Source: Sourcebooks Landmark

The incredible story of the First Lady who clandestinely assumed the presidency, from the USA Today bestselling author of The Engineer’s Wife and The War Nurse.

Socialite Edith Bolling has been in no hurry to find a new husband since she was widowed, preferring to fill her days with good friends and travel. But the enchanting courting of President Woodrow Wilson wins Edith over and she becomes the First Lady of the United States. The position is uncomfortable for the fiercely independent Edith, but she’s determined to rise to the challenges of her new marriage—from the bloodthirsty press to the shadows of the first World War.

Warming to her new role, Edith is soon indispensable to her husband’s presidency. She replaces the staff that Woodrow finds distracting, and discusses policy with him daily. Throughout the war, she encrypts top- secret messages and despite lacking formal education becomes an important adviser. When peace talks begin in Europe, she attends at Woodrow’s side. But just as the critical fight to ratify the treaty to end the war and create a League of Nations in order to prevent another, Woodrow’s always-delicate health takes a dramatic turn for the worse. In her determination to preserve both his progress and his reputation, Edith all but assumes the presidency herself.

Now, Edith must contend with the demands of a tumultuous country, the secrets of Woodrow’s true condition, and the potentially devastating consequences of her failure. At once sweeping and intimate, The President’s Wife is an astonishing portrait of a courageous First Lady and the sacrifices she made to protect her husband and her country at all costs.

Review:

Informative, sentimental, and intriguing!

The President’s Wife is a vivid, captivating tale that sweeps you away to the early 1900s and into the life of successful entrepreneur Edith Bolling who, after befriending the President’s cousin and meeting President Woodrow Wilson while attending a dinner at the White House, quickly becomes his friend, confidant, wife, and subsequent decision maker when during the latter part of his presidency he suffers a debilitating stroke which leaves him unable to fulfil all of his head-of-state duties.

The prose is evocative and rich. The characters are multilayered, engaging, and intelligent. And the plot, infused with love letters, is a fascinating tale about life, loss, family, friendship, history, emotion, determination, decisions, obligations, passion, war, secrets, alliances, and the intricacies of world politics during the early twentieth century.

Overall, The President’s Wife is a well-written, enlightening, exceptionally researched story by Tracey Enerson Wood that incorporates an engaging mix of real-life historical figures, insightful information, and plausible fiction into a comprehensive tale about the life, loves, losses, actions, and accomplishments of Edith Bolling Wilson both individually and in her role as the First Lady of the United States.

This novel is available now.

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