Chapter 12
Summary
- On November 22, 1930, Franklin D. Roosevelt and Eleanor Roosevelt arrive early to the final evening of the Governors’ Conference, hosted by President Hoover. Despite Franklin's struggle with mobility due to polio, he insists on walking instead of using a wheelchair to avoid being perceived as disabled.
- Eleanor recalls her upbringing, including the deaths of her mother and brother due to diphtheria, and her father's alcohol addiction which led her and her surviving brother to live with their maternal grandmother. She also reflects on the impact her Uncle Teddy (Theodore Roosevelt) had on her life, especially after her parents' death.
- Eleanor recounts a romantic memory with Franklin during Uncle Teddy's second Inaugural Ball, where the couple danced in the East Room of the White House, the same room they are in currently for the conference.
- Eleanor reflects on the loss of her cousin Quentin during the Great War which greatly affected Uncle Teddy; Quentin’s death eventually contributing to Teddy's own six months later. This loss still affects Eleanor and her brother.
- Eleanor grows frustrated when Franklin is forced to stand for an extended period before President Hoover arrives, interpreting it as a deliberate power play by the President. Despite the physical challenge, Franklin refuses help, determined to not show any weakness.
- Eleanor considers the political animosity between Hoover and Franklin, including a rumor circulated by Hoover's camp suggesting Franklin's condition is a progressive muscle disease rather than polio. She criticizes Hoover's leadership skills, particularly his response to the recent stock market crash.
- Eleanor, who switched from Republican to Democrat after marrying Franklin, reflects on her political beliefs, distinguishing the modern Democratic Party’s focus on human values over the commercial sector focus of the Republicans, with Teddy being an exception who valued social reform.
- Originally reluctant about Franklin’s potential run for presidency, Eleanor starts to reconsider after witnessing Hoover's disrespectful behavior. She hopes to collaborate with Mrs. Bethune on projects, even though she is a known Republican supporter.