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.

Very well written fictionalized version of the love affair between Lorena Hickock andEleanor Roosevelt.
Interesting insight into the Roosevelts. Iienjoyed the humanness of the women.


B

I'm really intrigued by this relationship between Eleanor Roosevelt and 'Hick', a lesbian journalist who moved into the White House during FDR's presidency - but this book didn't work for me at all.

Firstly, the prose just doesn't flow: there are whole paragraphs where every sentence begins either 'I' or 'I've' which makes the reading stilted and dull. On top of this, the whole story feels shallow and superficial: there's no sense of history, the White House could be any suburban home, and there's little attention to the politics and causes which consumed Eleanor Roosevelt in real life.

Even the lesbian affair is normalised and made boring: 'We came back from our northern holiday more in love than when we'd left. People could see it a mile away' - is that really how a sexual relationship between two women, one of them married to the President, would have been regarded in the 1930s? Characterisation, too, is paper-thin, and there's no chemistry or heat between our lovers.

There's a great story clamouring to get out but sadly this novel doesn't do it justice.

Amy Bloom’s White Houses reveals the love between a reporter, Lorena Hickok, and Eleanor Roosevelt. With this relationship comes not just an enduring love but a position for “Hick” in the Roosevelt government and a place to live in the White House. Although well written and an interesting story of a secret and lasting love, I found the book muddled as it jumped around in time and place and it even became a bit repetitive.

I really enjoyed Amy Bloom’s writing in this tale of Lorena Hickok and her romance with Eleanor Roosevelt. The book spans a good amount of time, jumping in a non-linear fashion between when Hickok was an item with Eleanor, Hickok’s early years, when the two split were not together after FDR’s death and after Eleanor’s death. I, for one, was not aware that both FDR and Eleanor were not in a typical marriage so I learned a little bit while enjoying Bloom’s writing. Sometimes I found the jumping around a bit hard to follow but overall a good book.

This was an amazingly good book that I enjoyed immensely. I have found a fascination with our presidents and our first ladies that I enjoy reading all types books about them. It's fascinating to get a peek into their lives and this book was very well written and the characters were very believable. Definitely pick it up. Pre order it became you will be as dazzled by this book as I was. Happy reading!

Historical fiction has the ability to allow one to imagine the underpinnings of a relationship while focusing on real historical events or characters. Amy Bloom has concentrated on Roosevelt's relationship with Lorena Hickok which historians still disagree as to the erotic nature of their relationship. When Doris Fabor was allowed to look ,however, at the letters between these women she felt that is was undeniable as to their deep rooted physical love for one another. The story is told from Hickok's point of view, beginning with her sharing her early childhood abusive days with her family, and leaving home at the age of 14. How much of her circus days was real or fictionalized I cannot say as I found no evidence researching this area. However, her "imagined" recount of this time was vivid and engaging, but I became less interested as the book wore on feeling it more fluffy and needing more substance than their whispers to one another.More of a character study than a plot driven novel although Bloom does take us through Roosevelt's passion about social injustice, civil rights and devotion to encouraging Americans to stand up for its ideals of humanity and tolerance but does not go into any depth in this matter. Hickok's acclaimed career as a newspaper reporter, her job as the chief investigator of FERA(Federal Emergency Relief Administration) and her devotion to Eleanor were explored but I never really engaged or grew to care about the characters. However, I left wanting to read more and have since purchased further biographies. This fictionalized account is a good headway to read about their historical lives for those we feel the need to explore further.

This book did not work for me.. I was aware of the probable relationship between Lorena Hickok and the first lady, but to have a fictional story written and told as fact, did not set well with me . Any intimate relationship has boundaries, memories, and special moments, that don't need to be aired to the public, especially since this is based upon fact, but still, a fictional story from the authors imagination.. I feel this book went past those boundaries. I will always have the utmost respect for the first lady, Eleanor Roosevelt and feel she had a positive impact for our country, treated everyone with respect and as so eloquently mentioned in the book, she listened to everyone's story and did not judge. I felt this book did not do her justice. Just my opinion.

