Isabella Greenway: An Enterprising Woman

This is a biography that reads like an engrossing novel -- except that you'd never believe it as fiction. Isabella Greenway was not just enterprising; she was courageous, committed, visionary, passionate, a true pioneer. Miller, a brilliant historian and a graceful writer, makes Greenway and her era come alive. Each of her lives -- frontier woman, wife of two of Teddy Roosevelt's Rough Riders, close friend of Eleanor Roosevelt (their letters are touching and illuminating), one of the first women elected to Congress -- is riveting reading.

Despite my years of interest in Arizona history (primarily 19th century), I never knew anything about Isabella Greenway beyond "the wife of Jack Greenway" (who I also knew almost nothing about). What an oversight! She was a remarkable woman and this book does an excellent job of bringing her to life through the many letters that she wrote to her family, friends (such as Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt), and lovers. Growing up on the periphery of New York high society in the 1890s, she was the "poor cousin" who socialized with the Roosevelts, Astors and many others. Following her NY debut, she married a much older man and then spent fifteen years living on a ranch outside of Silver City, NM as she nursed him through a long struggle with tuberculosis. For several years their home was a pair of wooden-floored tents and she spent her days building callouses as she hauled water, chopped wood and tended the horses and chickens. What a change from New York society life! But, her letters reveal a spirit that remained positive throughout her ordeal and her family developed an intense love for the west and the ranching life. Her fortunes changed dramatically after the death of her husband when she married her longtime love, Jack Greenway, an extremely wealthy mining engineer and executive. Her happiness, however, was short-lived. Several years later, following her establishment of the Arizona Inn, she responded to a call to public service and ran successfully for Congress after transforming the Arizona Democratic party in her role as Arizona's National Democratic Committeewoman. Through her use of resources from the AHS' extensive Greenway collection (several hundred boxes of materials) Author Kristie Miller has revealed the most intimate thoughts of Isabella Greenway to compose a remarkable portrait of a most remarkable woman. It is very well written and reflects her meticulous research skills. Interestingly, while her public life is adequately covered, it was the glimpses into her personal relationships that intrigued me the most.

Isabella Greenway: An Enterprising Woman is the biography of an amazing woman, who played a crucial role in FDR's nomination for President. Married and widowed twice to two of Theodore Roosevelt's rough riders, an energetic businessperson who managed a ranch, an airline, and a resort, a leader who was elected to Congress as Arizona's only U.S. Representative, and was dubbed the "most talked-about woman" at the National Democratic Convention by the New York Times, her contribution to women's role in politics is nothing less than trailblazing. Illustrated with a scattering of black-and-white photographs, Isabella Greenway: An Enterprising Woman chronicles her life in a narrative manner as vibrant and evocative as Greenway herself must have once been.