Beautifully written story of arguably the most effective U.S. First Lady and her love affair with reporter Lorena Hickock. The story is told from Lorena's point of view, which I think was an excellent choice; my favorite parts of the book were her backstory, which included a memorable stint with a traveling circus. In this book, the FDR White House was a hotbed of martial infidelity and musical partners, and FDR comes off as quite a cad, both in the bedroom and in the Oval Office. Eleanor Roosevelt was ahead her time, in her political views as well as in her personal life, and this book effectively conveys what an interesting and dynamic person she was. Born into immense wealth and privilege, she could have chosen a very different lifestyle. Her personality would not allow that and that's a wonderful thing. After reading this book, I am interested to learn more about her and the FDR presidency. Recommend.

White Houses is a historical fiction novel told in what appears to be journal entries by Lorena Hickok and her relationship with Eleanor Roosevelt. The author is very open that she did as much research as she could but that this is still a work of fiction. It made me want to know more about Eleanor Roosevelt and their relationship, and the inner workings of the white house before everything was played out on twitter.

The story is of two people in love that could not fully be together. Two women whose love for each other did not diminish although their lives took them close and far through the years.

Thanks so much to NetGalley, Random House, and Amy Bloom for the opportunity to read and review this book. I'm a big fan of Amy Bloom's writing and this book was no exception, so the rating was a bit of a struggle for me - 3.5 stars.

This is the story of the lesbian relationship between Eleanor Roosevelt and Lorena Hickok, a journalist and "first friend." The first part of the book was fascinating to me - Lorena's poor background with an abusive father, her running away and even joining a circus. What was less fascinating to me was the rest of the book - Lorena's story is told in memories as she is looking back on her life and relationships. It was amazing that both Teddy & Eleanor Roosevelt were able to have relationships outside their marriage without it being made public.

White Houses, by Amy Bloom, was an interesting look at the people who lived in the White House. Most books focus on the Presidents, some, who like FDR, had their share of mistresses, but this book invites us into the life of Eleanor Roosevelt, a strong-willed, intelligent woman, who played important roles in FDR’s terms of office, as well as making positive changes for women in America. Her special friend, Hicks, a female newspaper reporter, stood by her side throughout her life.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for letting me read this book.

I'm not sure what I was expecting from this book, but it didn't seem to be what I got. There were some interesting parts, but most of it seemed more like a thrown together romance novel. The narrative jumped from one time-frame to another constantly and most of the book focused on Lorena. Her background was interesting - but familiar.

I have a friend who loves historical fiction and I think she would like this book as will many. It's just not my favorite type of book

Lorena known as "Hick" is a reporter. Not just any reporter but a woman reporter. She is the liaison reporter for the Roosevelt campaign. When Franklin was running for his first term. Hick soon gets to know Eleanor Roosevelt as a future first lady. She takes back what she thought about her at First, as being somewhat arrogant.
They soon develop a friendship, which turns into intimacy. Know as " the first friend", Hick is able to do and experience things she never had before. An interesting historical novel.
4 Stars

The writing by Amy Bloom in “White Houses” is beautiful.....soooo lovely!!!

We learn a lot about Lorena Hickok, American journalist: her troubled childhood in South Dakota of sexual abuse - abandonment- poverty - and starting out on her own from an early age.

Lorena also disclosed her relationship with Eleanor Roosevelt. — All from Lorena Hickok’s perspective. Sure feels real to me... but it’s written as fiction. Amy Bloom did tremendous research - she went through three THOUSAND letters alone - plus diaries - etc.

We get history - read a little about Eleanor’s marriage - her children - the loss of her baby - living in the White House - Franklin’s death and funeral - her daughter Anna - Amelia Earhart....and the women Franklin had affairs with: Lucy Mercer and Missy LeHand.

I found myself looking up all the female - relations - to both Eleanor and Franklin on Google — just to see if there was anything new I might learn. The storytelling got me interested to know more. The sign of a good book.
This thin - very intimate novel was easily imagined....and emotionally felt.
At times I felt so sad - other times happy for the moments of blissful private hours these two women share together.

Amy Bloom eloquently constructed a meditation on the power of love! This is a gorgeous love story — as much as any I’ve ever read!!!

This is a magnificent excerpt:
“Every women’s body is an intimate landscape. The hills, the valleys, the narrow ledges, the riverbanks, the sudden eruptions of soft or crinkling hair. Here are the plains, the fine dry slopes. Here are the woods, here is the smooth path to the only door I wish to walk through. Eleanor‘s body is the landscape of my true home”

Thank You Random House, Netgalley, and Amy Bloom

This will become a number one best seller! Its extremely well written historical fiction about real life in the Franklin Roosevelt White House and beyond. I couldn't put the book down. It's extreordinary!!!!

I read the first third and just could not get into this book. The timeframes were all over the place. I knew that Hick and Eleanor had been great friends, but reading how they "almost broke the bed" and more fairly graphic language wasn't what I had expected or wanted to read.

This is a book about the life of Lorena Hickok - from her awful childhood to her job as a AP-reporter for the Roosevelt-campaign, and the (fictional, however in actual life possibly true) account of the relationship between herself and Eleanor Roosevelt. It is a work of fiction, but I had to remind myself more than once that this was not a memoir written by Hickok herself, but a fictional account written by an author of fiction. The narrative is so alive and true and has that feeling of "I was there, I know how this went", and that might have something to do with not only my slight confusion on the fiction/non-fiction part, but also my love for this book. I usually love a good plot, but there isn't much of that to be found here. Most of this novel is just little snippets of life with Eleanor and Lorena, and sometimes just Lorena all on her own, and it's wonderfully true to life and alive.

