The Gatekeeper

The fine biography and compelling personal story (The Wall Street Journal) of arguably the most influential member of Franklin Delano Roosevelts administration, Marguerite Missy LeHand, FDRs de facto chief of staff, who has been misrepresented, mischaracterized, and overlooked throughout historyuntil now. Widely considered the firstand onlyfemale presidential chief of staff, Marguerite Missy LeHand was the right-hand woman to Franklin Delano Rooseveltboth personally and professionallyfor more than twenty years. Although her official title as personal secretary was relatively humble, her power and influence were unparalleled. Everyone in the White House knew one truth: If you wanted access to Franklin, you had to get through Missy. She was one of his most trusted advisors, affording her a unique perspective on the president that no one else could claim, and she was deeply admired and respected by Eleanor Roosevelt. With unprecedented access to Missys family and original source materials, journalist Kathryn Smith tells the fascinating (Publishers Weekly) and forgotten story of the intelligent, loyal, and clever woman who had a front-row seat to history in the making. The Gatekeeper is a thoughtful, revealing unsung-hero story about a woman ahead of her time, the true weight of her responsibility, and the tumultuous era in which she livedand a long overdue tribute to one of the most important female figures in American history.