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Kindred Souls: The Friendship of Eleanor Roosevelt and David Gurewitsch
In a letter to David Gurewitsch, Eleanor Roosevelt's personal physician and friend during the last fifteen years of her life, Mrs. Roosevelt wrote, "Above all others, you are the one to whom my heart is tied...." This defines the intense relationship between Eleanor Roosevelt and David Gurewitsch-- friends who often traveled and entertained together and eventually, after his marriage to Edna Perkel, bought and shared a town house in Manhattan.
Their private friendship, a companionship they both treasured, has always intrigued historians, but not much was known about it. David kept diaries and took thousands of photographs, but he never publicly discussed their time together. Now, for the first time, his wife, Edna, has decided to reveal their story and hers after she married into their complicated relationship. Reading David's diaries and the hundreds of letters that he and Mrs. Roosevelt exchanged over the years, and then reflecting on her own life after the death of her husband, enabled Edna finally to write this story. She sheds new light on Mrs. Roosevelt's very private journey of self-discovery as she gained the confidence and knowledge to follow her own personal and political convictions: visiting Khrushchev at his home in Yalta, working on Adlai Stevenson's campaign, being charmed by the young Senator John Kennedy into giving her support for his presidential candidacy, and above all inspiring the love and respect of people all over the world for her compassion, eloquence, and devotion to humanity.
Given her husband's unique role as doctor and confidant to Mrs. Roosevelt, Edna Gurewitsch draws on his insights and her own as a close friend to offer us a very human and inspiring portrait of this complex woman. Perceived as a strong and deeply caring person, which she was, Mrs. Roosevelt also struggled terribly with loneliness and jealousy and a need to transcend her sometimes overwhelming feelings of inadequacy. Her capacity for friendship was enormous, and Edna Gurewitsch describes what it was like to be on the receiving end of her exceptional thoughtfulness-- the carefully chosen gifts left on doorsteps, the generous notes, and the open conversations she welcomed with a humility that never trumpeted her own virtues or called attention to herself as one of the great minds of the twentieth century.
Kindred Souls is filled with personal and unpublished letters from Mrs. Roosevelt. Sometimes chatty and fact-filled, but more often heartfelt and passionate, these letters reveal her yearnings and vulnerabilities as well as her comings and goings, her personal as well as her global concerns. And yet they are always balanced by her special dignity and probity. The book also includes thirty-two pages of never-before-seen photographs taken by David Gurewitsch. Combined with the author's own memories and observations, K indred Souls is a unique, intimate look at three friends and their extraordinary lives.
Their private friendship, a companionship they both treasured, has always intrigued historians, but not much was known about it. David kept diaries and took thousands of photographs, but he never publicly discussed their time together. Now, for the first time, his wife, Edna, has decided to reveal their story and hers after she married into their complicated relationship. Reading David's diaries and the hundreds of letters that he and Mrs. Roosevelt exchanged over the years, and then reflecting on her own life after the death of her husband, enabled Edna finally to write this story. She sheds new light on Mrs. Roosevelt's very private journey of self-discovery as she gained the confidence and knowledge to follow her own personal and political convictions: visiting Khrushchev at his home in Yalta, working on Adlai Stevenson's campaign, being charmed by the young Senator John Kennedy into giving her support for his presidential candidacy, and above all inspiring the love and respect of people all over the world for her compassion, eloquence, and devotion to humanity.
Given her husband's unique role as doctor and confidant to Mrs. Roosevelt, Edna Gurewitsch draws on his insights and her own as a close friend to offer us a very human and inspiring portrait of this complex woman. Perceived as a strong and deeply caring person, which she was, Mrs. Roosevelt also struggled terribly with loneliness and jealousy and a need to transcend her sometimes overwhelming feelings of inadequacy. Her capacity for friendship was enormous, and Edna Gurewitsch describes what it was like to be on the receiving end of her exceptional thoughtfulness-- the carefully chosen gifts left on doorsteps, the generous notes, and the open conversations she welcomed with a humility that never trumpeted her own virtues or called attention to herself as one of the great minds of the twentieth century.
