Description
Whether they envision their role as protector, partner, advisor, or scold, First Ladies find themselves in a job that is impossible to define, and just as difficult to perform.
Now Margaret Truman, daughter of President Harry Truman and an acclaimed novelist and biographer in her own right, explores the fascinating position of First Lady throughout history and up to the present day.
With her unique perspective as the daughter of a First Lady, Ms. Truman reveals the truth behind some of the most misunderstood and forgotten First Ladies of our history, as well as the most famous and beloved. In recounting the charm and courage of Dolley Madison, the brazen ambition of Florence Harding, the calm, good sense of Grace Coolidge, the genius of Eleanor Roosevelt, the mysterious femininity of Jackie Kennedy, and the fierce protectiveness of Nancy Reagan, among others, Margaret Truman has assembled an honest yet affectionate portrait of our nation’s First Ladies–one that freely acknowledges their virtues and their flaws.
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If you love history, particularly American history, you’ll love this book. This well- informed, intimate look at 29 women whose lives were intertwined with those who lead and have led this country presents forthright interviews with Lady Bird Johnson, Hillary Clinton, Nancy Reagan, and others, while warmly recalling Pat Nixon and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.
The chapters are not overly long. It gives some interesting insights into the first ladies. You’ll discover many things that you didn’t know about those who were married to the Presidents of our great nation. The chapters on Eleanor Roosevelt and Pat Nixon were priceless.
Each standalone chapter talks about one or two First Ladies, fascinating women who played important roles in our history and often differed from their presidential husbands in ways one wouldn’t expect.
Truman attributes to the first ladies plenty of influence over their mates, asserting on numerous occasions that they have played major parts in changing the course of history, for example how Dolly Madison’s courage helped her husband, and the country, recover from the War of 1812. The brief biographies primarily cover the years each of these Ladies resided in the White House, although their roles in getting there are not overlooked.