An astute politician, dedicated feminist, and champion of the rights of minorities, Eleanor Roosevelt was one of the most powerful women in 20th-century America. In an age when proper ladies were expected to supervise the household, dine with the right people, and entertain elegantly, she established careers as a teacher, social worker, and reformer, started a furniture factory, and became a successful journalist. Forming a unique political alliance with her husband, she played a key role in the Democratic party and shaped many of the programs of the New Deal. She later became an official...