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Rating: 
Summary: A Great Lady
Review: I grew up during World War II and remember seeing Eleanor Roosevelt on news reels traveling around the world. I had no idea until I read this book of what a full and interesting life she was living. She had much pain and sorrow in her life, but she carried on.I like her down to earth writing. She has written about ordinary things and left some things unsaid which is fine. She came from a very reserved background so it's to be expected. Her childhood was during a very different time than today. That she did so much for others is evidence of that upbringing. After reading this book, I visited Hyde Park. I went first to her house at Val-Kill before I went to the Big House and Library. I recommend a visit to everyone because I believe you get a real feel for her there. At Val-Kill it's like she has just stepped out for a moment, but will be back. I recommend this book to everyone. Editors give background information before each selection for those who weren't alive during the time. Eleanor did not go into great detail in her columns as, of course, her readers at the time would know what she was talking about.
Rating:
Summary: Historical, political, personal
Review: My favorite way to learn about history is through the voice of a person who lived in that time. Often, however, the most readable first-person narratives leave something to be desired in breadth, since a single real person cannot be everywhere and have opinions on everything. Unless, it seems, that person is Eleanor Roosevelt. Her voice in her 'My Day' columns is authoritative, compassionate, wise, and insightful. Her opinions and philosophy on politics and diplomacy, both national and international, seem to me very pertinent to some of issues we face in our world today. Since I read this book, I have found myself hypothesizing about what she would have thought about some current happenings as I try to make sense of them. The editorial introductions to each year and each article excerpt in the book are well-written and provide the right amount of context to frame the excerpts without distracting from them.
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