I wrote a few days ago that I was switching genres to read this biography of President Theodore Roosevelt. I’m only two chapters in, but I am thoroughly enjoying it. I don’t read a lot of biographies because I subconsciously deem them “boring”. I suppose if the subject is boring, then the book will be too. However, the subject of Theodore Roosevelt is anything but boring. I think that’s why I was drawn to this book.
I bought my hardcover copy on sale at Barnes and Noble with a gift card. In fact, I’m pretty sure it was one of the first gift cards my new boyfriend gave me. (That boyfriend has since become my husband.) I’m pretty sure I was trying to impress him by buying educational and historical books instead of the fiction I am usually drawn to.
I chose Lion in the White House because President Theodore Roosevelt is my favorite president. Though I never made a point to read his writings, or even to read about him, I knew that he had accomplished great things in his lifetime. I suppose you could say I have admired him at a distance. I am excited to read this little book to gain better insight into Roosevelt’s life. Already I have been impressed by how much he wrote at a young age. He kept a diary as he grew up, chronicling his illnesses, his love of nature, his family, and his travels. As a child, even during illnesses, he was quite the handful. He strove for excellence in his education, mastering college preparation in two years instead of the usual three. When he graduated Harvard, Roosevelt “ranked twenty-first in a class of 177.”
Lion in the White House: A Life of Theodore Roosevelt by Aida D. Donald has been “hailed as the best short biography of Theodore Roosevelt ever written”, according to the front flyleaf of the cover. “Avoiding the pitfalls of excessive detailing, Donald vividly portrays one of the most colorful and ambitious figures in American history.” I will keep you updated as I read, but I think I shall enjoy this biography.