Table of Contents

• Acknowledgments
• Introduction
• 1. ""An Aristocrat to the Tips of Her Fingers""
• 2. The First Year in the White House
• 3. Charities and Culture
• 4. Wife and Mother
• 5. A Woman of Influence
• 6. After the White House
• Notes
• Bibliographic Essay
• Index

About the Author

Lewis L. Gould's other books include The Presidency of Theodore Roosevelt; Four Hats in the Ring: The 1912 Election and the Birth of Modern American Politics; Helen Taft: Our Musical First Lady; and The Modern American Presidency.

Reviews

Edith Roosevelt always makes the short list of ‘best’ first ladies, and in this insightful, lively biography Gould explains why. Although she is sometimes touted as a woman who ‘never made a mistake,’ this thoughtful examination of her record shows she made quite a few. Using newly discovered sources, Gould portrays a woman whose views on race will surprise some readers. Even those who thought they knew Edith Roosevelt well will find here a far more interesting and complex woman than they ever imagined."" - Betty Boyd Caroli, author of The Roosevelt Women

""Edith Roosevelt tried hard to conceal the large and often decisive part she played in the life and career of her husband, Theodore Roosevelt. Lewis Gould has succeeded in overcoming that obstacle and has written an incisive, compelling biography of this first truly modern first lady. He shows that behind the public image of a madcap rollicksome tribe of young children in the White House led by an ebullient, doting father lay an often grimmer reality of emotional strain and paternal self-absorption mitigated and managed by this strong, shrewd woman. Likewise, she quietly delved into his public career, usually with good effect but also with some sad results, as in the case of racial views. In all, this is a splendid contribution to understanding the lives of these fascinating, significant people and their times."" - John Milton Cooper, author of Woodrow Wilson: A Biography

""Lewis Gould has drawn on his wide knowledge of Theodore Roosevelt’s presidency as well as on hitherto unappreciated archival material to create a rounded portrait of the complex woman who was the wife of one of our most intriguing presidents."" - Kristie Miller, author of Ellen and Edith: Woodrow Wilson's First Ladies