Franklin and Eleanor: An Extraordinary Marriage

By Hazel Rowley

Published by Farrar, Straus, and Giroux

Copyright © 2010

Franklin and Eleanor: and Extraordinary Marriage? A fascinating look behind the scenes at a political marriage, but I don’t know that I would call it “extraordinary.”

Hazel Rowley recaps the chronological history of the Roosevelt’s as a couple. She gives us glimpses into the physical and mental makeup of these two people who would change the 20^th century for the better and describes who their marriage operated and how the Franklin and Eleanor felt about each other. She does all of this within its historical backdrop and context very nicely.

What this book does not do is show us how “extraordinary” their marriage was. Of course this all depends on your definition of the word “extraordinary,” as it can have a broad meaning. I personally think of extraordinary as meaning unusually excellent; however it can also mean something that is unusually strange or even having a special purpose. If you prefer that latter as your definition then by all means Franklin and Eleanor’s marriage certainly meets the criteria. If the former, my view of the word, fits your definition, then the Roosevelt’s fall far short.

The Roosevelt’s marriage was special because of the way they used their marriages to further their agenda’s. Franklin wanted to be president; he wanted the power which he felt he could use to help people and to make the nation stronger. Eleanor wanted to help people as well and she used their marriage to further her social agenda. Nothing wrong with having these ambitions I guess, but in the context of having an “unusually excellent” marriage it doesn’t fit. Franklin was a philanderer and he was flirtatious, betraying his wife to the end. Eleanor in turn was often pushy, unfeeling, and dabbled in lesbian relationships as well as relationships with younger men. While physical romances are not proven outright the emotional romances are proven, and one usually leads to the other unless health issues make that impossible. This was likely the case later in Franklin’s life. I understand that no marriage is perfect but the extraordinary marriages are built on love and affection and two people trying to grow closer to one another despite the obstacles. Franklin and Eleanor instead chose to remain married, but in essence live separate lives. The bond these two had was undeniable, but it was born out of familiarity and necessity for the furtherance of their interrelated and concurrent agendas.

All that being said “Franklin and Eleanor…” was enjoyable to read as a behind the scenes of history book. It was interesting to read what was going on in FDR’s personal life as he made his meteoric rise to political power and dealt with the issues of the nation. I just would have changed the title from “… An Extraordinary Marriage” to “A strange Marriage” or “A Marriage for a Special Purpose.”

Mountains Beyond Mountains

by Tracy Kidder

Fourth Tuesday Book Club

     If you believe there are no more heroes in the world, you must read this book.  It is the story of Dr. Paul Farmer, a man who came from a very unique family and who developed the feeling that his life should be dedicated to helping the poor of the world.

    Farmer’s father and mother were restless, unique people.  Paul Sr., a salesman and later a teacher, was nicknamed “the Warden” by his daughters because of his strictness—no makeup, no boyfriends, no staying out late.  The family’s lives were happy and filled with adventures.  After moving from Massachusetts to Alabama, the Warden bought a large bus at an auction to use on vacations.  The Farmers called it “the Blue Bird Inn” after the brand name of the bus.  It became their home, despite having no running water.

     The Warden later bought a fifty-foot-long empty hull, built a cabin and renovated the boat, hoping to do some commercial fishing.  It scared the kids because their father knew nothing about sailing, and he ran the boat aground several times.

     Paul flourished in school and became a strong reader.  At 11 years of age, he completed J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings” in just a couple of days.  All of the children grew up to be successful and to live in real houses—one of the sisters became a commercial artist, another a manager of community relations, and the third a motivational speaker.  One brother became an electrician and the other a professional wrestler.  Paul had a very successful college and medical career, attending Duke University and Harvard Medical School.

    The remainder of the book describes Farmer’s experiences discovering Haiti and how he came to devote his life to the poor there and around the world.  Farmer faced many barriers—both natural and human ones, such as military juntas that threatened his life and work.  His efforts were intensive, and he was single minded, often wearing the same clothes for days.  Farmer said that the key was keeping your body clean and changing your underwear.  He managed to get monies to support his efforts and to build a hospital to help the poorest of Haiti’s poor.  The book describes how his efforts eventually expanded to Latin America and to Russian prisons.  They fought diseases from tuberculosis to AIDS.  The current worldwide effort that he leads is a tribute to the work of Farmer and those who helped build the Partners in Health Organization.

