Rose Rosetree’s Reviews > What She Ate: Six Remarkable Women and the Food That Tells Their Stories > Status Update

The connection between Eleanor Roosevelt and the food movement of feminists at Cornell University -- so important for transforming her into a woman who could find her place in the world.

And not just, as noted by Laura Shapiro, dress up and conduct small talk for the rest of her life.

I'm learning more than I knew I didn't know, regarding Eleanor Roosevelt. In the process my respect for Laura Shapiro is growing fast.

She conveys so much, so naturally. Magnificent transitions in her writing, for example.

Laura Shapiro's summary of Eleanor Roosevelt's life sure rings true for me. Didn't she have the mother-in-law from Hell!

Golly, I thought I knew all about Eleanor Roosevelt by now, particularly after reading the definitive biography of her by David Michaelis.

Yet I learned more about Eleanor's fluency in French that I learned about why she served the most dreadful meals ever tasted at the White House.

Reflecting on the leadership of Rosa Lewis.

* How she paved the way for female cooks to be treated with respect as chefs.
* Her nobility and philanthropy during World War I.

Worth admiring!

What did I never expect? The generosity, even philanthropy, of Rosa Lewis to all the soldiers she put up in her hotel, all the meals she gave them; a truly remarkable legacy of her beautiful character.

Rosa Lewis' saga turns tragic, in a humdrumly eccentric way. British fine dining, as she helped create it, turned to dust. So much was lost after the war.

Rosa Lewis' candid advice in media interviews, back in Victorian England, was so sensible.

"Let beef taste like beef."
"Let mutton taste like mutton."

Truth was stranger than fiction, and at least as fascinating to read about. The meals, the rules, the many-many snobberies among the social high rankers.

Much better to read about them, in all their stifling opulence, than to have been among them!

Laura has succeeded in helping me to understand Rosa Lewis, but hasn't managed to make me like her.