![]() ![]() One of the great pleasures of historical fiction is the depth, complexity, and meaning it adds to the historical record. In an age when middle-aged women are nearly invisible in literature, on the stage, and on the screen, and are rarely seen as sexually desirable, this recognition is refreshing. ![]() ![]() Several letters were withheld until 1988.īloom celebrates the love between Hick and Eleanor, and she unabashedly glories in the bodies of middle-aged women: Those that remained came with two conditions: first, the entire collection was to remain unopened until ten years after her death and second, the library’s director was to withhold any letters that might cause embarrassment or injury to a living person. Although the collection is extensive, it is not a complete record Hick carefully curated the collection and destroyed an unknown number of letters. Roosevelt Library in Hyde Park, New York. In 1958, Hick donated more than 3,000 letters to the Franklin D. This reluctance to question or discuss the sexual orientation of a renowned First Lady intensified in 1978 when much of their correspondence was made public. Historians have traditionally been reluctant to pronounce Hick and Eleanor lovers, insisting on the possibility that they were merely dear friends. The novel's strength is in Bloom’s willingness to portray the intimate nature of the bond between these two remarkable women. ![]()
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