The First Ladies by Benedict and Murray

THE FIRST LADIES by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray is another wonderful and informative historical fiction collaboration by these two best-selling authors (The Personal Librarian).  This time, they are focusing on Eleanor Roosevelt and renowned educator Mary McLeod Bethune. Taking readers behind the scenes and musing about relationships and attitudes (“funny how the same women who talk with me about the advancement of women in a formal meeting space open to whites and Negroes pretend not to even see me in this social setting”), Benedict and Murray highlight racial tensions from the late 1920s to the mid-1940s. The public and private strength of both famous women is evident as well as the parallels in how each had to rely on her own fortitude to ignore hurtful comments and actions. As Bethune says, “their racism isn’t my problem. Racism belongs to the people who are racists.”  Weaving in other historical characters, like FDR, Lucy Mercer, Missy LeHand, Lorena Hickock, and even Billie Holiday lends authenticity and immediacy to the storyline which is told from alternating perspectives. THE FIRST LADIES received starred reviews from Booklist (“impeccably researched, relevant novel is a must-read and destined to be a book club favorite”) and Library Journal (“unshakable bond of sisterhood”); plus this title was a LibraryReads selection for June 2023.