Module 5 Book Reviews: Biography

Eleanor Roosevelt - A Life of Discovery
By Russell Freedman
1994 Newbery Honor Book
Horn Book Fanfare Award

1. Bibliography
Freedman, Russell. 1993. ELEANOR ROOSEVELT - A LIFE OF DISCOVERY. New York, NY: Clarion Books. ISBN 0899198627.

2. Summary
This biography follows Eleanor Roosevelt from birth to death, from a confused and privileged upbringing to a life of influence and activism on a worldly scale. The author magnifies Eleanor’s life with a host of clear, telling photographs, and includes a section on her home, Val-Kill, as well as a section describing other books about and by Mrs. Roosevelt, a section for acknowledgements and picture credits, and an index.

3. Critical Analysis
Freedman has crafted a complete, authentic biography of pioneering activist Eleanor Roosevelt. The book introduces Roosevelt with a synopsis of her life, then focuses in on her high society New York childhood, coming of age in a European girls’ school, her years raising a family, and her gradual entrance into the political and public arena. From there, Freedman chronicles the growth of Roosevelt into one of the most influential women of her time. Within the first page of the book Freedman characterizes Roosevelt as human, quickly establishing the connection between history and reader. The very first sentence of the book is, “Eleanor Roosevelt never wanted to be a president’s wife.” He reinforces this very human side of Roosevelt with a direct quote on the same page, “’From the personal standpoint, I did not want my husband to be president,’ she later confessed. ‘It was pure selfishness on my part, and I never mentioned my feelings on the subject to him.’” Freedman never wavers in his ability to display the realistic and vulnerable side of Eleanor. This makes the story of her life meaningful, believable, and applicable to the readers’ own lives.
In the description of Eleanor’s early years, Freedman includes this quote, “’I was not only timid,’ Eleanor recalled, ‘I was afraid. Afraid of almost everything, I think: mice, of the dark, of imaginary danger…’” After establishing an attachment to Eleanor, the reader is able to experience the trials of her young adult life and her consequential personal growth with compassion and a sort of vested interest. After three years away for school in Europe, Freedman continues with, “She had come to school feeling ‘lost and very lonely’ – a shy, awkward girl starved for love and approval. She left in triumph, having earned the affection and esteem of her classmates, her teachers, and her headmistress. Throughout the rest of the book, words like “miserable, anxious, stimulating, toughened, inspirational and whole-heartedly,” sustain the life of the story beyond the facts, leaving the reader with the feeling of involvement in and appreciation for Eleanor’s life.

4. Review Excerpts
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY: "Freedman writes both authoritatively and compellingly, and the Eleanor that emerges is a complex, flesh-and-blood individual, not a dull heroine of textbook history. He also deals plainly with some of the more sordid aspects of the Roosevelts' married life (namely FDR's infidelity), but he never sensationalizes, and his honesty and candor signal his respect for his subject and for his readers."
CHILDREN’S LITERATURE: "Russell Freedman’s photobiography of Eleanor Roosevelt is a paean to this remarkable First Lady's achievements."

5. Connections
For other pioneering female activists read the following autobiography and biography:
Raicho, Hiratsuka. Translated by Teruko Craig. IN THE BEGINNING, WOMAN WAS THE SUN. ISBN 0231138121.
Soto, Gary. JESSIE DE LA CRUZ: A PROFILE OF A UNITED FARM WORKER. ISBN 0892552859.