Thank you so much to NetGalley and Mary Calvi for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for If a Poem Could Live and Breathe coming out February 14, 2023. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This book follows the love story between young Theodore Roosevelt and Boston beauty Alice Lee. It contains many real letters between them, many never before published. Many historians believe Roosevelt’s early years to be the most pivotal in making him the future president. Those years turned him into a man of action and cemented his legacy.

At Cambridge in 1878, it’s the era of the Gilded Age. Women are making strides in society. Alice Lee is determined to break away from the norms of her mother’s generation. A native of New York, Harvard student Teddy Roosevelt, is on his own journey. But when Teddy meets Alice, his life is forever changed for the better.

If a Poem Could Live and Breathe is a delicate portrait of first love, the heartbreak of loss, and how overcoming the worst of life’s trials can guide one to achieve more than one could ever imagine.

This is the second book I’ve read by Mary Calvi. Historical fiction is one of my favorite genres. I love that she uses historical letters in her novels. It just brings a greater sense of truth and honesty to the writing to know these are real accounts of these people. I’ve learned a lot about Teddy Roosevelt during his presidency, but not a lot about his early life. I know he had a daughter named Alice who was unconventional for the time. So I was definitely interested in this book. I loved it! It’s perfect for Valentine’s Day, but the ending was definitely tragic. Sometimes it’s hard to think of early presidents as real people with real feelings and relationships. Teddy Roosevelt just seems like such a legend. But this story made him seem more relatable, more of a real person who experienced his first love.

I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys historical romances based on real people!

Theodore Roosevelt never did any thing half measure. When he first met Alice Lee he was a goner. He worked ardently to win her love.
I’ve always found their love story compelling and tragic so when I got approved for this book I was overjoyed.
Calvi effortlessly captures the lyrical love between the two. I was not aware any letters still existed, having believed TR destroyed all of them. However, the author cites many of them in the book which exude more passion and love than the gushiest greeting card.
On Feb.14th, 1884, TR became a widower and an orphan. I don’t think he ever recovered from Alice’s death. I think he buried his heart with her, despite his second marriage and family.
Alice was very spirited which she imbued in her adventurous daughter.
Highs and lows, utter joy and desolate sorrow.

A historical fiction book that takes a look at Theodore Roosevelt and his first love Alice. Calvi looked at old love letters and poems they wrote for this book. Through the letters you can see the love they had for each other.

Theodore Roosevelt is a young man at Harvard when he meets the love of his life. Alice is a young woman who loves to read and learn. She dreams of attending a college but it is 1878 and women aren't allowed. Roosevelt loves Alice's mind.

I always enjoy reading a historical fiction book that I learn things from. It was in the late 1870's when women were finally allowed to attend Harvard. While most books on Roosevelt deal with his later life, this takes a look at his childhood and young adult life. Through the book you see his love of nature. I learned why he had this love, and am thankful that has President he gave us our national parks.

Publishes February 14, 2023.

Thanks to Netgalley and St Martin's Press for the Kindle Version of the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

🙃 Happy Reading 📚🙃

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#stmartinspress

This book had a very promising premise, as I didn't know much about Teddy Roosevelt or his first wife Alice before starting it. I appreciated the meticulous research that went into it, but it just fell flat for me. It seemed really repetitive and was overall kind of boring. I finished it but with just a meh feeling about the whole experience.
I probably would not recommend this to others.
Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for the ARC!

This was not my cup of tea. Not much happened, writing was a bit pretentious. I wanted to like the characters and their love story but it fell flat.

(huge thank you to the author, NetGalley, and St. Martin’s Press for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for a review!)
woof. I requested this ARC a few months back because the title intrigued me — I admittedly don’t know much about Theodore Roosevelt, but something about his first love and the fact that Mary Calvi pieced a beautiful story together from previously unpublished letters between Theodore and Alice…so breathtaking.

it takes place during Roosevelt’s college days, as a young man at Harvard in Cambridge, MA (we also LOVE settings close to where we live!). he accompanies his friend Richard to his home to meet his sister Rose and their cousin, Alice, and it is quite literally love at first sight. Miss Alice Hathaway Lee is so ahead of her time - wearing trousers under her dress and applying to be a student at the “Harvard Annex” for women, as inspired and managed by Elizabeth Agassiz.

