First Women: The Grace and Power of America's Modern First Ladies [9780062439666]

Overview

“[A] gossipy, but surprisingly deep, look at the women who help and sometimes overshadow their powerful husbands.”  — USA Today

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the groundbreaking backstairs look at the White House, The Residence, comes an intimate, news-making group biography of the true modern power brokers at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue: the First Ladies, from Jackie Kennedy to Michelle Obama.

One of the most underestimated—and challenging—positions in the world, the First Lady of the United States must be many things: an inspiring leader with a forward-thinking agenda of her own; a savvy politician, skilled at navigating the treacherous rapids of Washington; a wife and mother operating under constant scrutiny; and an able CEO responsible for the smooth operation of countless services and special events at the White House. As she did in her smash #1 bestseller The Residence, former White House correspondent Kate Andersen Brower draws on a wide array of untapped, candid sources—from residence staff and social secretaries to friends and political advisers—to tell the stories of the ten remarkable women who have defined that role since 1960.

Brower offers new insights and untold stories about this privileged group of remarkable women, including Jacqueline Kennedy, Lady Bird Johnson, Patricia Nixon, Betty Ford, Rosalynn Carter, Nancy Reagan, Barbara Bush, Hillary Clinton, Laura Bush, and Michelle Obama. The stories she shares range from the heartwarming to the shocking and tragic, exploring everything from the first ladies’ political crusades as powerful women in politics to their rivalries with Washington figures; from their friendships with other first ladies to their public and private relationships with their husbands. She also offers insight as to what Melania Trump might hope to accomplish as First Lady.

Candid and illuminating, this compelling work of White House history provides a revealing look at life upstairs and downstairs at the world’s most powerful address.

This sweeping work of American political history reveals the untold stories of the ten remarkable women who have defined the role of the modern First Lady:

• A Secret Sisterhood: Explore the surprising friendships, quiet rivalries, and private correspondence that connected First Ladies across party lines, from Jackie Kennedy’s guidance to Hillary Clinton to the unexpected bond between Laura Bush and Michelle Obama.
• East Wing vs. West Wing: Go behind the scenes of the constant battle for influence between the First Lady’s female-led staff and the president’s powerful, male-dominated advisors—a conflict that defined Pat Nixon’s tenure and continues to this day.
• Behind-the-Scenes Influence: Discover how these women acted as their husbands’ most trusted confidantes, shaping policy, vetting staff, and wielding immense power, from Rosalynn Carter sitting in on Cabinet meetings to Nancy Reagan’s control over the West Wing.
• Private Struggles, Public Lives: Witness their personal courage in the face of tragedy, from raising children under intense scrutiny to navigating shocking health crises and political scandals on the world stage.