Kindred Souls is filled with personal and unpublished letters from Mrs. Roosevelt. Sometimes chatty and fact-filled, but more often heartfelt and passionate, these letters reveal her yearnings and vulnerabilities as well as her comings and goings, her personal as well as her global concerns. And yet they are always balanced by her special dignity and probity. The book also includes thirty-two pages of never-before-seen photographs taken by David Gurewitsch. Combined with the author's own memories and observations, K indred Souls is a unique, intimate look at three friends and their extraordinary lives.
296 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2002
93 people are currently reading
372 people want to read
About the author
Edna P. Gurewitsch
1 book3 followersEdna P. Gurewitsch is an art historian and former art dealer. Born in New York, she earned her bachelor of science degree from New York University and taught at the High School of Music & Art. Gurewitsch also served as vice president of Manhattan's E. & A. Silberman Galleries.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
September 21, 2014
This is a tender-hearted story of the last years of Eleanor Roosevelt. Even though she was aging, Mrs Roosevelt’s schedule was always full and she had an active day. Nevertheless she is portrayed as a sensitive and at times lonely and needful of companionship. In her last years she found this with her physician David Gurewitsch – both of them very like-minded personalities. They were both teetotallers and ate more for sustenance then pleasure (even though they both enjoyed Paris!). Also both were worldly and enjoyed travelling.
As Edna Gurewitsch points out this relationship did strain Mrs. Roosevelt’s rather large, extended and somewhat dysfunctional family. They were jealous of the privileged relationship of their mother’s friendship with David. Eventually Mrs. Roosevelt even moved into the same house with David, Edna and their new-born child. The jealousy of the Roosevelt children would manifest itself in various ways. Eleanor Roosevelt herself was not immune to cantankerous fits. She could withhold her affection and freeze people out – at least momentarily. But she was always a person true to herself and used her position to learn and help others. She was the U.S. representative to the U.N. until the Eisenhower administration. After she represented the U.S. for various international organizations and travelled throughout the world. Some of these journeys are described in this book.
Perhaps the friendships of Mrs. Roosevelt could have been described in more detail. I would have been interested to know more of Joseph Lash; he wrote an outstanding book on the Roosevelt’s’ – Eleanor and Franklin: The Story of Their Relationship, Based on Eleanor Roosevelt's Private Papers. Mr. Lash occupied a similar position to David Gurewitsch in the late 1930’s and 1940’s.
As Edna Gurewitsch points out this relationship did strain Mrs. Roosevelt’s rather large, extended and somewhat dysfunctional family. They were jealous of the privileged relationship of their mother’s friendship with David. Eventually Mrs. Roosevelt even moved into the same house with David, Edna and their new-born child. The jealousy of the Roosevelt children would manifest itself in various ways. Eleanor Roosevelt herself was not immune to cantankerous fits. She could withhold her affection and freeze people out – at least momentarily. But she was always a person true to herself and used her position to learn and help others. She was the U.S. representative to the U.N. until the Eisenhower administration. After she represented the U.S. for various international organizations and travelled throughout the world. Some of these journeys are described in this book.
Perhaps the friendships of Mrs. Roosevelt could have been described in more detail. I would have been interested to know more of Joseph Lash; he wrote an outstanding book on the Roosevelt’s’ – Eleanor and Franklin: The Story of Their Relationship, Based on Eleanor Roosevelt's Private Papers. Mr. Lash occupied a similar position to David Gurewitsch in the late 1930’s and 1940’s.
September 10, 2014
‘The writing of this book was not always a labor of love.’
