Alice was a celebrity in her time. She had to escape the crowds through windows and was nearly crushed by her fans. Alice matured and was extremely intelligent and influential in the political arena. Many people respected her opinion and knowledge of politics however, in my opinion, her relationship with the politicians allowed her to pull many strings.
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The day Alice was born, her mother and grandmother died. Her father, Theodore Roosevelt (a New York assembly man at the time) so overcome with grief left Alice in the care of his sister Bye for three years. It wasn't until Theodore Roosevelt married (his childhood sweetheart) that his new wife, Edith, sent for Alice. Knowing that she was not Edith’s biological child, Alice grew up feeling less loved then her other siblings ". . .Father doesn't care for me, that is to say one eighth as much as he does for the other children. . ."
Alice was a bit rebellious. Once such act of rebellion was when her Father was president of the United States. Theodore said that no daughter of his would smoke under his roof. In response Alice climbed to the top of the White House and smoked on the roof. Her comment was " I naturally . . .smoked to annoy the family." Alice was an avid gambler and overspent her "allowance" on numerous occasions.
Alice married the up and coming politician Nick Longworth. Nick was a notorious ladies man and alcoholic. Although Alice and Nick probably loved each other, the marriage was full of infidelities among both parties. Nicks philandering threw her into the arms of married Idaho Senator William Borah. (
Remember when I climbed Mt. Borah?) This affair produced a child, Paulina Longworth.
Although I find Alice's story lonely and sad, I also found it extremely fascinating. The book provided a 96 year historical view of Alice's life as well as the political movements over her lifetime.
