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Hissing Cousins

the Untold Story of Eleanor Roosevelt and Alice Roosevelt Longworth
Jun 06, 2017TheresaAJ rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
Eleanor and Alice Roosevelt were first cousins born eight months apart in 1884. In today's parlance, both these girls had Daddy issues. Eleanor's father, Elliott, all but abandoned his family because of alcoholism. Alice's father, Theodore, never recovered from his wife's dying during childbirth and spent much of his time seeking grand adventures and running for public office. Both girls were raised by their grandmothers. The oil-and-water personality/relationship between the girls resulted in "do-gooder" Eleanor and "bad girl" Alice. Both girls were viewed as bad mothers but became doting and beloved grandmothers. Both married philandering husbands and influenced Washington politics for decades. Using primary sources and family interviews, the authors reveal the true stories behind "two political trailblazers , who short-circuited the rules of gender and power, each in her own way.