BOOK REVIEW | QSALTLAKE MAGAZINE | 37
MARCH, 2021 | ISSUE 321 | Qsaltlake.com
the bookworm sez REVIEW BY TERRI SCHLICHENMEYER
Eleanor BY DAVID MICHAELIS, C.2020, SIMON & SCHUSTER, $35, 698 PAGES
Life, as they say, is an open book. When you’re born, someone else starts writing it for you, but it doesn’t take long for you to be your own author. Through the years, you’ll scribble ideas, compose thoughtfully, add chapters, and crumple pages. Your life’s book might be a series of quick notes, long essays, one-liners or, as in Eleanor by David Michaelis, you could build an epic story. In today’s world, we might call Eleanor Roosevelt’s
q scopes MARCH BY SAM KELLEY-MILLS
ARIES March 20–April 19 A key-person is looking to you for advice, and it occurs to you how much you enjoy giving it. Reach out and make sure this person is okay. It’s just as much for you as it is for them. The best thoughts always come when doing good.
TAURUS Apr 20–May 20 The long way to get back to normal is bound to be the most rewarding. A sense of discovery is going to help you feel great in the long run. Focus on your emotional state, and don’t be afraid to veer off course from time to time.
GEMINI May 21–June 20 Even in the direst of times, a light shines within your soul. And if you think that sounds cheesy, then you’re likely to be really happy
mother abusive: Anna Hall Roosevelt never had a kind word to say to her daughter, often mockingly calling little Eleanor “Granny.” It’s true that Eleanor wasn’t lithe and beautiful like her mother; she was awkward and stern, a Daddy’s girl for an often-absent, alcoholic father. Orphaned by the time she was 12, Eleanor had been longtold that she was homely and plain but school chums knew her as a caring girl with a sharp mind. That intelligence later caught the eye of the dashing Franklin Roosevelt, a somewhat-distant cousin who courted her with the nose-holding approval of his mother. It was a good match, but only for a short while: too quickly, it was apparent that Eleanor and Franklin were colossally mismatched. She needed him to need her but he couldn’t – not in the way she wanted, so she found love in the arms of another man and
a woman. Her compassion for others, a rather acquired sense, helped buoy his ambition; his ambition gave her a reason to dig in and reach out to their fellow Americans in need. Despite that it invited controversy from Washington insiders, Roosevelt changed the office of the First Lady by ignoring what past First Ladies had done, once they reached the White House and beyond... Readers who are not deep historians are in for many layers of surprise inside Eleanor, the first being Roosevelt’s early life, and the racism she exhibited as a young woman. Famously, she was a champion of African Americans during the years of her husband’s time as President and beyond, and she strove for equality, but author David Michaelis shows a sort of axis of attitude that the former First Lady experienced. His portrayal is balanced with compassion: Michaelis
coming up. There is a good deal of guilty pleasures on the horizon. Get into the groove.
going to the gym, taking on a project, or other activities.
CANCER June 21–July 22 It’s been a long time since you really stopped caring long enough for the world to make sense. Take some good care of yourself in the form of a spa treatment or mental break. A vacation may not be possible, but if you can, do it.
LEO July 23–August 22 Thinking about the future should be rooted in recognizing the past. Even if things aren’t working out as you had hoped, take a look back at things that have. Only then will you find the blueprints for a great future and a good time.
VIRGO August 23–Sep. 2 Seeking help is crucial at this time. No one is out to get you, and in fact, this is a good time to make new friends. The best times are the hot and heavy ones, whether
LIBRA Sept 23–October 22 Someone close to you seems grumpy all the time. It’s possibly worthwhile to simply run away, but consider more what you do best: to try to help them out. You have a knack for finding balance and helping that person comes with a reward.
SCORPIO Oct. 23–Nov. 21 The worst thing you can do right now is to hide. Get out there and show the world your true self. The best gift is knowing how amazing you are but don’t let it go to your head. Being arrogant will be very counterproductive.
SAGITTARIUS
Nov. 22–December 20.
Step on the gas and get working on a project. The creative flow is a strong one, and being swept away in it produces some great works. Share who you are inside. Shine like a diamond.
lets us see a transformation in the pages of this book and it’s fascinating to watch. Rather than romanticize Roosevelt, Michaelis paints her as someone with flaws that she may not’ve overtly acknowledged but that she learned to work around. This becomes abundantly clear in tales of the warmth Roosevelt craved but was denied by her husband and the relationships she enjoyed in open secret, including a passionate love she shared with reporter Lorena Hickock and a much-debated, possible affair with State Trooper Earl Miller. Such tales are told matter-of-factly and without salaciousness, though you may feel a whoop of delight at a supposedly-staid Depression-era White House that really was a den of dalliance. Don’t let its heft frighten you away: Eleanor may be wide but so’s its story. Indeed, you’ll be carried away when you open this book. Q
CAPRICORN Dec 21–Jan 19
There is a pest in your world, and it’s becoming a challenge you don’t want to accept. The solution is more simple than you think. Distance yourself just enough to get some perspective, and a change in yourself will remedy all.
AQUARIUS Jan. 20–Feb. 18 The longer you wait to rebel against a problem, the more likely you are to explode. Deal with your tension in normal intervals and then enjoy the release. The world isn’t ready for you to be unhappy, so deal with it.
PISCES Feb 19–Mar 19 At the end of the day, you are in control. While nothing is certain, it’s a good bet that you can set a course and get there with no problem. The worst thing that can happen is that everything will work out. It’s a good time to be alive.
