Author Stephanie Marie Thornton mentions in her interview at the end of American Princess - A Novel of First Daughter Alice Roosevelt (#828) that this is the first novel about Alice Roosevelt Longworth, daughter of Teddy Roosevelt, wife of Congressman and Speaker of the House Nick Longworth, and cousin of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt. It's hard to believe, after reading about a life so jam packed with fame, folly and family that she hasn't already been the subject of a dozen novels! It's also hard to believe that when the "Other Washington Monument" as she was dubbed by the press died at the ripe old age of 96 in 1976, that it didn't make more of an impression on me at the time.
Although Alice lived in the glare of publicity virtually her whole life, she didn't seem to have a particularly happy life in many respects. She did, however, live her life as her own woman, flouting many of the conventions of the times and even traveling on behalf of her father as a Goodwill Ambassador to the Far East. Surprisingly, despite her political maneuvering on behalf of her family and her husband, she never wanted to hold office herself, nor was she much interested in the cause of women's suffrage.
Ms. Thornton has done a good job mixing the facts of Alice's well-documented life with a storyline that keeps the reader turning the pages to see what outrageous thing she would do or say next. This is the kind of historical fiction which makes learning history a pleasure. Recommended reading.
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