Alice Longworth Roosevelt was the first super-star celebrity in the modern sense to live in the White House. Her every move and fashion choice was followed avidly by the press and most Americans who couldn't get enough of her. Her mother, Alice Lee of Chestnut Hill died giving birth to Alice. Her father Theodore Roosevelt, was so bereft, he disappeared from her life for three years. Her aunt Bye doted on her and then turned her over to her father and his new bride, Edith. From that point on, Alice's life was formed and dominated by politics. She also had to share her father with his second family, although she was close to them all throughout her life. Alice was a rebellious teen who lived her life in the spotlight. Her diary entries at this time are touching as she tries to find herself. She mistakenly thought her happiness would lie in a marriage to the older Nicolas Longworth, a leading Congressman, who became Speaker of the House. He was a womanizer and alcoholic, and her happier times were away from him. She had a daughter by William Borah, a senator from Idaho.
Alice was a brilliant woman with little formal education. She was an autodidact, with an interest in everything modern and forward thinking. She was a superb raconteur. She was a prime mover in politics throughout her life. She was always true to her father's progressive ideas. It is an interesting sidelight to read about the Republican party and what it stood for under Teddy Roosevelt, and how it has changed into the conservative party of today. Despite being a loyal Republican, Alice was not beyond crossing party lines, as she did to support the Kennedys and Lyndon Johnson in the 1960s, as she felt their philosophy was closer to her father's.
Another interesting section of the book centers on her relationship with the other Roosevelts, Franklin and Eleanor. There was no love lost between these two branches of the family.
Stacy Cordery has written of a fascinating and vibrant woman who dominated the news and politics for her 96 years. It is recommended reading.
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