Empty Without You: The Intimate Letters Of Eleanor Roosevelt And Lorena Hickok [Paperback]

Rodger Streitmatter (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 20, 2000

In 1978, more than 3,500 letters written over a thirty-year friendship between Eleanor Roosevelt and Lorena Hickok were discovered by archivists. Although the most explicit letters had been burned (Lorena told Eleanor's daughter, "Your mother wasn't always so very discreet in her letters to me"), the find was still electrifying enough to create controversy about the nature of the women's relationship. Historian Rodger Streitmatter has transcribed and annotated more than 300 of those letters—published here for the first time—and put them within the context of the lives of these two extraordinary women, allowing us to understand the role of this remarkable friendship in Roosevelt's transformation into a crusading First Lady.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

In June 1932, pioneering newswoman Lorena Hickok was assigned to FDR's presidential campaign by the Associated Press. To her surprise, she found Eleanor Roosevelt taking special notice of her. As their friendship grew, Hickok's devotion to the future first lady so overcame her scruples that she sent drafts of her articles to the head of Roosevelt's campaign for approval. After the election, the women began the passionate correspondence--cheerful and diary-like on Eleanor's side, and stormy on Lorena's--presented here. As suggestive as these letters seemed when they came to light in 1978, they don't demonstrate conclusively whether the women had a sexual affair, only that they became, for three or four years, each other's "dearest." They kissed and caressed each other and dreamt of a life together away from Washington. What is more significant is that these years marked Eleanor Roosevelt's transformation from a supportive wife to an independent political force, and the letters show Hickok's advice and encouragement to be essential to that transformation. Only with Hickok's support did the first lady gain confidence for her remarkable achievements in race relations and expanded roles for women. Good footnotes supplement the text, but the bland introductory notes can be skipped in favor of the women's story in their own words. --Regina Marler --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Publishers Weekly

Having fought her way to the top of the news room, AP reporter Lorena Hickok refused to write women's page pieces on Eleanor Roosevelt when she was assigned to cover FDR's campaign for governor of New York in 1928. By the time FDR ran for president, his wife had become one of his most trusted political advisers, and it was inevitable that she and Hickok ("Hick") would meet. Their fascinating correspondence is a testimonial not only to a passionate (and at one time undoubtedly physical) relationship, but to both women's remarkable intelligence and humanity. Eleanor's letters record much: her daily routine; her role as mother; her love for Hick; and her unabashed views on politics, racism, poverty, war and women's roles. Eleanor redefined the role of first lady from model housewife to political adviser and, with Hick's help, she wrote articles and eventually her own syndicated column. For her part, Hick, fearing conflict of interest, gave up her job at AP and took a position in the Roosevelt administration as a relief investigator. But she missed reporting, and the long hours of travel also undermined her confidence in her relationship with Eleanor. The letters speak of botched attempts at privacy, disrupted plans and endless apologies from Eleanor, but their relationship endured, evolving from one of lovers to one of devoted friends. The editorial comments are minimal (mostly constrained to prologue, epilogue and notes highlighting the fairly obvious passages indicating a physical relationship). Still, on its own this collection provides not only a heart-wrenching and personal look at a friendship but also a unique view of a turbulent time in American history.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Da Capo Press; annotated edition edition (September 20, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0306809982
• ISBN-13: 978-0306809989
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 5.9 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #356,857 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #36 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > People, A-Z > ( R ) > Roosevelt, Eleanor

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating reading, March 31, 2001

By 

Candace Scott (Lake Arrowhead, CA, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: EMPTY WITHOUT YOU: The Intimate Letters Of Eleanor Roosevelt And Lorena Hickok (Hardcover)

Those who denies the strong sexual overtones in these letters must be repressed or absurdly committed to the idea that Eleanor Roosevelt had to have been unequivocally heterosexual. Never mind that by the time she met Hickock, her physical relationship with FDR had been dead for over a decade, not to be revived. Had these letters been penned by a man to a woman, there would be no fuss, but because we're dealing with two females, the fur flies.

Eleanor and Hick loved each other, that's patently obvious from the letters. To me it seems quite apparent there was a sexual relationship as well... so what? FDR had Lucy Mercer in the 1910's and Missy LeHand was his "companion" from 1922-1940, but Eleanor should be relegated to permanent "lonely" status?

Even if you don't care about the gossip-y element of this book, it's moderately interesting from a social perspective, particularly if you are interested in 1930's history or mores. There are remarkably few references to Franklin Roosevelt in the correspondence, which might speak volumes for Eleanor's priorities at this time.

An interesting book, well edited and entertaining.

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent. Full text of letters with historical/bio context., March 31, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: EMPTY WITHOUT YOU: The Intimate Letters Of Eleanor Roosevelt And Lorena Hickok (Hardcover)

Earlier biographies of Eleanor Roosevelt and Lorena Hickok often include vigorous denials about the implications of these letters. "It's not what it sounds like," we have been told. So it's refreshing to have these 300 letters collected and commented on by someone not afraid of homosexual implications. Editor Rodger Streitmatter also provides brief biographical and historical information to put the letters in the context of the times. * Streitmatter tries to let the letters speak for themselves, but perhaps he should have tried harder. He has prefaced most of the letters with an explanatory paragraph, and although these are mostly helpful, I became tired of having him point out the paragraph or sentence in which something particularly intimate or revealing would be said. * Streitmatter also has used the term "first friend" as an identifier for Hickok, parallel to "first lady." Not only does this seem a bit too cute, but also, from what we learn about Hickok, it's exactly the kind of designation that would have driven her up the wall. * Overall, though, the book is a revealing and well-balanced portrait of these women's relationship. Whether their relationship was physically sexual or not, it's clear from their letters that they loved each other.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely intriguing!, October 6, 2006

By 

Margaret A. Moore "college student" (Sterlington, LA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Empty Without You: The Intimate Letters Of Eleanor Roosevelt And Lorena Hickok (Paperback)

This well-edited book definitely preserves the intimacy of the relationship between ER and Hick. Regardless of your personal interpretation of their relationship, the book makes for fascinating reading. There are many "behind the scenes" details of the workings of the New Deal and other social and political events of the time. This book is nothing less than fascinating.