This was my first time reading a novel by Amy Bloom and I was very impressed with her writing style. I felt like this book gave you a thought-provoking look into Hick's life and love for Eleanor. I didn't expect to feel so much heartache for these star-crossed lovers.

Thank you Netgalley and Random House for the review eARC of this book!
Eleanor Roosevelt has always stood out in my mind as a titan of American History. I liked getting to see her story from another perspective, the viewpoint of "Hick" (Lorena Hickok) Eleanor's "first friend". The writing was lovely, but throughout the whole book I found myself wondering about the veracity of the story, and that kind of took me out of the book. If you don't mind fictionalized accounts of historical figures, this is a really good one!

Brilliant! No one nails "voice" quite like Amy Bloom.

I very, very rarely do not finish books, but this one, I just couldn't do it. And I am so disappointed! I am fascinated by Eleanor Roosevelt and looked forward to reading more about her. But I just couldn't get into the book. I got 40% done and had to stop. I found it to be very choppy and disjointed and awkward. I kept having to reread to figure out what was going on and which time period I was in. I just didn't care for it, unfortunately. I did learn some new information about Eleanor in the 40% I read so that was a plus.

3.5 Stars. Thank you NetGalley for Digital ARC and I also won this book in a Good Reads giveaway. I will Be Share to pass it on for others to enjoy. First, I am not a fan of historical fiction with real people as the characters. But not knowing much about the main Character “Hick” made it easier to enjoy this book. I found her an engrossing character. I think fans of historical fiction will enjoy this book.

I was really looking forward to reading White Houses, a fictional account of the friendship and love affair between Lenora Hickok (Hick) and Eleanor Roosevelt but felt a bit disappointed after finishing the novel. It is difficult to rate this book because some parts of it I was fascinated by- such as Hicks’ account of her childhood- the heartbreaking abuse and her short stint working at the circus. Yet I’m not sure how much of that is true since this is a fictional account. Then there were times when the book seemed to fall flat and lacked depth. I was hoping for much more insight into Eleanor and even Franklin. I am still very intrigued about this relationship and Eleanor and will perhaps look into non-fiction books to learn more.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House for an ARC copy.

Who knew? I mean, I had heard rumors, but to me it was never certain. This book, about the relationship between Lorena Hickok and Eleanor Roosevelt was fascinating. Eleanor was always a character I wondered about, with admiration. What a White House that must have been, with its silent scandals. Franklin, with his harem of women, and Eleanor, with her harem of women. This is a quick read and very very interesting. Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishers, for the perusal of White Houses by Amy Bloom. I could go on, but I don't want to spoil it for others. Read this story, absolutely fascinating.

Eleanor Roosevelt is an intriguing heart of our history. I'm not sure what I think of this book. The author clearly states that it is a work of fiction, but I wonder if it will be read and consumed as fact. The writing, for me, felt rather flat. It didn't grab me and compel me to read it.

I just could not get into this book. I don't know where fact and fiction collide or how many liberites the author took in writing this book. I just did not care for it. I have liked Amy Bloom's previous novels, but not this one. I feel sad for the Roosevelt's, at least the way they were portrayed, and Lorena had a terrible childhood. I do admire what she made of herself in the journalism world, but overall, I just did not enjoy this book.

Thank you Random House and NetGalley for this free copy for review!

Perhaps I am still processing. The set-up is what attracted me - an exploration of the ostensible romantic relationship between Eleanor Roosevelt, and writer/ journalist, Lorena Hickok.

There were parts of this book that I absolutely loved - and wished for hundreds more pages of! - and then parts that left me sort of confused and disappointed.

But let's get into the good first! This, at its core, is most simply a beautiful, lyrically written love story. The poetic beauty in which the narrator (Hickok) experiences and describes her love of Eleanor is so grand in scale yet never once even borders on the hyperbolic. I absolutely cried at the end, and did not see that coming. The chapters are short and palatable, making it easy to read at a quick pace, and the story is told largely in a series of flashbacks and reminiscences which touched the nostalgia bug in just the right way for a love story.

However, the slightly more disappointing part of this - At times, this reads as if there are certain things that you are assumed to know or be familiar with regarding the very specific (and very famous) historical figures. I will say this left me feeling a bit out of the loop at times. However, Bloom is very clear that this is a work of fiction and while she tries to stick to historical facts of chronology and place, the love story itself is really the fictional part of this book. Which is curious, because on the flip side, I also felt like the women characterized in this book were largely incongruous with the characters that I felt I did know and had read about in history books and documentaries. So there was a disconnect for me, and most of the time I found myself attempting to picture a First Lady and journalist who were completely unrelated to Roosevelt and Hickok and completely fictional in my mind. I almost wished that this were the inspiration for the book but had been taken down a completely fictional path of unrecognizable historical figures (and made space for a lot more of the romantic love story).

