Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1136287 in Books
• Published on: 1981-05
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 284 pages

Customer Reviews

My-oh-my those Roosevelts
A FAMILY IN TURMOIL is a first-person memoir of the Franklin Roosevelt White House written by former White House maid Lillian Rogers Parks, who also wrote BACKSTAIRS AT THE WHITE HOUSE. Although Parks' admiration of the Roosevelt clan is apparent, she minces no words as she recalls servants' hall gossip about the exploits of the Roosevelt family during their lengthy tenure as the First Family of the United States. The emotional distance between FDR and Eleanor, the "special" friends of both (Lucy Mercer Rutherfurd, Missy LeHand, Lorena Hickok), and the escapades and multiple marriages of the Roosevelt offspring are recalled and aired in this breezy account. I'm not sure that I'd base a term paper on the accuracy and historical tenacity of this book, but, as far as "kiss and tell" biographies go, this is a good one.

The Roosevelt Soap Opera in the White House...
Lillian Rogers Parks made a name for herself with the best-selling book, My Thirty Years Backstairs at the White House, which was then made into the popularly-acclaimed television miniseries, Backstairs at the White House. She followed this with another fascinating book, The Roosevelts: A Family in Turmoil. Both books were co-written by Frances Spatz Leighton. I enjoy any book written about the Roosevelt family, and Rogers Parks provides us with many stories never before published.

Rogers Parks got her White House job through her mother, Maggie Rogers, who eventually became head maid. Rogers Parks calls the White House servants "the silent family." The members of this silent family "never speak in public, but behind the scenes they speak plenty and have their own strong opinions." It was only after both Franklin and Eleanor were dead and their children starting writing their own tell-all books (that weren't very sympathetic or accurate at times) that the author decided that she "must tell the rest of the story of the Roosevelts before it is too late to paint my picture of history, correcting some portions of the canvas and adding some brushes of color."

Of course, the main characters in this drama are Eleanor and Franklin. These two strong-willed individuals each brought their own camps to the White House. Rogers Parks is candid in describing the relationships between these two and Missy LeHand, Lucy Mercer Rutherfurd, Lorena Hickok, Marion Dickerman, Louis Howe, Earl Miller, Joe Lash, and Harry Hopkins (among others). She also details their five dysfunctional children, their money problems, their marriages, their children and their many divorces.
Although Eleanor and Franklin gave up on the physical/romantic side of their marriage years before, they had a committed and working relationship. The staff called Eleanor the real vice president. What went on in the White House was a veritable soap opera. But The Roosevelts is also filled with fun facts, interesting tidbits and anecdotes. Franklin was considered a "fanny pincher" and even pinched some fannies at his son's (FDR, Jr.) wedding. Franklin loathed head housekeeper, Henrietta Nesbitt. She refused his menu suggestions and always saw that the food was horribly prepared. When Eleanor wasn't around, he would have food brought in from local hotels. Eleanor would purchase purses all year long, and then give them to the maids as gifts (with some money inside).

This book is not just about the Roosevelts, but also the White House staff. During their administration, rules for employees were different and the grueling schedule broke more than a few of them. It was also interesting to see what they had to do for various guests (like King George VI and Queen Elizabeth of England and Madame Chaing Kai-Shek).

We are fortunate that Lillian Rogers Parks decided to share her story, and history is richer for her efforts. This is also a great companion book to My Thirty Years Backstairs at the White House.

Roosevelt History
I enjoyed Lillian's book My Thirty Years at the White House so much that when I found out that she had published this book on the Roosevelts, I had to check it out. This was another book that I spent a weekend reading. There is alot of mystique concerning the whole Roosevelt clan that the public has never gotten out of its system. Lillian wrote this book with the highest regard for this family's feelings all the while speaking the truth (as she saw it) of incidents only whispered about for many years. As a White House servant, both Lillian, her much loved and revered mother Maggie and all the other servants that attend the First Family, they see the daily lives of these people. They see first hand the sorrow that the First Family endures from the hand of the press and other publicity seekers. Every death, every illness anything connected to the First Family, these loyal retainers suffered thru as if they were a member of the family. It is refreshing to read a book that didn't have a political agenda behind it nor a smear campaign against their characters. I loved this book. If you are a fan of history and White House history no matter who is at the helm, you won't be disappointed in this book. I say well done and a fabulous read.