This is a book about the friendship between Eleanor Roosevelt and Dr David Gurewitsch, her personal physician and friend, during the last fifteen years of Mrs Roosevelt’s life. This account is written by David’s wife Edna and draws on both the diaries David kept and the hundreds of letters that he and Mrs Roosevelt exchanged over the years of their friendship. In 1962, in one of her letters to Dr Gurewitsch, Mrs Roosevelt had written: ‘Above all others you are the one to whom my heart is tied.’ Theirs was an intense relationship: they often travelled and entertained together and, after his marriage to Edna in February 1958, the three of them bought and lived in a town house in Manhattan which they divided into two separate apartments.
Mrs Gurewitch provides a unique perspective on their private friendship: she has her own memories of each of them as well as their voluminous correspondence and Dr Gurewitsch’s diaries. She writes that:
‘As a physician, David had private recognition, but he craved public approval. Mrs Roosevelt had public recognition, but she craved intimacy. Each satisfied the other’s hunger for acceptance. It was a fair exchange.’
She writes as well that:
‘Despite the closeness of their bond, evidenced in her extremely caring letters to him, David and Mrs Roosevelt were never lovers. Indeed, the tragedy of this superior woman was that she never had the absolute, intimate love of a man.’
The Eleanor Roosevelt who appears through the pages of this book is a kind and generous woman, interested in others, but also lonely and vulnerable, sometimes jealous and sometimes apparently overwhelmed by feelings of inadequacy. And yet, despite these insecurities, Mrs Roosevelt was able to make an enormous contribution to the USA (and the world). A woman born in the late nineteenth century, living through times when few women had any significant role in public life, Mrs Roosevelt seems to have met many challenges of the 20th century with courage and dignity.
‘The profound contrast between Mrs Roosevelt’s dependence upon receiving love and her considerable awareness of the power of her capabilities – the bottomless neediness that coexisted with her enormous strength – never ceases to amaze me.’
While this book was primarily about David Gurewitsch and Eleanor Roosevelt, I find myself wondering about the impact of their close friendship on Edna Gurewitsch’s life as David’s wife. It is often true that while two is company, three is a crowd.
I enjoyed reading this book: it offered me a different and human perspective of Eleanor Roosevelt. Edna Gurewitsch writes: ‘She was one of the few people in this world in which greatness and modesty coexisted’.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
This is a book about the friendship between Eleanor Roosevelt and Dr David Gurewitsch, her personal physician and friend, during the last fifteen years of Mrs Roosevelt’s life. This account is written by David’s wife Edna and draws on both the diaries David kept and the hundreds of letters that he and Mrs Roosevelt exchanged over the years of their friendship. In 1962, in one of her letters to Dr Gurewitsch, Mrs Roosevelt had written: ‘Above all others you are the one to whom my heart is tied.’ Theirs was an intense relationship: they often travelled and entertained together and, after his marriage to Edna in February 1958, the three of them bought and lived in a town house in Manhattan which they divided into two separate apartments.
Mrs Gurewitch provides a unique perspective on their private friendship: she has her own memories of each of them as well as their voluminous correspondence and Dr Gurewitsch’s diaries. She writes that:
‘As a physician, David had private recognition, but he craved public approval. Mrs Roosevelt had public recognition, but she craved intimacy. Each satisfied the other’s hunger for acceptance. It was a fair exchange.’
She writes as well that:
‘Despite the closeness of their bond, evidenced in her extremely caring letters to him, David and Mrs Roosevelt were never lovers. Indeed, the tragedy of this superior woman was that she never had the absolute, intimate love of a man.’
The Eleanor Roosevelt who appears through the pages of this book is a kind and generous woman, interested in others, but also lonely and vulnerable, sometimes jealous and sometimes apparently overwhelmed by feelings of inadequacy. And yet, despite these insecurities, Mrs Roosevelt was able to make an enormous contribution to the USA (and the world). A woman born in the late nineteenth century, living through times when few women had any significant role in public life, Mrs Roosevelt seems to have met many challenges of the 20th century with courage and dignity.
‘The profound contrast between Mrs Roosevelt’s dependence upon receiving love and her considerable awareness of the power of her capabilities – the bottomless neediness that coexisted with her enormous strength – never ceases to amaze me.’
