(11) White Houses by Amy Bloom

Monday, February 12, 2018


The relationship between Eleanor Roosevelt and Lorena "Hick" Hickock is one that goes beyond friendship.  Eleanor and Hick first met when FDR was on the campaign trail.  Hick is loud and brash, drinks whiskey and tells bawdy jokes.  Her early days were rough, but that is what made her into the woman she is today.   And she is utterly devoted to the love of her life, Eleanor Roosevelt.  White Houses is set in the days following FDR's death when Eleanor is in need of comfort in the arms of a woman she loves.   During those days Hick flashes back to the days when they first met.  The days when her beat was on the campaign trail with the future First Lady.  The flashbacks continue on through their years together, including when Hick moved into the room next to Eleanor's in the White House.  In Hick's tender voice we get to hear all the details of their relationship and a love that was true.

It hasn't been until recent years that I even heard that Eleanor Roosevelt had a girlfriend. Her relationship with FDR was apparently an open one, as his affairs were pretty common knowledge.  Can you imagine what would happen in today's political climate if word got out that the First Lady (or First Husband) was in a same-sex, extramarital affair? People would be screaming for heads to roll.   Who would have thought that FDR would have welcomed Hick into the White House and even treated her like family?  There is one point where Hick recounts a conversation with FDR that SHE should be the one sharing retirement with Eleanor, not him.   I need to be clear that White Houses is a fictional story based on real people and real situations. Did that conversation really happen?  I don't know.  But, the fact that the author takes us into Hick's head, and her heart, is one of the reasons it is fictional.  Also, I am not sure if the events depicted in Hicks childhood are true.  Ultimately, at the heart of this book is a love story.  A true love story and that is the tone that is continued throughout the whole book.  It is heartbreaking to think that as much as they loved each other it was done in secret.

Bottom Line - White  Houses is a fictional telling of the love story between two real women.  While I really enjoyed this book I can see where not everybody would feel the same.   I just encourage you to pick White Houses up with an open mind and open heart.

Details: 



Latest Instagrams

© Charlotte's Web of Books. Design by FCD.