McNees has given Hick a genuine voice both sympathetic and sad. This is a damaged woman in an unequal love story with the foregone conclusion that Hick's longing will not be matched by her preoccupied lover. McNees' convincing tale illuminates a difficult time for Americans and a woman following her heart, no matter the cost, in a world that had no place for a person like her.
Kelly O'Connor McNees's compassion for her characters and their exceptional situation make for a compelling tale. I ached for Hick, and rooted for her, and am so glad to see her getting her due.
Letters between First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and journalist Lorena 'Hick' Hickok inspire McNees's rich exploration of their secret relationship. A moving and intimate glimpse of Hick and Roosevelt.
A quiet, elegant, meaningful look at an affair that affected American history.
The adept historical novelist Kelly O'Connor McNees chronicles this daring relationship from Lorena Hickok's point of view. McNees's more politically detailed fiction has Hick's ultimate solitude, and her disappointment, at its heart. McNees takes us through the women's headiest romantic period . . . celebrat[ing] an Eleanor Roosevelt who is warm and affectionate.