Product Description

Until her death when he was 20, David B. Roosevelt enjoyed a close relationship with his GrandmËre, Eleanor Roosevelt. Although she was admired by millions around the world, few people knew her as her loved ones did. Now David shares personal family stories and photographs that show Eleanor as she really was: passionate, vulnerable, courageous, and determined to live her private and personal life according to the humanitarian ideals she cherished. From her unhappy, sheltered childhood to the powerful partnership forged by her marriage to President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, to her remarkable achievements as a champion of human rights, this blend of fond remembrance and impeccable research offers a rare, intimate glimpse into the life of a fascinating woman whose legacy continues today.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #811130 in Books
• Published on: 2002-10
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 256 pages

From Publishers Weekly
"Grandmere stood at the center of my childhood, and many of my fondest memories return to that idyllic time, a time that was private and intimate and in which she was simply my grandmother." Roosevelt shares these warm recollections of his grandmother Eleanor in a fond biography of a strong and resilient woman and a sweet grandmother. He remembers the bustle and excitement around Eleanor when he spent holidays at her beloved home, Val-Kill, in New York's Hudson Valley. While he renders the generally well-known facts of Eleanor's life, it is the personal touches, drawing on his own memories and those of other family members, that distinguish this account, for instance, her confiding in the author's Aunt Anna that "like all women of [the late Victorian] era, she was taught that sex was an ordeal to be borne" and that sex had been for Eleanor "an extremely difficult part of married life." There is, however, not as much of this personal insight as one would hope for. The book's strength may be in the pictures from family collections. Overall, this is a touching, human-size account of a woman who seemed larger than life. (Oct.)
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author
David B. Roosevelt lives in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Customer Reviews

Nothing New!
This rather short coffee-table book is most notable for its collection of photos of Eleanor Roosevelt and her family. The photos are extensive, and a few have not been seen before by non-historians like myself. Otherwise, there was almost nothing new to be learned about this very remarkable and intelligent woman, much to my disappointment! Most amazing was that her grandson actually admitted that he was ignorant of her role on the public stage until her death when he was 20 years old!

insightful and interesting
Grandmere is a lovely inside look into the life of Eleanor Roosevelt from the point of view of her grandson David. He covers events in his grandmothers life with honesty and facts while still showing tenderness and fondness. The many family photos were especially interesting. The book also quotes Eleanor and Franklin's own children on different subjects concerning their parents that only immediate family would know. A pleasant read for sure.

I LOVE THIS BOOK I LEARNT A LOT MORE ON ELEANOR ROOSEVELT
I love everything and every pictures too. Thank you.