I went into this knowing very little about Eleanor Roosevelt - and not a single thing about Lorena Hickok. I left it knowing a lot about both - but unsure how much of it was true. These fictional accounts of real people always leave me with that feeling. How much of this was real? To be completely honest, I don't care if this was all true or not true at all. All I care about is that this is a beautiful story and I'd gladly change my "I don't really re-read books"-policy for White Houses.

Beautifully written factionalized account of the relationship of Eleanor Roosevelt and Lorena Hickock written from the latter''s perspective. Sensitively and realistically told.

Thanks Random House Publishing Group - Random House and nethgalley for this ARC.

i just couldn't finish this book. It was not for me.

I find this hard to review because I've read other books (both fiction and nonfiction) that explored the relationship between Lorena ("Hick") Hickok and Eleanor Roosevelt. This was unique because it's told from Hick's point of view and, moving back and forth in time, looks primarily at her life. Her childhood was a misery. She triumphs, however, through the force of will and intelligence. These are two fascinating women, as is their interplay with Franklin. This isn't an especially emotional novel but there's a good heart to it. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. This is for fans of historical fiction. If you weren't aware of this tiny chapter of history and would like more insight, this is a good one.

A very interesting story about Eleanor Roosevelt and her lover told by her lover. We learn a lot of inside information about FDR and White House mechanisms. While the story and information is fantastic, the telling of it is somewhat dry. I will definitely recommend this to my serious bookclub. It is also good for those who enjoy history and learning aspects that were previously not mentioned.

This was my first book by Amy Bloom. I will definitely be reading more. White Houses is told in an easy, honest emotional first person account. It read as if Lorena Hick was chatting with me as we sat through a long luncheon together, telling me of her relationship with Eleanor and the events in her life that shaped who she became. Historical fiction can be so tricky to keep from being heavy in its detail and depth. Amy Bloom has written a lovely book with enough detail to keep the historical perspective accurate, but not weigh it down. I really enjoyed this one!

White Houses was an extremely disappointing book. I was expecting a fictional account of the relationship between Eleanor Roosevelt and her dear friend Lorena Hickok. Unfortunately, Mrs. Roosevelt ended up being little more than a secondary character while her friend Hick quickly went from narrator to main character.

Instead of experiencing the relationship between these two dynamic women, we learn of Hick’s early years. While I’m sure some readers would enjoy this story, it was not the one I wanted to read. When the author does tell us about the women, most of it is done in the form of remembrances.

The characters were like cardboard cutouts. There was no depth to the them nor to the story, no why to it. The majority of the book was just told to the reader and usually in such a rambling, circuitous manner as to make a story that promised to “move elegantly through fascinating places and times, written in compelling prose with emotional depth” just dull and plodding.

Frankly, reading White Houses was like standing on a shore and seeing a glittering party on an island through the fog and mist. Occasionally, the fog would clear and I would get a brief glimpse of the story I was promised. Unfortunately, this did not happen very often.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This book details the relationship between Eleanor Roosevelt and “first friend” Lenora Hickok. The book is written from Hick’s point of view. It’s not told in a linear fashion, but more as a series of memories.

When Hick focuses on her opinion about others, I loved it. The comments about Lindbergh, Wallis Simpson and even the Roosevelt children are priceless. In these paragraphs, her ability as a newspaperwoman comes shining through. She captured Eleanor’s character to the point you felt you could have been in the room with her. But it had a tendency to get overly mushy at times and that got old pretty fast. Flip side, she paints FDR in a harsh light, especially how he treats Missy LeHand.

Bloom does a good job of distinguishing between the acceptance of FDR’s affairs and the lack of the same for Eleanor and Hick. It definitely wasn’t an attitude of what’s good for the goose…

This is a good book for showing the difference between the public and private personas of the first couple. They were lucky to have at least lived in an age when they were allowed to have a private persona that the press was willing to keep hidden.

It’s a beautifully written book. Hick’s, or should I say Bloom’s, descriptions are spot on. An aging FDR’s face as an “aristocratic Jesus, hanging off the cross”. In fact, Bloom has done such a great job that never once did I think it was anything but Hick’s voice I was hearing.

My thanks to netgalley and Random House for an advance copy of this book.

This fictionalization of the relationship between Eleanor Roosevelt and Lorena Hickok imagines the many quiet, intimate moments they had as well as the disagreements and jealousies that might have occurred between them. The on again/off again relationship grew from a friendship to even more based on the instant attraction between the two women. Their relationship was spurred on by the reoccurring dalliances conducted by President Roosevelt with Missy LeHand and others.

I have read other books that implied the relationship between Eleanor and 'Hick', I was unaware of the difficulties she experienced as a child and the financial struggles that she felt for most of her life.

I think this book was a bit too sentimental for my reading taste but I know it will be loved by many who are drawn to women's fiction. The factual basis gives it credibility and interest for those who see more than just a good story.

I loved the idea of getting a behind-the-scenes look at Eleanor Roosevelt and the affair she had with reporter Lorena Hickok. However, this book fell flat for me. The timelines jumped too much back and forth, so I often got confused at what time period the story was taking place in. There were also many scenes that felt super repetitive. I imagine this narrative could have been a great short story - just a snapshot of this love affair between two impressive women - instead it felt 200 pages too long

This is an interesting historical fiction book. I found it interesting to read about Eleanor Roosevelt, but there was less plot to this book than I was expecting. It also read a lot more like a love letter than I would have preferred, It's interesting to see how sexuality and relationships were different in those times and when one person is under heavy scrutiny.