s beautiful writing: He left us, in a half hour, between lunch and dinner, when we’d let down our guard and now we were all sick with grief. Those of us who knew him and needed him didn’t want to stop grieving, for fear we’d step forward, toward the future, and entirely lose the trace, the smell, and the feel of him.

Have you read it?

White Houses was very eye opening, as written based on fact. Knew Eleanor Roosevelt was a great philanthropist and really admired here for this. Wish the book was more on this and her experiences with her "first" friend, Lorena Hickok. I am definitely going to try and read more on her life and wish it could be actual; facts

As always, Bloom's prose is impeccable. Seeing up close the world of the White House inhabitants through the eyes of an unconventional observer was voyeuristic and thrilling. Bloom's details of the era were also engaging and drew me in. I felt there was less story than recall in the format of the book, so overall I was left with an abundance of setting and character study more than the blossoming, blooming and fading love affair between Eleanor and Lorena (Hick). But the both the characters and era were brought to life, which I loved. A stirring and satisfying read.

What’s it about . . .
White Houses is a fictionalized account of Eleanor Roosevelt’s relationship with Lorena Hickok and is written from Lorena’s perspective.

What did I think . . .
I was intrigued by the possibilities of this book. However, as much as I enjoyed the writing, I couldn’t get into the relationship, couldn’t feel a connection to the characters, and felt I learned little about Eleanor. Before hearing about this book, I knew nothing about a relationship between Eleanor and Hicks, which is probably why I was having trouble separating fiction from fact. Much of the book is about Lornea and we do learn a lot about her, especially her abusive childhood. But I didn’t much care for her character. In the end, this was just OK for me.