An intelligent and provocative first novel that imagines what would have happened if Eleanor Roosevelt ran against Dwight D. Eisenhower in the 1952 presidential elections--available just in time for the historic 2008 primaries. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.

The author of two leadership manuals including one deriving its principles from the life and thought of Eleanor Roosevelt (1884 1962) Gerber imagines a what-if for the former first lady in her first novel. In Gerber's fictionalized version of the 1952 Democratic convention, Adlai Stevenson suffers a heart attack and dies on stage moments before he is to accept the nomination. The popular Eleanor, a widow since 1945, is quickly brought in to take his place and run against Eisenhower. Her campaign rallies the support of women, unions and African-Americans, but even her own party doubts that Americans will elect a woman president. There's a sentimental scene in which five-year-old Hillary Rodham meets the former first lady, and a petty scene in which Richard Nixon, then Republican candidate for vice-president, contemplates his dirty fingernails. Eleanor comes across as imperious, intelligent and brave, but clumsy dialogue, historical minutiae and an absence of narrative tension sink the story. The premise is intriguing, though, especially given a former First Lady's run for the nomination. (Jan.) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. From: Reed Elsevier Inc. Copyright Reed Business Information

As the nation ponders the prospect of its first female president, Gerber offers this fictionalized account of Eleanor Roosevelt's bid for the presidency against Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1952. Gerber, political columnist and former Capitol Hill politico, uses her insider knowledge of Washington politics and the history of Roosevelt-having authored Leadership, the Eleanor Roosevelt Way (2002)-to speculate on how the revered former First Lady and social reform advocate might have been compelled to run for the highest office. Roosevelt faces questions about the nation's readiness to accept a female president, death threats, and the possibility of losing the man she loves, a doctor who is 18 years younger. Gerber captures the political tensions of the time and answers a question on the minds of Americans today via one of the most fascinating women in U.S. history. Readers captivated by Hillary Clinton's prospects for the presidency will appreciate this novel. Bush, Vanessa. From: Syndetics Solutions, Inc. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.