Introduction

In her introduction to Eleanor Roosevelt, Volume One, Cook explains that many years after Eleanor Roosevelt's death, she remains a controversial figure. People disagree about whether she was a paragon of goodness or foolishly naïve. In addition, stereotypical ideas of what kind of life a woman should lead have obscured the full measure of Roosevelt's achievements. For Cook, Roosevelt's life was a personal and political journey that reflected all the complex issues at work in the twentieth century. It was a life of noble ideals and practical achievement.

Chapters 1-3: Ancestry and Early Childhood

Eleanor Roosevelt was born into an aristocratic family in 1884. Her mother was Anna Livingston Ludlow Hall, who married Elliot Roosevelt in 1883. Elliot was the older brother of Theodore Roosevelt Jr., who would later become president of the United States. When the boys were young, Elliott was the more accomplished of the...