An interesting and insightful take on a side a closeted side of Eleanor Roosevelt. Although well researched, and full of beautiful descriptions, White Houses lags at times, and fails to hook the reader.

This is a work historical fiction that focuses on the life of Lorena HIckock and the love of her life, Eleanor Roosevelt. Bloom takes on the task of bringing life to the letters written between the two women, and creating a narrative that illustrates the life that became theirs.

Lorena Hickok, or "Hick" as we begin to know her, has a huge and inspiring story all her own. She was an acclaimed journalist, and her friendship with Eleanor Roosevelt lead to important work with FDR's New Deal to help the poverty stricken during the Great Depression. The book shines as the stories from Hick's past are told. The book moves back and forth through time, and is told through Hick's point of view.

The book loses me a bit with the erratic timeline. There were points that didn't feel as though they were working to move the story forward or to give vital information and I would get bogged down looking for connections. I enjoyed that White Houses introduced me to a woman who had an active role in US history, even though many history books neglect to mention her.

I love Historical Fiction so I was very excited to receive this incorrected proof from NetGalley to reviews.
I read a lot of Historical Fiction novels and I always find myself wondering how much of this is true or how close to the truth is this story. Do I believe Eleanor Roosevelt was probably a lesbian - sure. However, this story seemed too far-fetched for me. Their relationship seemed too out in the open given Eleanor Roosevelt's position and the time period in which they lived. I also did not care for the writer's blunt portrayal of their relationship (I don't want to quote anything because it isn't a finished copy) but her descriptions of their relationship simply do not match up with my perception of Eleanor Roosevelt as a poised, elegant, and regal woman.
I know I'm in the minority because there are a lot of good reviews for White Houses. This just wasn't for me.

Absolutely LOVED this book. Amy Bloom does a wonderful job of presenting the beautiful friendship and love shared between Eleanor Roosevelt and Lorena Alice Hickok. Eleanor Roosevelt was certainly a woman before her time. This relationship stood the test of time. An untold story, fictionalized, which is endearing.
Thanks to Netgalley for an advanced copy for an honest review.

Although I love historical fiction, especially about strong women, I have never had any interest in Eleanor Roosevelt or that period, I usually avoid it. I even had looked at this novel and avoided it but the description was so captivating, I thought I would try it. What a truly page turning tale that I couldn’t put down. This is the story of the relationship of Eleanor Roosevelt and newspaper reporter, Lorena Hickok. They have a special friendship that goes back eleven years and this highlights the highs and lows.

This story is told in the first person by Lorena Hickok. The timeframe is a weekend in April 1945 shortly after the death of Franklin Roosevelt. It is Lorena’s story, how her life was intertwined with Eleanor’s and her inside look at the Roosevelts’ during Franklin’s presidency. By using this style, it makes you feel part of the telling, as if you are sitting in a room with Lorena as she relates the events of her life. You become emotionally involved and want the story to continue. It works very effectively with this account.

Amy Bloom’s story has had a threefold effect on me. I will definitely be reading more about Eleanor Roosevelt, she appears to be a many faceted woman. I also want to learn more about Lorena Hickok. She was a woman working in a man’s world during a time when most women stayed at home and took care of the family. Last, I have added Amy Bloom as one of the authors of whom I will certainly be reading more novels. This was riveting and I couldn’t put it down.

This is the first book I've read by Amy Bloom but I will certainly be looking out for her other books after reading this. It was a beautifully written and very romantic. It's not often LGBT fiction is quite so lovely. Check it out.

I wanted to love this book. I really did. While I enjoyed it, though, I didn't love it. There's a lot of interesting history and a lot of ambiguity around Eleanor Roosevelt's relationship with Lorena Hickok. Bloom did some cool things with creating Lorena's voice in this, but ultimately it was a little dry, especially when it came to the relationship between Lorena and Eleanor. I wanted this book to breathe life into the history we already know, but this book did not reflect love between two intelligent and passionate women in a way I could connect with as a reader.

