First Women

First Women: The Grace and Power of America's Modern First Ladies by Kate Anderson Brower, 380 pages

The First Lady experiences pressures beyond the imagining of the normal American woman, or even beyond the imagining of any other political spouse: she must react diplomatically to current events, support her husband through his presidency (and all of the political landmines it entails), and, oh yeah, she has to deal with all the other issues that come with life (kids, family, health, etc.) under the scrutiny of the public and the Secret Service. In her fascinating book, Brower takes an in-depth look at the First Ladies since 1960, discussing their reactions to various political and personal issues while they lived in the White House, as well as their relationships with each other. While the organization of the book was a little scattershot, I enjoyed this rare peek behind the curtain, just as I did with Brower's first book, The Residence, which looks at the domestic staff at the White House. Well worth the enlightening read.