Tuesday, October 2, 2018

First Chapter ~ First Paragraph

It's Tuesday . . . time for . . . 

                                                      
 

First Chapter ~ First Paragraph Tuesday Intros, now hosted by Vicki at I'd Rather Be At The Beach, where bloggers post the first paragraph(s) of a book they are currently reading or planning to read sometime soon.  

Today I'm featuring a book club selection, Loving Eleanor by Susan Wittig Albert.  The excerpt shared is from the hardcover edition I borrowed from the library.  



Loving Eleanor   

Prologue: Goodbye

Hyde Park, 1962
Hick didn't go to the funeral.

Oh, she was invited, and for that she had Sisty to thank -- Eleanor's granddaughter, the one Hick had known and loved since she was a little girl.  During her grandmother's last illness, it was Sisty who kept in touch.  And who took down Eleanor's last letter because her grandmother couldn't manage the pen: Dearest Hick, I'm still horribly weak, but as soon as I'm able to hold the phone I'll call you.

Chapter One: Hello
I met Mrs. Roosevelt in 1928, the year that Herbert Hoover beat the pants off Al Smith.
 

What do you think?  Would you continue reading?
I like how well the the prologue and first chapter relate to each other.  They frame the parameters of the story, signalling to readers that this will be a (fictional) account of the relationship of historical figures Eleanor Roosevelt and AP reporter Lorena Hickok.



This First Chapter ~ First Paragraph post was originally composed and/or compiled and published by Catherine for the blog, bookclublibrarian.com.  It cannot be republished without attribution. Sharing this original post on Twitter, Google+ and/or other blogs with appropriate recognition is appreciated.

17 comments:

  1. I like how the two opening paragraphs grabbed my emotions. I'm interested in reading this one. i'm going to see if my library has a copy.

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  2. I know nothing about Eleanor Roosevelt, so this one definitely interest me.

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    1. Eleanor Roosevelt is one of my heroes, not to mention one of the U.S.'s most progressive First Ladies.

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  3. You are so right - a good echo between the prologue and the opening chapter and yes, I would like to keep reading to find out more!

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    1. So often I have to re-read the Prologue after finishing a novel to discover its significance to the story.

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  4. I like the bookend sort of way of the prologue and and first chapter. I would keep reading. See what book Susan is featuring this week at Girl Who Reads

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    1. I'm interested in seeing how the story develops under this talented author.

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  5. So many books lately on Eleanor and Hick. I read two in the past few years. I like the opening here.

    Here's my pick for the week: https://bibliophilebythesea.blogspot.com/2018/10/first-chapter-first-paragraph-tuesday.html

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    1. I find every aspect of Eleanor Roosevelt's life fascinating.

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  6. Sounds interesting. I hope you are enjoying it. This week I have The Hollow of Fear by Sherry Thomas from my review stack. Happy reading!

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    1. I'm impressed with your progress on clearing your review stacks.

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  7. Oh, yes, I have been curious about this book, and I love the excerpts. Thanks for sharing, and for visiting my blog.

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  8. I like the beginning of this book. It's interesting that Susan Wittig Albert wrote it. She's an author from Central Texas and has those series that she writes and occasionally a historical standalone.

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    1. I didn't know Albert is from Texas. I'm aware of her series novels, so I'm interested in seeing how she develops this story.

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