ELEANOR ROOSEVELT

A worthy addition to the Makers of America series, this is a richly detailed and moving biography of one of the 20th century's most influential women. The authors lay out the facts of Eleanor's unhappy childhood—the separation of her parents, her mother's death, life with her reclusive, autocratic grandmother. Marriage to her dashing cousin Franklin seemed to augur well for Eleanor, and they had six children over the following ten years. The bout with polio that left Franklin unable to walk led to the family's moving in with his mother, Sara, a domineering woman who refused to believe he would ever amount to more than a helpless invalid. Eleanor prevailed over Sara, and Franklin returned to the political career that had been interrupted by his illness. Years later, during their life and continuing after Franklin's death, Eleanor maintained her own career as ``First Lady of the World.'' The focus is on Eleanor, the person, but her status as legend—as a voice for the helpless and disenfranchised—also shines through. As this book eloquently reveals, Eleanor's light has not diminished. (b&w photos, index, not seen, further reading) (Nonfiction. 12+)