If a poem could live and breathe : a novel of Teddy Roosevelt's first love

If a poem could live and breathe A novel of Teddy Roosevelt's first love

Mary Calvi, 1969-

Book - 2023

"A fact-based romantic speculative novel about Teddy Roosevelt's first love, by Mary Calvi, author of Dear George, Dear Mary. Studded with the real love letters between a young Theodore Roosevelt and Boston beauty Alice Lee-many of them never before published-If a Poem Could Live and Breathe makes vivid what many historians believe to be the pivotal years that made the future president into the man of action that defined his political life, and cemented his legacy. Cambridge, 1878. The era of the Gilded Age. Alice Lee sets out to break from the norms of her mother's generation. Women are fighting for educational opportunities and exploring a new sense of intellectual and personal freedom. Native New Yorker, Harvard student Te...ddy Roosevelt, is on his own journey of discovery, and when they meet, unrelenting currents of love change the trajectory of his life forever."--

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Location Call Number   Status
1st Floor FICTION/Calvi Mary Checked In
Subjects
Roosevelt, Alice Lee, > 1861-1884 > Fiction.
Roosevelt, Theodore, > 1858-1919 > Fiction.
Biographical fiction.
Romance fiction.
Historical fiction.
Novels.
Genres
Biographical fiction
Romance fiction
Historical fiction
Novels
Published
New York : St. Martin's Press [2023]
Language
English
Main Author
Mary Calvi, 1969- (author)
Edition
First edition
Physical Description
x, 308 pages : photographs ; 25 cm
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN
9781250277831
Contents unavailable.
Review by Booklist Review

When young Theodore Roosevelt meets Alice Lee, he is instantly captivated, struck by both her beauty and her clever, playful spirit. While he is well liked at Harvard, his New York background and some of his hobbies leave him a bit of an outsider at times. As he and Alice bond over a shared interest in nature and classic literature, he also finds himself inspired by her determination to speak her mind about women's equality and the value of education. And, after years of bucking against her mother and society in general, Alice is pleased to find in Theodore someone who understands and supports her. Calvi (Dear George, Dear Mary, 2019) again delves into history to highlight the young love of a significant figure, using real letters and journal entries. Interspersed throughout the tale of Roosevelt's relationship with his first wife, told from both their points of view, are chapters that reveal his deep sadness after losing her. This is a sweet and engaging story with strong-minded characters, for those who've enjoyed Courting Mr. Lincoln, by Louis Bayard (2019) or Becoming Mrs. Lewis, by Patti Callahan (2018).

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.

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