My book club selected Amy Bloom’s White Houses, and I was looking forward to reading it. Thanks to Random House and NetGalley, I received a copy in exchange for my honest review.

I generally enjoy historical fiction, I am not bothered by “faction,” and I truly enjoy a good roman a clef. So why did this one not work for me? There is a ton of good material for the history part, and I did like the inclusion of tidbits about the Lindbergh kidnapping, war rationing, the polio camp, and the depths of poverty throughout the country in the 1930s. I think my problem was that the characters were flat, and there was no real depth of emotion. It reminded me of my friend’s attempt to write a romance novel, but the end result was incredibly like her day job as a technical writer.

I am a huge Eleanor Roosevelt fan, and although the publisher’s blurb says “historians are divided on whether the two had a romantic relationship,” I am fascinated by the story of Eleanor finding true love (unlike her relationship with her cuz, whose liaisons in the White House were well known), and I appreciated the story of Hick’s successful rise from extreme poverty to the life of a successful journalist. Perhaps I should read Susan Quinn’s Eleanor and Hick for more on the story of the relationship between the First Lady and the “First Friend,” because this one just didn’t do it for me. Three (generous) stars.