“Well, the reality of her father was that he was a very diseased alcoholic, who died at the age of 34. And one always has to pause to wonder how much you have to drink to die at 34. And he was a really tragic father. I mean, he was absolutely unreliable. He was absolutely involved with various people. He had outside families, outside children, outside wives. He made his wife's life miserable. And she [Eleanor Roosevelt]ignored all of his faults and retained this sense of him as the perfect father.” PeopleWellsMeanChildrenMadeRealityAgeDiesFatherPerfectWonderWifeInvolvedDrinkDiedFaultsVariousMiserableTragicPausesIgnoredAlcoholicsUnreliableEleanorDiseasedPerfect Father Author:Blanche Wiesen Cook
“Well, when Eleanor Roosevelt's mother dies, she goes to live with her Grandmother Hall. And her Grandmother Hall is in mourning. She's in widow's weeds. She's in her 50s, but appears very old. And she's exhausted from raising rather out-of-control children. Her favorite daughter, Anna, has died (Eleanor's mother), and she has living at home two other sons, Vallie and Eddie. And they are incredible sportsmen, incredible drinkers, out-of-control alcoholics.” WellsChildrenTwoHomeMotherDiesSonDaughterDiedIncrediblesMourningGrandmotherHallsWeedExhaustedAlcoholicsWidowsAnnaDrinkersEleanorSportsman Author:Blanche Wiesen Cook
“Eleanor Roosevelt's very helpful to a lot of children who cannot speak French, who do not write well. And Marie Souvestre is fierce. She tears up students' papers that are not, you know, perfect. And Eleanor Roosevelt goes around, again, being incredibly helpful to children in need, children in trouble. And her best friends are the naughtiest girls who are in trouble. And she is a leader. And she is encouraged to be a leader. And everybody falls in love with her. She's a star.” KnowsNeedsWritingWellsChildrenFallGirlSpeakStarsPerfectLeaderTroubleStudentsTearsPaperFalling In LoveHelpfulFiercePapersEleanorMarieSpeaks French Author:Blanche Wiesen Cook
“Well, in Washington, this is a very hard time for Eleanor and Franklin. This is when Lucy Mercer first appears. And Lucy Mercer is Eleanor Roosevelt's own secretary. Very beautiful young woman, not unlike Eleanor Roosevelt: tall, blonde, thick haired. And FDR is having an affair with her, which Eleanor Roosevelt finds out when FDR returns from Europe in 1918 with the famous flu of 1918.” FirstsWellsHardBeautifulYoungReturnEuropeAffairHard TimesTallThickSecretaryYoung WomenFluBlondeFranklinVery BeautifulLucyEleanor Author:Blanche Wiesen Cook
“And in the same way, FDR's not much of a father. Although the children in all their memoirs really talk about what a fun-loving guy Dad was, and how brooding and unhappy Mom was. The children sort of blame it all on the mother. Well, this is kind of standard and typical, and aggrieved Eleanor Roosevelt that she was not a happier mother. She wanted to be a happier mother. And I must say, she was a happier grandmother.” WayWellsKindChildrenWantedMotherGuyFatherFunMomDadStandardsBlameUnhappyMemoirGrandmotherTypicalBroodingEleanorFun Loving Author:Blanche Wiesen Cook
“I mean, in the campaign of '24 and in '28 and '32, you know, Eleanor Roosevelt insists that women have equal floor space. And this is a great victory over time. Then she wants women represented in equal numbers as men. And she wants the women to name the delegates. And the men want to name the delegates. Well, Eleanor is absolutely furious. And because they don't want her to walk away in 1924, she wins. And this is a great political victory. She has floor space equal to the men, and she has the right to name the women.” KnowsMenWantWellsMeanPoliticalWinningNamesSpaceWalksNumbersHe ManVictoryEqualCampaignsFuriousDelegatesEleanorGreat VictoryGreat PoliticalPolitical Victory Author:Blanche Wiesen Cook
“Well, the fact is, we can never know what people do in the privacy of their own rooms. The door is closed. The blinds are drawn. We don't know. I leave it up to the reader. But there's no doubt in my mind that they loved each other, and this was an ardent, loving relationship between two adult women.” PeopleKnowsMindWellsTwoFactsRoomsDoubtDoorsReaderAdultsNo DoubtPrivacyArdentLoving Relationships Author:Blanche Wiesen Cook
