President and Mrs Hoover move into the White House and the rules for the staff are simple: they are to be neither seen nor heard. The President never so much as says hello and after an intruder makes his way to the dining room and threatens him, staff are not even allowed in the hallways when he's using them. After the stock market crash, the banks begin to fails and Maggie loses her life savings. Times are hard and the staff are forced to take a pay cut. Maggie is proving to be a difficult boss and a rift grows between mother and daughter. The Roosevelts arrive in 1933 and the wheelchair-bound President makes an immediate connection with Lillian. Mrs. Roosevelt is a dynamo, gregarious and caring about the staff. Lillian and Wheatly Parks marry, though Maggie doesn't approve of her choice. In 1939, Maggie retires after 30 years of service at the White House. With the U.S. entry into World War II, Lillian becomes even more dedicated to her job at the expense of her marriage and her relationship with her mother.
—garykmcd