Hissing Cousins: The Untold Story of Eleanor Roosevelt and Alice Roosevelt Longworth

Family. Readers who enjoy twentieth century American history are those most likely to enjoy an engaging book by Marc Peyser and Timothy Dwyer titled, Hissing Cousins: The Untold Story of Eleanor Roosevelt and Alice Roosevelt Longworth. Two branches of the Roosevelt family dominated political life in the early twentieth century. Teddy Roosevelt led the Sagamore Hill branch and Franklin Delano Roosevelt of the Hyde Park branch dominated during the Depression and World War II. Eleanor was the wife of FDR, and also a cousin. Alice was TR’s daughter. Peyser and Dwyer roam through the politics, the family life and the choices made by these two strong and complicated women. While Alice is best known for her clever wit and Eleanor for her public service, there’s a lot more to both of them, and the authors cover them in ways what were interesting and engaging. The catchy title calls attention to their differences, while the narrative draws readers into their similarities and to their shared passion for life in the public arena. Rating: Four-star (I like it) Click here to purchase Hissing Cousins from amazon.com.