ROOSEVELT, Franklin D. - ROOSEVELT, Belle.

Inquire · Offered by Peter Harrington

The Sprout Incident. First edition, number 4 of 100 copies only, signed by Belle Roosevelt on the prologue as issued, presentation copy, inscribed on the front free endpaper "for Anna with dear love Belle April 25th 1956".The book, privately printed for Belle Roosevelt (cousin by marriage of Franklin Roosevelt), is her account of an anecdote recounted to her by FDR shortly before his death. He had told Clementine Churchill he was appalled by the way the English cooked Brussels sprouts, over-boiling them then serving them in tepid water. After a heated discussion, Roosevelt promised to visit England with sprout recipes from across the United States. Roosevelt died a month later. Belle arranged this printing of the anecdote, which is appended with various American recipes for sprouts, and sent a specially-bound copy to Clementine.It is a tempting possibility the recipient was FDR's daughter Anna.

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