While this book was primarily about David Gurewitsch and Eleanor Roosevelt, I find myself wondering about the impact of their close friendship on Edna Gurewitsch’s life as David’s wife. It is often true that while two is company, three is a crowd.
I enjoyed reading this book: it offered me a different and human perspective of Eleanor Roosevelt. Edna Gurewitsch writes: ‘She was one of the few people in this world in which greatness and modesty coexisted’.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
January 3, 2015
Fascinating revelation of Eleanor Roosevelt's romantic obsession with her doctor, David Gurewitsch, told by the doctor's wife (a commentator in the Ken Burns PBS Roosevelt series). I found that I had to read past the author's biases and her elevation of both her husband and ER to quasi-heroic status. But her insights into ER's passionate imagination was especially helpful to me in understanding/interpreting ER's earlier love affair with Lorena Hickok.
November 14, 2012
This book was like a wonderful window into the past. Really enjoyed learning about the deep and loving relationship between Eleanor Roosevelt and her physician, Dr David Gurewitsch, as told by the doctor's wife, Edna, who authored the book. I came to deeply enjoy & respect all three individuals by the time I was done reading this story.
October 12, 2015
Oh how I love this book. I clearly acknowledge that this is purely due to my love of Eleanor. This book is almost exclusively the years after FDR's death. These years I know about the least.
Her strength, courage, and calm demeanor still provide excellent guidance almost 50 years after her death. If this work had a few more people like her, this world would be a better place.
Her strength, courage, and calm demeanor still provide excellent guidance almost 50 years after her death. If this work had a few more people like her, this world would be a better place.
June 12, 2021
This was a very nice read “listen”. I enjoyed it immensely and it was a nice change from the fiction I always read.
Nom-fiction is admittedly not as boring or hard as I always made it out to be, so it’s always nice to read-or listen to-a non-fiction book and enjoy it and learn so much in the process.
And i have also been always fascinated by history and historical figures and the goings on of their lives.
Needless to say I would recommend this book to anyone who’s interested in history and might want to know more about Eleanor Roosevelt and David Gurewitsch and their very rich lives and nice friendship.
Nom-fiction is admittedly not as boring or hard as I always made it out to be, so it’s always nice to read-or listen to-a non-fiction book and enjoy it and learn so much in the process.
And i have also been always fascinated by history and historical figures and the goings on of their lives.
Needless to say I would recommend this book to anyone who’s interested in history and might want to know more about Eleanor Roosevelt and David Gurewitsch and their very rich lives and nice friendship.
July 19, 2017
A deeper look into Eleanor Roosevelt's complex life from an unusual perspective.
November 16, 2014
For the last 15 years of her life, Eleanor Roosevelt’s constant companion was her doctor David Gurewitsch. This memoir from his widow chronicles the relationship and is a unique glimpse into the personal and emotional life of this prominent figure of 20th century history. Eighteen years her junior, he nevertheless became as devoted to Eleanor as she was to him. She wrote in 1955, “You know without my telling you that I love you as I love and have never loved anyone else.” Inevitably there was much gossip and speculation about the relationship, but it is clear from this book that that it remained a platonic one, however much Eleanor herself might have wished otherwise. David Gurewitsch was her personal doctor and trusted friend, accompanied her on both official and unofficial trips, and after his marriage even bought and shared a house with her in New York. The true story behind this extraordinary friendship is here narrated by David’s widow Edna, who became as devoted to Eleanor as her husband. Eleanor accepted Edna wholeheartedly once she had conquered her initial jealousy, and so Edna too became a constant companion and support. This is a fascinating memoir (if a little sycophantic towards both David and Eleanor) and full of acute and insightful observations. Edna’s recollections are both valuable and important for a fuller understanding of Eleanor, her work and often troubled family life, and is both readable and immensely engaging.
