Synopses & Reviews
FIRST FAMILIES weaves together the stories of presidents and their families, from George Washington to George W. Bush, to capture the intense ups and downs of their lives, both public and private, at the White House. In addition to chronicling dark moments in the lives of the first families and the nation––when presidents walked within the living rooms and bedrooms of White House determining whether or not to go to war––Bonnie Angelo also provides fascinating behind–the–scenes accounts of the illnesses and deaths of children and spouses within those same rooms, the stirrings of love, the squabbles of marriage, the joyful weddings of sons and daughters. The first book of its kind, FIRST FAMILIES will provide a lively look at how first families struggle to deal with the new life imposed on them, find a balance between their public and private selves, and create a family home amid the grandeur. Indeed, over the years the White House has taken on the character of a living force, shaping and warping the families it shelters. FIRST FAMILIES is the more than 200–year–old story of these wives, children, extended families and pets of 42 presidents who have lived in the White House, all with mixed feelings about the delights and drawbacks of the dwelling that is both a symbol and a home.
Review
“A sweeping panorama of family life on Pennsylvania Avenue.” Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
Synopsis
What is it like to be America's First Family? In this wonderfully engaging book, Bonnie Angelo,
Time correspondent and acclaimed author of
First Mothers, probes two hundred years of American history to tell the story of real life within the White House walls—how presidents, their wives, children, and extended families worked to create a home in an imposing national monument while attempting to keep their private lives from the public domain.
First Families chronicles exhilarating moments as well as dark days at the nation's most famous address, with fascinating, behind-the-headline accounts of picture-book weddings, gossipy love affairs, rollicking children, domestic squabbles, and tragic deaths. From activist wives Eleanor Roosevelt and Hillary Clinton to reluctant occupants Bess Truman and Jacqueline Kennedy, to those such as Mary Todd Lincoln, Dolley Madison, and madcap debutante Alice Roosevelt, who embraced their new address and status, here is an unforgettable human portrait of our First Families and how they coped, stumbled, or thrived in the national spotlight.
Synopsis
A follow-up to First Mothers offers glimpses into the daily lives of presidents and their families, in a volume that describes the everyday White House experiences of the Lincolns, the Roosevelts, the Clintons, and others. Reprint. 25,000 first printing.
About the Author
Bonnie Angelo is the author of First Mothers. During her more than twenty-five years with Time magazine, she has reported on the White House and has covered newsmakers and events across America and the world. She lives in Bethesda, Maryland, and New York City.