Mornings on Horseback: The Story of an Extraordinary Family, a Vanished Way of Life and the Unique Child Who Became Theodore Roosevelt
The father is the first Theodore Roosevelt, a figure of unbounded energy, enormously attractive and selfless, a god in the eyes of his small, frail namesake. The mother, Mittie Bulloch Roosevelt, is a Southerner and a celebrated beauty, but also considerably more, which the book makes clear as never before. There are sisters Anna and Corinne, brother Elliott (who becomes the father of Eleanor Roosevelt), and the lovely, tragic Alice Lee, TR's first love. All are brought to life to make "a beautifully told story, filled with fresh detail, " wrote "The New York Times Book Review"
A book to be read on many levels, it is at once an enthralling story, a brilliant social history and a work of important scholarship which does away with several old myths and breaks entirely new ground. It is a book about life intensely lived, about family love and loyalty, about grief and courage, about "blessed" mornings on horseback beneath the wide blue skies of the Badlands.
BUY THE BOOK
Community Reviews
The book follows Theodore from the time when he was a young child with asthma through year long vacations through Europe and on the Nile, through his time at Harvard and family tragedy up to the time he begins moving towards political office. It makes it clear that his parents, especially his father, had a profound effect on his life. I know now when the Night in the Museum movies have him at the Natural History Museum since his father was a big part of the founding of that museum. This is a truly beautiful and easy to read book that is well researched that I would highly recommend. I learned a tremendous amount.
I plan on giving it my highest rating 5 stars.
See why thousands of readers are using Bookclubs to stay connected.