January 9, 2018
A true insiders view of the life of our greatest first lady. It captures the late period of Mrs. Roosevelt's life and her friendship with her doctor David Gurewitsch. You get insight to not only Mrs. Roosevelt's family life but insight into the politics of the time as she was an active an important player until almost the very end. Truly she was a complex and brilliant person and Mrs. Gurewitsch does a good job at highlighting those aspects of her nature. A wonderful read
January 10, 2016
Perhaps I was prejudiced by interviews of Ms. Gurewitsch in various Roosevelt documentaries, but I had an almost visceral dislike for her and her book, which seems opportunistic and calculated at best.
November 27, 2020
I enjoyed reading this wonderful book written in 2002 by Edna Gurwitsch who Mrs Roosevelt lived with for the last three years or so of her life in New York City. It is especially thoughtful that Edna wrote this book 40 years after Mrs Roosevelt’s death. Edna’s account is surely one of that last first hand remembrances of Mrs Roosevelt that will be written. This book is an important part of preserving the entire FDR ER story.
Edna was married to David who was Mrs Roosevelt’s physician and close friend. David and Mrs Roosevelt first met in 1944 and their relationship grew to the point that he was closer to Mrs Roosevelt than even her four sons. The book matches son Elliott’s excellent work Mother R with many of the same stories and experiences from a slightly different perspective. Many references throughout to Joe Lash’s writings about Mrs Roosevelt. The book is based on Edna’ diaries and recollections and importantly on correspondence between Mrs Roosevelt, Edna and David. The book is very similar to the very interesting work by Geoffrey Ward collecting the correspondence between Franklin Roosevelt and Margaret Suckley. The books cover different people and periods but from the two books together a very revealing and personal picture emerges of President and Mrs Roosevelt.
Edna was married to David who was Mrs Roosevelt’s physician and close friend. David and Mrs Roosevelt first met in 1944 and their relationship grew to the point that he was closer to Mrs Roosevelt than even her four sons. The book matches son Elliott’s excellent work Mother R with many of the same stories and experiences from a slightly different perspective. Many references throughout to Joe Lash’s writings about Mrs Roosevelt. The book is based on Edna’ diaries and recollections and importantly on correspondence between Mrs Roosevelt, Edna and David. The book is very similar to the very interesting work by Geoffrey Ward collecting the correspondence between Franklin Roosevelt and Margaret Suckley. The books cover different people and periods but from the two books together a very revealing and personal picture emerges of President and Mrs Roosevelt.
March 19, 2022
The book was written, clearly, by a woman who was emotionally invested in how the memory of her husband's friendship with the former first lady would be preserved. Because of her proximity to the main players, the book comes across from a very personal point of view. Her account of the history shared between the two also reflects her own experience as they traveled the years together. For me, it almost reads as a daughter in law sharing thoughts about her relationship with a kind and thoughtful mom-in-law. Given that there are so many books recently, "No ordinary time"(1994), "Undiscovered country" (2018) et. al. written about Roosevelt, EG does explore her personal opinions about the lady.
This may not be the best book to learn of ER's political or personal accomplishments. It does, however, reflect witnessing her final years behind closed doors that escapes traditional histories.
This may not be the best book to learn of ER's political or personal accomplishments. It does, however, reflect witnessing her final years behind closed doors that escapes traditional histories.
July 21, 2025
Well written book about the postwar friendship between Eleanor Roosevelt and her personal doctor, a Polish expat named David Gurewitsch.
It seems that after the war, Joe Lash and his wife Trude, became more involved in their own affairs, so ER had a hole in her life that she filled with David G.
Handsome, intelligent, and Jewish (like Joe Lash), ER seems to have regarded him as a son, and great friend. The author believes that if ER had been 30 younger, they would've had an affair.
ER tried to help Martha Gellhorn and Gurewitsch get together, but the two never married because Gellhorn "hated America and NYC in particular". She wanted David to move to Mexico, which would have meant his giving up his medical practice.
