First Women: The Grace and Power of America's Modern First Ladies Hardcover – April 12, 2016 by Kate Andersen Brower (Harper)

A pleasant valentine for the First Ladies

This is a pleasant valentine for ten first ladies. It is not profound but neither is it particularly critical. A few of the anecdotes appeared in Brower's The Residence. Many of the stories she shares are already widely known: the coolness between Barbara Bush and Nancy Reagan, the Clintons' profane arguments, the fact that Michelle Obama was not particularly happy about moving to Washington and into the White House, and so on.
At first Brower appears to want to make readers think that the First Ladies have some special relationship because of the role they shared, however, that theme doesn't really work. In fact, the only two first ladies who seemed to have developed a true friendship were Lady Bird Johnson and Betty Ford. Rosalind Carter remained bitter for a while after her husband's defeat and even was somewhat resentful because Hillary Clinton did not ask her anything about health care although that had been Rosalind's major effort has first lady. Nancy Reagan doesn't seem to have cared much for any of them with the possible exception of Jackie Kennedy Onassis (snob appeal, maybe?) There is one photograph of several of the women at an event which tells all. The five or six others appear to be talking to each other but Mrs. Reagan is at the end of the table and is turned completely away. The expression on her face says, more or less, "when will this purgatory end"?
All in all, the book is interesting as a sidelight into the lives of these women who have tried to fufill the role as best they could. Some more successfully than others. Some tidbits are fascinating. Laura Bush has an image of the perfect southern lady who never loses her cool but evidently there were times when she could make her displeasure known, especially toward a staff member who kept losing the keys to her daughter's car. Pat Nixon was much liked and admired by her staff as was Barbara Bush.
The only real criticism I have of the book is its organization. Brower skips around and repeats herself at times. Perhaps organizing it chronologically completely would have made for a more cohesive story.