I’ve lived in Boston for about half a year now, and now learning of these women who fought for their right to higher education so close to where I live makes me simultaneously ecstatic and upset that this is the first I’m learning about it!

Alice and her “Thee” have a beautiful, albeit heartbreaking love story that is definitely worth a read. And it comes out on Valentine’s Day - which is significant for SO many reasons. cannot recommend enough if you’re a historical fiction fan or if you’re dipping your toes in for the first time! <3

I love historical fiction, especially when based on true people, events, and places. Mary Calvi has taken history and woven a wonderful story of first love and painful loss. She explores how these events contribute to who we become. It was apparent that Calvin prepared for this novel with a great deal of historical research. Thanks #NetGalley #StMartinsPress

Interesting historical fiction, the highlight of which are the actual love letters written between Theodore Roosevelt and his first wife- and first love- Alice who died after childbirth. Keep in mind that these two met when they were quite young and that the mores of the time are quite different from today. That said the emotion comes through. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A look at a woman who made lasting impact with brief life.

From my blog: Always With a Book

I’ve always been a little bit fascinated with the Roosevelts and so when I saw that Mary Calvi, who I absolutely love watching on the CBS News This Morning show, had a new book coming out about Teddy Roosevelt’s first love, I knew I had to read it…and I do not even know if I can put into words how much I loved this book!

Most of what I know about Theodore Roosevelt is from his later years in life, when he was president, so this book was such a wonderful insight into his earlier years, and also explains a little bit about why he was the way he was later on in life. It was so evident that he was a smitten man once he met Miss Alice Lee and I loved watching their relationship evolve over the pages. She, herself, was a woman far beyond the times and I loved that she wasn’t afraid to stand up for what she wanted, even if it meant causing a rift between her and her mother.

By including some of the actual love letters between Teddy and Alice, we are really able to see not only the love the two had for each other, but also what was going on in the world around them. The author is able to create her story around these letters and she does such a fantastic job of this. Her sense of place is so strong, using the same language that Teddy and Alice use, really making it very easy to put yourself right there with them.

This book was such a beautiful tribute to a love that unfortunately was cut down way too soon. It had me feeling a wide range of emotions throughout the book, leaving me in tears at the end, which I was not expecting. It is a meticulously researched, strong character-driven story that I will be recommending to everyone!

Middle star rating because I didn't get through this yet. I found the first couple of chapters difficult to immerse myself in; the characters don't really hook the reader strongly. I think I need to pause and tackle this one again at a different time, when I'm in a more leisurely reading mood to invest ample time in the story to see whether or not it would pick up the pace deeper in.

If A Poem Could Live and Breathe by Mary Calvi. The story was beautiful I never heard that Teddy Roosevelt was such a romantic. But the letters he wrote Alice were wonderful. I loved when they went on the nature trail to see the birds. How sad to loose your mother and your wife on the same day Valentines Day.

Thee met Alice and it was love at first sight for them both. Alice wanted an education but her mother wanted her to be a debutante and attend finishing school. Thee and Alice wrote loving letters to each other.

David McCullough's title "Mornings on Horseback" drew me in to a deep interest in Theodore Roosevelt. I was happy to read this fictionalized account of Teddy's First Love. I loved the letters and poem correspondence and assume that these were taken from the true source. While I would have thoroughly enjoyed more information concerning the historical element to the story, and less of the romance, I still found this to be a worthy read. Respectfully clean also!
Additionally, the release date of February 14 is truly bittersweet.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read this title.

If a Poem Could Live and Breathe: A Novel of Teddy Roosevelt’s First Love, is being released on Valentine’s Day, the same day that President Theodore Roosevelt declared “The light has gone out of my life” in 1883, when both his mother and his wife died within hours of each other. His mother had TB, and reports vary, but it’s believed that his wife Alice died of Bright’s Disease, or undiagnosed kidney failure. It was undiagnosed because she was also pregnant, and doctors at the time attributed her swelling feet and hands and discomfort to the side effects of pregnancy. Safely delivering a healthy baby girl, Alice then slipped away, but not before Theodore could make it home from Albany, where he was serving in the state legislature. He at least had a chance to say goodbye to his loved ones.