    The author, Tracy Kidder, has presented a wonderful biography of a person who is still working to save the world.  Dr. Farmer is a hero, who at this very moment is in his adopted homeland of Haiti helping the poor fight disease by providing them with health care.  Our club recommends this book especially for those who enjoy non-fiction and biographies.

Key Ideas from different club members:

Writing style not to my taste; Thought it would be boring but found it compelling; Dr. Farmer is an intimidating but inspiring, dedicated man; A very admirable but driven person; Wonderful portrayal of a fabulous, tenacious, intelligent, and caring physician; Great humanitarian; His early life was unreal- similar to but not as extreme as the book “Glass Castle”.

The Club Members rating this book:

Kirk Baker, Linda Bowman, Mona Herrell, Pat Kuna, Sharon Shaffer, Bill Simmons, Lynn Simmons, Deb Stewart and Linda Troll

Club’s Average Rating:  3.67 of 5             Rating Range: 2.5 to 5

Ethan Allen: His Life and Times

By Willard Sterne Randall

Published by W. W. Norton & Co.

Copyright © 2011

Review by A. Kendrick

Ethan Allen – it’s not just a furniture store. Ethan Allen was a founding father of the State of Vermont, and also of the United States of America. He was a war hero, a land speculator, an author, and a philosopher.

Randall provides us with a glimpse of Colonial New England and its Puritan governance in the time of Ethan and his ancestors. He adroitly points out the people and events that shaped his thinking and actions – from preachers to French philosophers, and from doctors to Indians. We are given the image of a strong and intellectual boy who, after the death of his father and thus the end of his education, quickly becomes a man, entrepreneur, and especially a leader. 

His leadership is on full display, not so much in being the leader of the unit that captured Fort Ticonderoga at the beginning of the Revolutionary war, but in his single minded desire to save the New Hampshire Grants (the state of Vermont) from the well to do New York and British Hierarchy.

Ethan Allen is also shown to us as a great thinker and writer. When we think of Revolutionary era writers we think Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Paine, Alexander Hamilton, or Thomas Jefferson. What we fail to realize is how much these men were influenced by the writing and actions of Ethan Allen. And while one might have a distaste for Allen’s writings on religion and his rejection of established religion, Randall’s portrait of a world ensconced in a twisted theology makes Ethan’s deistic, and some might say atheistic, proclamations quite understandable.

While this biography will especially be enjoyed by American Revolution Enthusiasts, I think most individuals interested in the real lives of other people will find Ethan Allen to be a fascinating study. Though shown as a man with flaws he was, to say the least, a man of vision and action who stood up for what he thought was right, and he knew how to motivate others to do so. In an era when men of principle are increasingly hard to find the story of Ethan Allen is refreshing, thought provoking, and enjoyable.

Born Standing Up

Born Standing Up

By Steve Martin

Published by Scribner

Copyright © 2007

Steve Martin is one of the funniest comedians of our generation. We remember him for his movie roles: “The Jerk”, “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels”, “Planes, Trains, and Automobiles”, and more recently “Cheaper by the dozen”. His Credits go on and on. Some of us might even remember him from Saturday Night Live. But before that he was a stand up comic. “Born Standing Up” is the story of why he became stand up comic and then why he abruptly quit.

Steve martin’s road to the top started at the bottom with his middle class family in Southern California. His father had aspirations of being an entertainer, and living and working in the shadow of Disneyland and Hollywood Steve had those same aspirations. His family relationships were strained to say the least, so he poured all his thought and energy into his performing career which started out as a mix of magic and music and progressed towards comedy. “Born Standing Up” chronicles the years of his youth through the end of his stand up career. Before your eyes you’ll see Martin’s star rise, not only in words but also in surprising pictures of him, his family, and his acquaintances (who knew Steve Martin ever had anything other than white hair?!)

This is a great book for the Steve Martin fan and for comedic historians, but also for those who enjoy stories of the human struggle for greatness in any occupation.