A "riveting and enlightening account" (Bookreporter) of a mostly
unknown chapter in the life of Eleanor Roosevelt--when she moved to
New York's Greenwich Village, shed her high-born conformity, and
became the progressive leader who pushed for change as America's
First Lady. Hundreds of books have been written about FDR and
Eleanor, both together and separately, but yet she remains a
compelling and elusive figure. And, not much is known about why in
1920, Eleanor suddenly abandoned her duties as a mother of five and
moved to Greenwich Village, then the symbol of all forms of
transgressive freedom--communism, homosexuality, interracial
relationships, and subversive political activity. Now, in this
"immersive...original look at an iconic figure of American
politics" (Publishers Weekly), Jan Russell pulls back the curtain
on Eleanor's life to reveal the motivations and desires that drew
her to the Village and how her time there changed her political
outlook. A captivating blend of personal history detailing
Eleanor's struggle with issues of marriage, motherhood, financial
independence, and femininity, and a vibrant portrait of one of the
most famous neighborhoods in the world, this unique work examines
the ways that the sensibility, mood, and various inhabitants of the
neighborhood influenced the First Lady's perception of herself and
shaped her political views over four decades, up to her death in
1962. When Eleanor moved there, the Village was a zone of
Bohemians, misfits, and artists, but there was also freedom there,
a miniature society where personal idiosyncrasy could flourish.
Eleanor joined the cohort of what then was called "The New Women"
in Greenwich Village. Unlike the flappers in the 1920s, the New
Women had a much more serious agenda, organizing for social
change--unions for workers, equal pay, protection for child
workers--and they insisted on their own sexual freedom. These women
often disagreed about politics--some, like Eleanor, were Democrats,
others Republicans, Socialists, and Communists. Even after moving
into the White House, Eleanor retained connections to the Village,
ultimately purchasing an apartment in Washington Square where she
lived during World War II and in the aftermath of Roosevelt's death
in 1945. Including the major historical moments that served as a
backdrop for Eleanor's time in the Village, this remarkable work
offers new insights into Eleanor's transformation--emotionally,
politically, and sexually--and provides us with the missing chapter
in an extraordinary life.
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