I must say that the elderly, over 50, ER comes off as a very strange person. Her flirtation with Lesbianism, her adopting young Jewish men as her close friends, her obsession with politics and power. Very odd.
It seems that after the war, Joe Lash and his wife Trude, became more involved in their own affairs, so ER had a hole in her life that she filled with David G.
Handsome, intelligent, and Jewish (like Joe Lash), ER seems to have regarded him as a son, and great friend. The author believes that if ER had been 30 younger, they would've had an affair.
ER tried to help Martha Gellhorn and Gurewitsch get together, but the two never married because Gellhorn "hated America and NYC in particular". She wanted David to move to Mexico, which would have meant his giving up his medical practice.
I must say that the elderly, over 50, ER comes off as a very strange person. Her flirtation with Lesbianism, her adopting young Jewish men as her close friends, her obsession with politics and power. Very odd.
July 20, 2019
Bless-ed. Life is too short to read something that I cannot figure out why warranted a 352 page book about. From what I could tell in the first 35% of the book before reclaiming my life, Eleanor Roosevelt had an unconventional friendship with someone much younger than her that was probably just stringing her along because she was Eleanor Roosevelt. The only emotion I felt was sad at Roosevelt for so obviously throwing herself at a man who didn't want her.
This book has been sitting on my Kindle for 2.5 years. Probably for good reason. I like Eleanor Roosevelt. I enjoy reading about her. But this didn't hit the spot for me.
This book has been sitting on my Kindle for 2.5 years. Probably for good reason. I like Eleanor Roosevelt. I enjoy reading about her. But this didn't hit the spot for me.
November 7, 2022
I enjoyed learning about Mrs. Roosevelt from an interesting perspective, the wife of her Doctor. At first it appears that perhaps David is a love interest to Mrs. Roosevelt but as the story unfolds it becomes clear that David was truly her friend. That friendship spanned many years, events, holidays and vacations. Mrs. Roosevelt was a powerful force of kindness in our world. I learned a lot about being a decent person from her examples in this book.
October 25, 2021
I'm glad I listened to this. It was a good general overview of the last few decades of Eleanor Roosevelt's life. The writing was a bit stilted. It came close to voyeuristic storytelling at times (direct quotes from Eleanor's medical records feel like an invasion of privacy) and concentrated more on David Gurewitsch's life and times.
December 4, 2022
WONDERFUL WONDERFUL BOOK
My vintage made this book particularly meaningful. It is beautifully written and allows reader to see and know many intimate and remarkable things about the amazing person Eleanor Roosevelt. Her humility, humbleness, joys and pain radiate throughout this outstanding biography/memoir. Not to be missed.
My vintage made this book particularly meaningful. It is beautifully written and allows reader to see and know many intimate and remarkable things about the amazing person Eleanor Roosevelt. Her humility, humbleness, joys and pain radiate throughout this outstanding biography/memoir. Not to be missed.
October 6, 2017
It provided interesting insight into the last few years of her life from the perspective of someone who was close to her during that time. It's not journalism and there is definitely some bias, but if you want a look into the end of her life, I think this provides some of that.
May 6, 2023
This was a lovely account of the last years of Eleanor Roosevelt’s life written by the wife of her personal physician. It indeed describes the side of Mrs Roosevelt that is not known or written about in other books.
June 4, 2017
Powerful story of a remarkable lady.
November 8, 2021
I know little about Mrs Roosevelt, this book makes me want to know more about her. The letters she wrote is a lost art. What a wonderful long term friendship. Loved this book.
January 10, 2022
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5 Stars (Excellent)
May 29, 2022
A very intimate and informative look at Eleanor Roosevelt’s life after Franklin died. It explains a lot of relationships but I have had, how one can love and be in love are so different.
February 17, 2023
I thought the book was boring.
