Product Review

First Lady for 12 years and an enduring presence among the world's most admired women, Eleanor Roosevelt reached millions of Americans through her syndicated newspaper column. This collection, a representative sampling of a decade of "My Day" pieces, reveals a First Lady unconventional for her time in her role as the president's peripatetic and reliable observer of world affairs, yet deeply traditional in observance of the rituals of family and friendships. As an advocate of progressive social programs, she was often the target of brickbats and caricature. Yet typical devotion to her can be found in a quote here of Adlai Stevenson, "Her glow . . . warmed the world." An ability to laugh at herself, to triumph over personal adversity in her own and in her chil dren's marriages, and a genuine interest in people are reflected in these columns, to which average Americans then and now can be responsive.