Theodore Roosevelt never talked about his first wife, allegedly not even to the daughter she bore and had her name. I always thought that any trace of Alice Hathaway Lee’s life with Theodore was destroyed by him, but surprisingly, some of their love letters survived, which is the basis for this story. The love story he never talked about.

I think the author was trying to emulate the literature of the day with her writing style as it’s very flowery and goes into great detail about what one wore and vivid descriptions of the settings. That made the beginning of the book seem awfully slow, with very little happening. The book is told from three perspectives: Alice in 1878, Theodore in 1878, and a jump forward to 1885, when Roosevelt was losing himself in ranching in the Badlands, reflecting back on his life with Alice Lee. I’m not sure I would have put the 1885 sections mixed in with the other chapters as the editors did; to me it makes sense to have that as an epilogue. But maybe they did that as a way of foreshadowing for those who aren’t familiar with Theodore Roosevelt’s life.

Roosevelt’s reputation is as a steam locomotive, just as the family motto: You go over, under, or through something, never around. This was true on family hikes, and it was how Theodore lived his whole life. A sickly child with terrible asthma in a day when there were few treatments, Roosevelt built up his body and his mind to offset his weaknesses and became a believer in the strenuous life. He was a naturalist, yet he was also a hunter. He was passionate and gentle to the women in his life, yet he loved wrestling and boxing. He was a mass of contradictions.

Alice Lee and Theodore’s romance is the ultimate slow-burn in this book. Literally chapters go on without any forward progress. However, once they actually go out on a date, things pick up considerably. Included in this book are excerpts from the actual letters exchanged between Theodore and Alice, which were great to read since most other biographies and documentaries rarely touched on them. The language is sweet and VERY flowery. And Theodore’s nicknames for Alice, like Princess, or Queenie, might make one giggle today, but they are a product of their time and very appropriate. The letters show that beside all that bluster that Roosevelt was known for, he was a terrible romantic, too.

I do have to say that even though the path was laid out during the courtship, I was a little taken aback by the wedding night scene. After all, I read a LOT about the presidents, both non-fiction and fiction, yet I got a little uncomfortable imagining my favorite president as a younger man in the throes of passion. However, for the regular reader, this shouldn’t be a problem, as the love scene is brief.

I enjoyed this book for the most part, except for the slow beginning. Even if you’re not a huge fan of Theodore Roosevelt like I am to enjoy this book. It’s a sweet, chaste romance set in the Gilded Age. The fact that it’s about real people is secondary. Highly recommend!

I received an ARC from NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

If a Poem Could Live and Breathe, by Mary Calvi, is a well-researched historical fiction novel that delves into the love story between Theodore Roosevelt and Alice Hathaway Roosevelt. On February 14, he suffered not only the heartbreaking loss of his mother but also that of his beloved wife, Alice. A tearjerker, for sure!
Thank you to Mary Calvi, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for an ARC ebook, in exchange for my honest review.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
I don’t know a ton about Theodore Roosevelt prior to picking up If a Poem Could Live and Breathe, beyond the “Bull Moose,” man’s man and 20th century Progressive politician personas he cultivated later in life, so the prospect of a book delving into his earlier life and first romance and marriage with Alice Lee seemed promising (especially as I had gleaned some inklings about how the tragedy of that relationship impacted his relationship with his tempestuous only daughter from that union, also called Alice). And Mary Calvi did a great job fleshing out what that young man may have looked like and following the trajectory of his relationship with Alice Lee.
Given that correspondence between Teddy and Alice survives, I love how that aspect is woven into the narrative, with some portions of the book allowing their letters to each other speak for themselves. And as the title suggests, this correspondence not only consists of those letters, but poetry as well. I love how this book explores the true romantic soul that quite possibly died with Alice.
I also love how it explores who they are as people. Teddy is coming into his own as a young man, and he has yet to reach the heights we know he will reach. Alice is also a great partner for Teddy, being a champion of gender equality when women’s suffrage is a hot-button issue. Given Teddy’s later more Progressive leanings, it’s interesting to speculate how she may have influenced him.
The narrative not only follows them in the throes of their love and marriage, but also follows Teddy as he falls into his grief following Alice’s passing, and refuses to have her name said in his presence. These portions are the most moving, especially when you think about how, while he did move on, he likely never really got over this loss, and it impacted his relationship with his daughter.
I will note the most engaging bits were probably the courtship parts, along with the bits from Teddy’s POV while grieving Alice. It falls into somewhat of a lull, pacing wise, after their marriage, but the story comes together and ultimately packs an emotional punch.
I really enjoyed this book, and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical fiction, especially about the lives of American presidents.

