Dinner With Eleanor is the story of Helen Niemtzow Pratt. In the early part of the twentieth century, Helen's grandmother, Hannah, is disgraced after a divorce. She leaves the comfort of her family in Russia to build a new life in Philadelphia. Two generations later, her granddaughter, Helen, is the first women in her architecture school class. Her beauty and intellect attract a scion from one of America's prominent families. But, before they can wed, history's most influential first lady must approve the union.

While the title refers to a pivotal moment in Helen's young life, the book details how Helen came to have dinner with America's beloved first lady, Eleanor Roosevelt.