Sara Delano Roosevelt and Jennie Jerome Churchill were the mothers of Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Winston Churchill. They were both born in the same year, 1854 in the United States to wealth and privilege but that is where the similarities end.
This is a really interesting, insightful and very readable book about two very powerful, determined and influential women.
Sara married widower James Roosevelt, 25 years her senior in 1880 and Jennie married Lord Randolph Churchill in 1874.
They were very different women and mothers. Jennie became part of the upper class through her marriage to Randolph Churchill. She loved the high life and became a very popular guest at country houses. She and Randolph were spendthrifts and were always running up debts to maintain their lifestyles. Winston Churchill inherited this trait. She also gave birth to John (Jack). Her children were left in the care of nannies and boarding schools. She was widowed at a young age and struggled to maintain her lifestyle. When she realized that Winston had a lot of potential, her popularity and intelligence opened many doors as he pursued a career in politics.
Jennie married three times and left her two sons with a lot of debt. She was a very determined, intelligent and vivacious woman and used these qualities for many worthwhile ventures. She died following a tragic accident where she broke her foot.

Sara Delano raised Franklin without the help of nannies and ensured that his home schooled education was thorough. She missed him terribly when he left home for higher learning as he was the centre of her life. The Delano family consisted of many siblings and cousins was a close knit group that socialized frequently. Hyde Park and the Hudson valley in New York was their playground.
Franklin was able to escape the apron strings of his mother when he left for Groton college.
It was a surprise to Sara when Franklin announced his engagement to a distant relative, Eleanor Roosevelt. Sara demanded that the wedding be delayed for a year, they agreed. Sara used her money to influence family dynamics so that she could remain in control. Although she disliked politics, she supported her son’s interest in running for governor and then for president. When he was laid low by polio, she was by his side to provide medical and financial support. when he became president, she was part of the package and drew a great deal of respect from the American public.
When he became president, she was a First Lady by default as the American public loved her son, her positive attitude and open mindedness (this greatly improved when she was exposed to modern thinkers who surrounded her son) Eleanor was happy to have her mother in law in the foreground while she worked on her many projects on improving the lives of the working poor. Sara’s death from heart failure was a tragic event for Franklin and America. ( )

It took a bit to get into this but after 50 pages we were off and away. There are many biographies of Jennie Jerome Churchill but most are written by men who have written her off as an American adventuress, wicked seductress, too promiscuous and a spendthrift. One can see why these claims may be partially true but she also believed her son would one day blossom into a great leader which eventually came true in 1940.

During the Boer War, she outfitted a hospital ship and sailed on it to South Africa. When the British wanted it to return home loaded with wounded, she fought and won to keep it in South Africa to treat soldiers as was originally intended.

Both Jennie and Sara were born in the United States in the same year but went on to live their lives very differently. Sara Delano Roosevelt lived a very proper life focused on preserving her family's reputation and supporting her son Franklin so he could reach his potential. She and her famous daughter-in-law clashed frequently and biographers of Eleanor have frequently painted a negative picture of FDR's mother.

Author Gray wanted to correct the story of both these women explaining their strengths and their importance to their sons' contributions to the 20th Century. ( )