Too Close to the Sun

wonderful , fairly accurate story. He certainly was a Roosevelt product of his time. None have come even close to FDR, President when I grew up.His story as he probably was allowed to see it, certainly not the whole truth as has been written otherwise.....

Written by the grandson of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, this memoir is a unique perspective of what it was like to grow up in the bright spotlight (the sun) of the White House. Born Curtis Dall, then Curtis Boettinger after his stepfather, and finally Curtis Roosevelt, he is the son of Franklin and Eleanor's oldest child (and only daughter), Anna. Anna divorced her husband Curtis Dall and moved to the White House when her two children were only six and three years old. Known as "Sistie and Buzzie," the First Grandchildren immediately became the darlings of the press. <br /> <br />Curtis writes that his life in the White House offered "immense and wonderful privilege," yet admits it had a double edge. "Life outside the protection and isolated White House cocoon became hugely distorted, especially for an impressionable youngster like me . . . Intoxicated by the exhilarating environments . . . I created a dream world that protected me and it became a form of addiction." <br /> <br />This is an interesting take on what it was like to grow up in front of the press and in the White House, and it's especially interesting on the verge of the new administration, when once again, young children will be involved. Will the impact be overwhelming as it was for this author? Or will it be like more recent children of Presidents (carefully shielded from the press) and merely be a unique phase of childhood? One can't help but be fascinated by the offspring of our Presidents. <br /> <br />Bottom line: A fascinating inside look at the Roosevelt family with an impressive collection of photos. A great holiday gift idea for those interested in American and Presidential history. <br /> <br />Michele Cozzens is the author of It's Not Your Mother's Bridge Club.

Public glimpses inside the White House (especially from family members) are rare, so when Curtis Roosevelt produced this fine volume, "Too Close to the Sun", it allowed readers not to get just a few snippets of casual observations but a dozen years of day-to-day remembrances. Unusual as it is for a grandchild of a president to inhabit the White House, Roosevelt did just that as he lived on and off with his famous grandparents from the time of FDR's first inauguration until the death of our thirty-second president twelve years later. In "Too Close to the Sun", the author reveals not only his memories of that time but also the often internecine relationships that went with all of the Roosevelts. It's a book worth every page. <br /> <br />Curtis Roosevelt, the oldest grandson of FDR, was just three years old when his famous grandfather became president. It was a privileged upbringing, to say the least. This sheltering led to a fearful childhood as the elder Roosevelts made sure their children "knew their place" and behaved in a manner becoming of their family. Without much social contact with other children, Roosevelt developed a fantasy world for himself, all the while maintaining an average student's comportment while not partaking in activities in which most children grow and thrive. How could he? FDR's and Eleanor's children, themselves, hardly led a routine life. All were married more than once and some four times...including (a generation later) Curtis, himself. His parents' divorce, his mother's remarriage (she, Anna, was the president's only daughter) and his moves in and out of a succession of schools left the author with a weak footing, as he freely admits. Home was the White House or Hyde Park, period. <br /> <br />What's fascinating about this book is that it strikes a nice balance between the personalities of the Roosevelts and the author's own challenged upbringing. It is his views on the president, First Lady and Franklin's mother that are the best as he tells us of his abiding love for "Granny" (FDR's mother, Sara) his gradual understanding of his "grandmére" (Eleanor) and his adoration of "Papa" (the president). <br />The book serves as a tour of the Roosevelt White House, complete with nannies, secret service agents, secretaries, and of course, those rambunctious Roosevelt uncles, who all did pretty much as they wanted. <br /> <br />One can understand the childhood that Curtis Roosevelt led and empathize with him, but his charm is never making the reader sympathize for him. That's a pretty good trick, and Roosevelt succeeds. "Too Close to the Sun" is full of rich detail and given the perspective that the author has, a much welcome addition to the lore of the FDR years. I highly recommend it.