March 13, 2017
Interesting: a segment of Roosevelt history that I had not previously encountered in detail. An unusual three-person relationship: hardcharging celebrity woman in her 70s deeply, rather wistfully drawn to her 50s-ish personal physician. The third person is the doctor's eventual wife, who wrote this book about the other two and their life together when all three decided to share a townhouse. Not just anyone could make that sort of arrangement successful, but it seems that they did.
The mutual-admiration-society tone is unruffled, and you will not find any moments of high drama. They found a mode of living that was supportive for all of them-- and especially, I think, for David.
The mutual-admiration-society tone is unruffled, and you will not find any moments of high drama. They found a mode of living that was supportive for all of them-- and especially, I think, for David.
November 27, 2014
This is an account of the truest form of love. A passionate relationship of minds and thoughts, with all the desires of being together, sharing each other's very souls, but totally platonic. The greatest love of Eleanor Roosevelt's life and an enduring deep affection on the part of her doctor, David GUREWITSCH . He was many years her junior and she accepted his more natural love of the author of this book, who he married and they became an unusual ménage a trois for the last three years of her life, but it in no way affected her passion for David and indeed Edna became a loving friend too. Always deeply respectful, they augmented her public life by always being there for her.
A great lady, he never abused their friendship, always referring to her as Mrs Roosevelt, but he brought joy to the last decade and a half of her life, indeed being closer to him than she was to her children. Having grown up aware of her public duty and her great achievements, I loved reading about the other side of her life.
A great lady, he never abused their friendship, always referring to her as Mrs Roosevelt, but he brought joy to the last decade and a half of her life, indeed being closer to him than she was to her children. Having grown up aware of her public duty and her great achievements, I loved reading about the other side of her life.
June 3, 2013
This book deserves the AMAZING rating. Edna Gurewitsch has a unique story to tell of her physican-husband's deep friendship and as well as her own with Eleanor Roosevelt from 1947 to Mrs. Roosevelt's death in 1962. Based on their letters, notes and photos, the author documents the intense relationship between Eleanor and David while revealing the personal side of the committed humanitarian and world peacemaker that was Mrs. Roosevelt. The author waited almost half a century to tell the story and she does it brilliantly and respectfully with wisdom gained over time. She has a wonderful eye for tiny details that capture life in the Roosevelt households at Val Kill in Hyde Park to the New York City house the three shared for several years as well as her travels worldwide.
June 1, 2015
This is the fascinating story of Eleanor Roosevelt in the last 20 years of her life as told by the wife of Mrs. Roosevelt's doctor's widow. I now have an awareness of the impact Mrs. Roosevelt had in American politics, and, indeed, her global influence. It is also an up-close look at the so-called American aristocraticracy of that Era with Mrs. Roosevelt at the hub with debutante balls, parties galore, oodles of staffed homes to keep up, and the charisma of her kind, intelligent, serving example of lived out noblesse oblige. Secondarily, it is about her close mentor-mother-courtly lover-patient relationship with Dr.David Gurewitsch. I love reading about the meaningful actions of a woman in her 60s / 70s but also feel a little daunted/inferior. But also inspired.
November 1, 2015
This book was an incredibly intimate look into the life of Eleanor Roosevelt, post FDR presidency and death. She had a uniquely close relationship with her doctor which blossomed into a lifelong friendship...the letters contained herein, along with journals and stories written by his wife about the life Eleanor lived and the people around the world whom she touched with her vivacious presence, no nonsense, get things done and a change the world attitude. She truly was an amazing woman up until the end, who affected the lives of world leaders, yet still found time to send letters and gifts to close friends. I loved this perspective on who she was and the life she lived.
September 8, 2015
While this is a very well written book, it seems a bit like we are spying on a private love story. Things shared were never meant to be published and at times it is so glaringly honest that it makes the reader squirm all the while you are quickly turning the page to devour the next paragraph! Written by the dear doctor’s wife it is a story of love and friendship. If you love history and you admire Mrs. Roosevelt, this is a must-read book! Enjoy! NetGalley and Open Road Integrated Media provided an advanced review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews