Fleming, Candace. (2005).
Our Eleanor: A Scrapbook Look at Eleanor Roosevelt's Remarkable Life. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers. ISBN: 9780689865442
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| Photo by: L. Propes |
Did you know Eleanor Roosevelt had one of the largest FBI files? She was a feminist before Betty Friedan; learned how to shoot a pistol (badly); criss-crossed the globe, amassing what would now be a mountain of frequent-flyer miles; and was one of the first delegates of the United States to the United Nations.
I've always admired Eleanor Roosevelt. She set the standard for the modern First Lady, and her successors have used the role to promote issues ranging from civil rights and literacy to addiction and breast cancer to global women's rights. In Eleanor's hands, the First Lady was no longer relegated to serving as a social events hostess. Even more admirable, to an admitted painfully shy introvert, was how someone as shy as Eleanor managed to become, in the words of Harry Truman, "the first lady of the world."
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| Photo by: L. Propes |
Most of us know the bare outlines of Eleanor Roosevelt's life story: She was born into the Oyster Bay branch of the Roosevelt family. Her uncle was President Theodore Roosevelt. She married her distant cousin Franklin (a member of the Hyde Park Roosevelts) and had a family. After Franklin recovered from polio Eleanor became his eyes and ears as she traveled all over New York when Franklin was the governor, then the United States during his tenure as President. Candace Fleming's
biography of Eleanor, presented in a scrapbook format, examines Eleanor Roosevelt's life from birth to death, not only highlighting the Eleanor Roosevelt that we all know, but also revealing the less-well known events that influenced the person she would become. Fleming's biography is well-written and offers a fascinating look at a person who has become a symbol in the United States. At times, it teeters on the edge of hagiography, especially once Eleanor becomes Franklin's political partner during his term as New York governor, and for the rest of the book. It should be noted, however, that Fleming's unabashed and evident admiration for her subject does not make the book any less readable or interesting.
The book opens with a timeline of important events of Eleanor's life, followed by an abbreviated Roosevelt family tree (showing both the Oyster Bay and Hyde Park branches of the family). Fleming provides the reader with some background for Eleanor, namely through introducing us to her parents: the wealthy and beautiful Anna Hall and the troubled, but handsome and wealthy Elliot Roosevelt. Fleming's narrative follows a linear path, but she does not organize the book into concrete chapters. Each page contains a snippet of information, as if it had been clipped from a newspaper, and archival photos or documents, like a copy of a letter Eleanor wrote to her father. Fleming does not shy away from the controversial topics. She examines Elliot Roosevelt's alcoholism; Eleanor's difficult and fraught relationship with her domineering mother-in-law, Sara Roosevelt; Franklin's affair with Lucy Mercer; or even speculation regarding Eleanor's sexuality. Fleming made liberal use of oral histories that were in the FDR Presidential Library, and the recollections of Eleanor's children paint a portrait of a conflicted mother, whose chaotic childhood and discordant relationship with Sara did little to prepare her for motherhood. This contrasts nicely with the self-assured and confident First Lady Fleming presents later in the book. More importantly, it humanizes Eleanor and prevents the book from falling into outright hagiography.
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| Photo by: L. Propes |
There are elements about Eleanor that deserve a spotlight. She traveled tirelessly around the country, learning to drop by unannounced so supervisors could not tidy things up and look at the small details in order to give Franklin a truthful account of whether or not his New Deal programs were working. She shamelessly used her connections to help the less fortunate, a lesson drilled into Eleanor from a young age by her uncle Theodore, who felt the Roosevelts should use their privilege to help others. Eleanor was an early proponent of civil rights for African-Americans, pushing to have the well-trained, but unused Tuskegee Airmen, serve in combat in World War II. She resigned from the Daughters of the American Revolution after they denied the acclaimed African-American soprano Marian Anderson the use of Constitution Hall for a performance. (Fleming includes a draft of Eleanor's resignation here.) She traveled to the Pacific theatre, earning respect from the soldiers, Marines, and sailors for taking the time to greet them personally, instead of doing a staged photo-op. Conversely, she earned the ire of people who felt she ought to stay home and host teas, like a "proper" First Lady. It is this section of the book where Fleming begins to treat Eleanor as a sainted figure, rather than a real person. She often sounds too good to be true. The only instance that really stands out from this virtuous turn is Eleanor's anti-Semitic position regarding Jews, although it must be noted it was not unusual for the time. Her viewpoints did turn in the aftermath of World War II, when Eleanor came into contact with Jewish refugees in Europe, and she supported the establishment of the state of Israel. Fleming neatly sweeps under the rug any ill-regard Eleanor had for the Arabs in Israel, aside a brief mention framed by a visit by Eleanor to Israel. In spite of all this, placing Eleanor on a pedestal does make for interesting reading, because there are many things Eleanor did in this period that shifted and changed the foundation of the role of the First Lady, but after several pages praising and admiring Eleanor it starts to sound a bit one-note.
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| Photo by: L. Propes |
Fleming's use of the scrapbook format divides Eleanor's life into neat chunks that is easy to read, but a little fragmented. It's a nice introduction to an complex and fascinating figure that should be presented with a more linear look at Eleanor's life. The format almost invites a reader to flip through the book and read a section here, and a page or two there instead of reading it from page one to the end. Fleming's liberal use of photographs of Eleanor are appealing to visual learners, as well as to people who like to put a face to the name in the book. Many children could gain entry to the book through the photographs. It is engrossing to just turn the pages to watch how the ladies' fashions change from Eleanor's childhood to her death in 1962. Even more so would be the discussion of how technology changed during this period and its implications in the larger society. Frequent quotes from the oral histories, letters, diaries, and books inject humanity into the text. Fleming went straight to the source for information about Eleanor -- the Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial Library in Hyde Park, New York. In her notes, Fleming mentions using the Anna Eleanor Roosevelt Manuscript Collection with its two million pages of letters, diaries, newspaper clippings, and so much more. The oral histories Fleming uses range from Eleanor's children and grandchildren to family friends and professional colleagues.
The dust jacket cites this book as appropriate for ages 10-14, but as always, it does rather depend on the student reading the book.
This book could be part of a US history unit about the Great Depression and World War II. It could also be used in an English class unit about biographies and autobiographies. A sociology class could use this book to highlight the changing roles of women in the 20th century.
Other biographies by Fleming include:
Ben Franklin's Almanac: Being a True Account of the Good Gentelman's Life,
Lincolns: A Scrapbook Look at Abraham and Mary,
The Great and Only Barnum: The Tremendous, Stupendous Life of Showman P.T. Barnum, and
Amelia Lost: The Life and Disappearance of Amelia Earhart.
Fleming recommends
A Picture Book of Eleanor Roosevelt by David A. Alder, with illustrations by Robert Casilla;
Eleanor Roosevelt: A Life of Discovery by Russell Freedman;
Eleanor Everywhere: The Life of Eleanor Roosevelt by Monica Kulling; and
Eleanor Roosevelt: Freedom's Champion by Deborah A. Parks and Melva L. Ware.
Students and teachers can also visit the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum website at
http://www.fdrlibrary.marist.edu. Parts of the archive have been digitized and allow for remote searching. They also offer curriculum guides, photos, and many other online resources.
The gift shop even offers other resources about Eleanor an Franklin. There is a CD of FDR's speeches and Fireside Chats, which would make for a neat interactive lesson, where a teacher has their students listen to one of the Fireside Chats and discuss how it might have made a family feel during the Depression.
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"This richly rendered account of the life and accomplishments of Eleanor Roosevelt is both unabashed tribute and absorbing history. Fleming draws on numerous scrapbooks and diaries as well as copious primary and secondary sources in developing her text and selecting the accompanying photographs... " -- Horn Book Magazine, November 1, 2005
"Presenting more than an analysis of her tenure in the White House, the work covers Roosevelt from birth and continues beyond her death in a discussion of her impact on politics, feminism, and future First Ladies. Fleming does not shy away from some of the more controversial details of her subject... but presents enough evidence and perspectives to allow readers to draw their own conclusions... An extensive offering of drawings, photographs, and handwritten documents interweave with the main text... that do indeed result in a browsable, scrapbook effect." -- Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, December 1, 2005
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Spisak, April. 2005. Our eleanor. Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books 59 (4) (12): 180-, http://ezproxy.twu.edu:2048/login?url=http://ezproxy.twu.edu:2060/login.aspx?direct=true&db=brd&AN=510497559&site=ehost-live&scope=site.
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