Ultimately, despite these sort of distracting factors, I did quite enjoy reading this, and very much enjoyed Bloom's style of writing. Reading a book set in the 30s-60s of two older women attempting to navigate a romantic relationship was unique and compelling to me and is definitely worth the read.

Absolutely stunningly written and engrossing, 'White Houses' is an intimate, raw and appealing sketch of Eleanor Roosevelt and 'Hick' - her longtime lover and friend. I found Bloom's writing to be poetic as usual, with her usual dash of dark humour and intelligent insights into sex, politics and relationships. Highly recommended.

This is a fictionalized account of the friendship, and probable lesbian relationship, between Lenora Hickok (“Hick”), a journalist, and Eleanor Roosevelt. The author tells the story through Lenora’s eyes and what I enjoyed the most are the historical details: the Lindburgh kidnapping, the camp the Roosevelts founded for victims of polio, the marriage between Franklin and Eleanor, FDR’s affairs, the Roosevelt children…and more.

I enjoyed Hick’s voice and the details of her abusive childhood gave even more insight into her character. The book is beautifully written but I have a problem with fiction based on real people. I find myself wondering how much of it was the imagination of the author, and more often than not, would have rather read a non-fiction book on the subject. Readers who aren't bothered by the same questions will find much to enjoy in this slim book.

The author had access to many of the letters the two exchanged, but I had a hard time reconciling the historical Eleanor with the one depicted in these pages. Although all agree that theirs was a close friendship, historians are divided on whether the two had a romantic relationship. I’ve since read some excerpts from the letters and admit the case is compelling. But I can’t help feeling it would have been better to let Eleanor and Hick rest in peace.

•thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of the book for review.

This book is about the relationship between the narrator, Lorena Hickok and First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. While the story is fiction, it is based on actual information known about the relationship between the two ladies. Bloom does a fantastic job of painting lives and relationships in a way that feels subtle and true. In fact there are points where she does this so effectively that I almost felt like I was intruding in private, intimate moments. There is a part of the book that delves deeper into Hickok's childhood and what drove her to be the person she is, and I felt like there was too much time in the book devoted to telling this backstory for the book being about the relationship between Lorena and Eleanor. And while I learned more about Eleanor Roosevelt as a result of this book, I can't say that it made me like her more. She comes off as entitled, with a bit of a superiority complex, and while trying to relate to the common person because she wants to, just can't overcome the differences between lifestyles .

Engaging historical fiction with compelling tale of the love story between Eleanor Roosevelt and Lorena Hickok, told against the backdrop of Hickok’s terrible childhood and Roosevelt’s privileged but isolated one. These two women, one a larger than life hero to the Nation, the other cut out of nearly every picture taken at the White House, are a study in contrasts. Their friendship outlasted their love affair, leaving Hickok living in the White House but no longer in a connecting room to Roosevelt’s. The story is told from Hickok’s perspective and is fascinating. My only mild complaint stems from my lack of familiarity with the era; I just didn’t know all of the people and references and that slowed down my enjoyment of the book. I received my copy from the publisher through NetGalley and I am deeply appreciative.

Fantastic, touching look at a very famous woman (Eleanor Roosevelt) who I actually knew very little about. Highly recommend.

Wow! I had no idea Eleanor swung that way. However, unfortunately while eye opening, it wasn't all that for me.

The blurb likened this book to "The Paris Wife" and "The Swans of Fifth Avenue". Well, I read both of those books and loved them. This one? No way near. I was expecting a lot more. This was just random stories and all over the place. So Lorena did Eleanor. I had to read about it dozens and dozens of times and I didn't even finish the book.

I think this would have appealed to me more if it was a short, short story.

Thanks to Random House and Net Galley for providing me with a free e-galley in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

This is a really well written story based on the story of Eleanor Roosevelt and her friend Lorena Hickock. There have been many that have been told from the outside or from Eleanor's perspective but this delves into things from Hickock's perspective. The writing is great, story is fast moving and voyeuristic.

This book is such a treat to read, it doesn't really matter if the events are true or not. They FEEL right. Much of that feeling can be attributed to the beautiful writing.

I don't know how much of this fictional Hick is based on the real-life one, but I do know that it's nearly impossible not to love this woman, as she's portrayed in this book. (At the very least, she would get a seat at most people's table for that game, "What people in history would you invite to dinner party?") The way this woman communicates, her adventuresome spirit, the fierceness of her love for Eleanor--all of it add ups to a memorable character with whom you are more than happy to spend hundreds of pages.

In the end, this is a rather epic love story, with beautiful passages like this one on whether love and sexual attraction fades, "I think that even if you are both old ladies riding side by side on the Second Avenue subway, with one of you going home to three grandchildren and a doddering husband, you can lock eyes, and remember when you weren't. You remember that very pleasurable and surprising thing that was done to you by the wrinkly old bag of bones next to you and you breath in memory the weight and the mortality and the sensible shoes are just costume, falling away, and your real selves rise up, briefly, dancing rosy and naked, in the middle of the subway car."

There are some drawbacks to the book which might bother some (but didn't particularly derail me). First, the structure of the book is unique. Nearly all of it occurs after FDR has died, with the narrative flashing back in time. Sometimes the jumps can be confusing because they're not always in chronological order. Secondly, there is a brief incidence of rape and also violence to animals, which may be triggering to some. For me, it made me love Hick even more. This is one bad ass woman (theoretically...again, this is fiction) who went through a lot to become the super smart woman with the sassy mouth who could hold her own with FDR during a late night chat at the White House.

Thanks to the author and NetGalley for granting me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Bloom leaves no doubt about the nature of the relationship between Eleanor Roosevelt and Lurlene Hickson. Hick was best friend, confidante, advisor, and yes, lover. In this fictionalized account, in Hicks's voice, we learn about their romance, sometimes in quite explicit detail. Their sad childhoods, one rich and one poor, are described as they learn about each other during their budding affair. The glimpse into the Roosevelt administration and West Wing is both gossipy and fascinating. Since there were no source notes, at least in this e-galley, readers can only speculate about just how much of this novel is based on fact, but it is certainly entertaining and thought-provoking.

“Lorena Alice Hickock, you are the surprise of my life. I love you. I love your nerve. I love your laugh. I love your way with a sentence. I love your beautiful eyes and your beautiful skin and I will love you till the day I die.”
I pushed out the words before she could change her mind.
“Anna Eleanor Roosevelt, you amazing, perfect, imperfect woman, you have knocked me sideways. I love you. I love your kindness and your brilliance and your soft heart. I love how you dance and I love your beautiful hands and I will love you till the day I die.”
I took off my sapphire ring and slipped it onto her pinkie. She unpinned the gold watch from her lapel and pinned it on my shirt. She put her arms around my waist. We kissed as if we were in the middle of a cheering crowd, with rice and rose petals raining down on us.”

A sea change has occurred in the way mainstream Americans regard lesbian relationships. This book proves it. We would have laughed at the possibility in the 1980s, that a major publishing house would one day publish this novel depicting a revered First Lady in such a (covert) relationship—while she was in the White House, no less. But Amy Bloom tells it, square and proud, and she lets us know that this is only fiction by an inch or two. Many thanks go to Random House (I will love you till the day I die) and Net Galley for the DRC, which I received free and early in exchange for this honest review. This novel is now for sale.

Nobody can tell a story the way that Bloom does it, and this is her best work yet. The story is told us by Lorena Hickok, a journalist known as “Hick”, an outcast from a starving, dysfunctional family, the type that were legion during America’s Great Depression. The voice is clear, engaging, and so real that it had me at hello, but the story’s greatest success is in embracing the ambiguity at the heart of the First couple, Eleanor and Franklin Delano Roosevelt. So many great things done for the nation; so many entitled, thoughtless acts toward the unwashed minions they knew. A new friend, a favorite visitor brought from cold hard poverty, here and there, to occupy a White House spare bedroom and provide stimulating conversation, a new viewpoint, and to demonstrate the administration’s care for the common folk; then dumped unceremoniously, often without a place to go or money to get there, when they became tiresome or ill or inconvenient. The very wealthy, privileged backgrounds from which the Roosevelts sprung provided them with myopia that comes with living their whole lives in a rarefied environment. It is fascinating to see history unspool as Eleanor visits coal camps and picket lines, visits textile mills where children labor; but then of course, she repairs to the best lodging available before her journey home commences. And Hick is welcome when she is convenient, but she is banished for a time when there’s too much talk.

And yet—oh, how Lorena loved Eleanor, and the reverse was true, but not necessarily in the same measure, with the same fealty, or the same need.

Social class, the dirty secret America has tried to whitewash across the generations, is the monster in the Roosevelt closet. And FDR, perhaps the greatest womanizer to grace the Oval Office, has his PR people tell everyone that he has no manly function what with the paralysis, and that all those pretty girls that come and go are just there to cheer him up. He makes JFK look like a monk in comparison. Yet we cannot hate him entirely, because of the New Deal:

“He was the greatest president of my lifetime and he was a son of a bitch every day…He broke hearts and ambitions across his knee like bits of kindling, and then he dusted off his hands and said, Who’s for cocktails?”

I have a dozen more meaty quotes I’d like to use here, but it’s much better if you get this book, by hook or by crook, and find all of them for yourself. It’s impressive work by any standard, and I defy you to put it down once you’ve begun.

Highly recommended.