Eleanor vs. Ike

September 10, 2007
The author of two leadership manuals—including one deriving its principles from the life and thought of Eleanor Roosevelt (1884–1962)—Gerber imagines a what-if for the former first lady in her first novel. In Gerber’s fictionalized version of the 1952 Democratic convention, Adlai Stevenson suffers a heart attack and dies on stage moments before he is to accept the nomination. The popular Eleanor, a widow since 1945, is quickly brought in to take his place and run against Eisenhower. Her campaign rallies the support of women, unions and African-Americans, but even her own party doubts that Americans will elect a woman president. There’s a sentimental scene in which five-year-old Hillary Rodham meets the former first lady, and a petty scene in which Richard Nixon, then Republican candidate for vice-president, contemplates his dirty fingernails. Eleanor comes across as imperious, intelligent and brave, but clumsy dialogue, historical minutiae and an absence of narrative tension sink the story. The premise is intriguing, though, especially given a former First Lady’s run for the nomination.

November 15, 2007
As the nation ponders the prospect of its first female president, Gerber offers this fictionalized account of Eleanor Roosevelts bid for the presidency against Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1952. Gerber, political columnist and former Capitol Hill politico, uses her insider knowledge of Washington politics and the history of Roosevelthaving authored Leadership, the Eleanor Roosevelt Way (2002)to speculate on how the revered former First Lady and social reform advocate might have been compelled to run for the highest office.Roosevelt faces questions about the nations readiness to accept a female president, death threats, and the possibility of losing the man she loves, a doctor who is 18 years younger. Gerber captures the political tensions of the time and answers a question on the minds of Americans today via one of the most fascinating women in U.S. history. Readers captivated by Hillary Clintons prospects for the presidency will appreciate this novel.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2007, American Library Association.)