First Women is a wonderful collection of stories and insights from America’s most influential First Ladies, starting with Eleanor Roosevelt and moving all the way to Melania Trump’s time in the White House so far. The emotions and efforts of these amazing women are translated well through Brower’s storytelling and I definitely have a new found appreciation for the experiences of every woman that has called the White House her home.
As a woman close to, but not directly involved in, politics, I adored this book. The research and writing style are both exquisite IMHO. The stories were interesting and oddly personable for a collection that chronicles the lives of America’s modern political celebrities.
Kate Andersen Brower is an American and a journalist by trade. In her career, she has covered the White House (during Barack Obama’s first term in office) and contributed to news centers like CNN, CBS, and Fox as well as the New York Times, Vanity Fair, and The Washington Post. Her interest and background in politics was an excellent foundation for a book like this one.
My only complaint is that the book did get repetitive — some details were repeated over and over again — but even when reading the same anecdote for the second time, they never became boring and they never lost their relevance. Brower truly does a great job of expressing the environment, experiences, and evolution of America’s modern first ladies. I would 100% recommend it to any woman interested in reading more about strong women and the American political culture.
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