This book reveals some insight into Theodore Roosevelt’s first marriage including his courtship and dialogue with his wife, Alice Lee, their marriage and the birth of their daughter. History tells us that Alice died shortly after the birth of their child.
There’s not much else to include in a description of this novel. There is very little plot and most chapters are dedicated to various interactions between Theodore and Alice during their courtship. Alice’s conflict with her mother and her wedding to Theodore is a very brief part of the book and their short marriage is mostly described by letters between the two. I’m afraid that I did not enjoy this book as much as most of the other reviewers. I found the dialogue to be very flowery, silly and mindless and the descriptions of their “dates” very boring. I know this could change with the final printing of the book but chapters entitled things like A Filling Lunch demonstrate how boring the story can be. I guess the dialogue probably demonstrates Alice’s youth - she was independent and strong at times then very immature at others. And the couple’s actual letters are indicative of how they spoke to each other but the “mush” was just too much for me. I really wanted to like this book and learn more about this time in Roosevelt’s life but the lack of plot and boring dialogue just made this book not enjoyable for me at all.
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the Advanced Reader Copy.

You will read a lot of wonderful reviews for this book. Although there are many good things about it, it just wasn't for me. It didn't hold my interest and that's ok. My opinion doesn't mean that the book is not good, it just didn't work for me.

I am a big fan of anything presidential and especially if love is involved. I loved this one and learning more about the love story between Theodore Roosevelt and Alice. It was so heartwarming to read the letters exchanged between the two and you could feel the love they shared on the pages. The devastating sadness that Teddy felt due to losing both his wife and mother in the same night was just too much for this old heart to handle. For me, it was a five-star get your tissue ready read!!

Title: If a Poem Could Live and Breathe
Author: Mary Calvi
Genre: Adult Historical Fiction
Format: eARC
Series: NA
Star Rating: 3 stars

A special thank you goes to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for giving me a copy of this book. Please know that this does not influence my rating or thoughts on the book itself.

tw: misogyny, sexism, use of the word cripple, death during childbirth, illness

When I went on my hiatus while I was pregnant, St. Martin’s Press still sent me galleys for arcs via email. It’s something I really appreciated and it made me so incredibly happy. I absolutely love St Martin’s Press! This was one of those books that they sent me during my hiatus. I happened to see it downloaded on my kindle and I was in between books so I decided why not give it a shot. I normally don’t read about presidents but I figured why not give it a shot. It’s a rule that I read anything that St. Martin’s Press sends me and this one was no exception.

This book wasn’t too bad. I was pleasantly surprised. It didn’t blow me away or anything. But I adored the love story between Teddy and Alice. Teddy is just a little cinnamon roll and all I wanted to do was protect him from all the bad in the world. He’s so loyal and loving. I also appreciated how progressive Teddy was. He wanted women in college during a time when women were seen as wives and homemakers. He was so supportive of Alice and her dreams.

I don’t really have a lot to say about Alice. She was slightly one dimensional. I did enjoy how progressive she was. We all love a woman in STEM. I also appreciated that even though she had an unidentified illness, she tried to not let it stop her from achieving her dreams of attending college. And boy, did my heart break for these two. It sounds like they had a beautiful, one-of-a-kind love. It made my heart so warm and happy.

Overall, I did like the story but wasn’t totally blown away. Maybe it was the big words that were used throughout the book. Good thing I read this on my kindle so I could look up any words I didn’t know. The book was written to feel like it was written in the early 1900s which was great but I couldn’t understand a lot of the words without looking them up. But like I said, beautiful love story but I wasn’t blown away by it.