I had a lot of trouble deciding how to rate this book, because my feelings were all over the map. There were parts that were 5 stars for me, and parts that didn't work as well. There were times the writing felt a bit too distant, and times when it was intensely raw and intimate. But overall, this was a really worthwhile reading experience.

There is not really a plot to this book. It is more a series of vignettes of Hick and Eleanor's relationship over the years. Things jump back and forth in time, not really in any particular order, and I didn't completely understand the timeline of their on-again, off-again relationship. As a reader who is usually very plot focused, this is something I can have difficulty with, but I can occasionally enjoy a non-plotcentric story if the characters and the writing click for me, and in this case they mostly did. The writing style, at least in the most intimate moments between Hick and Eleanor, often reminded me of Our Souls At Night, so if you liked that you might dig this one too.

I really enjoyed being inside the head of this fictional version of Hick, and seeing the relationship through her eyes. There was so much beauty in how she told the story of their relationship, and a whole spectrum of emotions. What really connected me to the story, though, was the aching, often unfulfilled longing that permeated the narrative. I'm a sucker for that, so it really really worked for me. Definitely recommend if you think you can handle the lack of plot and meandering timeline.

This affecting love story delivers a wealth of historical material, figures and mood in a sly and subtle fashion. Whether you like historical fiction or not, it’s hard to resist the human dramas at work here, and the bittersweet lessons on life and love. Above all it depicts passion between aging, not especially pretty but toweringly impressive women. Bravo

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing House for providing me with an ARC of White Houses by Amy Bloom in exchange for my unbiased review.

I’m often skeptical when reading fictionalized accounts of real people because it’s hard to distinguish what is true and what the author imagined. Amy Bloom certainly brought an authentic voice to Lorena Hickok the “First Friend” and believed lover of First Lady,Eleanor Roosevelt. The story is told through the eyes of “Hick” an impoverished news woman, who fought her way up from rural South Dakota to become a White House aide for Eleanor and Franklin Roosevelt. Beginning in 1932, until Eleanor’s death in 1962 White Houses captures the key events and players who were shaping history during those years.

It’s a fascinating read, especially given the times and I appreciated the difficulty and sense of urgency both Mrs. Roosevelt and her friend/lover must have felt. Author Amy Bloom does a wonderful job conveying the obstacles facing such a public figure, during a time when sexual orientation was not something people discussed or accepted.

The writing is elegant and lovely, but Hicks stream of conciseness is sometimes muddled and felt disjointed. At times the story seemed flat and repetitive. This was a slim, one sitting read which I enjoyed but there wasn’t anything special that I will recall weeks from now.

Whites Houses is. a novel based on history and chronology and the First Lady, Eleanor Roosevelt. Amy Bloom has graciously combined history, during Franklin Roosevelt's in office and a secret love affair between Elenor and Lorena Hickok, a reporter during Roosevelt's campaign and time in the White House. It. Is entertaining and at times poignant.

This was a relatively short book with quite a lot of meat. The format is pretty interesting. Lorena Hickok ("Hick") was Eleanor Roosevelt's longtime companion and possibly lover. A majority of the novel's frame is a day in April 1945 shortly after FDR's death when Eleanor and Hick have met up in a shared apartment. In a first person account, Hick muses about her relationship with Eleanor, remembering different periods of their relationship as well as the formative events of her childhood and young adulthood. It is far from linear, as the flashbacks aren't told in chronological order, so putting together Hick's life and person is rather like assembling a puzzle, and in the end I'm not sure the picture is entirely clear. However, I don't think anyone can ever fully know another person, as candid as they may be. A little knowledge of Eleanor Roosevelt and/or the time of the Roosevelt administration may enhance the reading experience, but it's certainly not necessary. This was a nice slice-of-life biographical novel, and I certainly wouldn't have minded if it was longer, but I thought it was sufficiently fleshed out for greater length to be unnecessary. I would recommend it to readers of historical fiction, particularly those who like strong female characters. I'll definitely mention it to my lesbian friends at the very least!