I have just finished reading Franklin and Eleanor: An Extraordinary Marriage by Hazel Rowley. This is quite an extraordinary book! If you thought you knew everything there is to know about the Roosevelts, you should read this book.

Rowley goes in depth into their relationship that lasted 4 decades, until Franklin’s death. She brings to life all the people that made up their community of acquaintances, companions, family, friends, lovers?, dedicated staff members, etc. The Roosevelts were never alone and thrived on community. Here it is all brought to life through letters, anectdotes, articles from the time, and more, from the turn of the century through WWII.

The research and insight is extensive, and we are given a picture of 2 of the most fascinating people of the 20th century and the legacy that they left us. Neither could have been what they were without the other. For all their faults, they stayed together until the end, and even though it was a truly unconventional marriage-especially at the time, there was a deep love between them that never got lost.

Sadly to say, Rowley died shortly after this book was published. This is a great loss, and all the more reason to read her final work.