Dear First Lady: Letters to the White House

Summary (from the publisher): Following on the success of their collaboration Dear Mr. President, Dwight Young and Margaret Johnson joined forces again to produce this charming collection of correspondence to and from First Ladies during their time in the White House. A wonderful gift book for any American, Dear First Lady reminds us that ours is a great government "of the people, by the people, and for the people," which entitles us to make our views known to our leaders. While some of these missives were written by the famous or the infamous, most are from ordinary Americans who wished to connect with their First Lady. Amusing, appealing, heartbreaking, and heartwarming, the letters appear as full-size facsimiles so readers can see for themselves the substance and style of these intriguing exchanges.

Richly illustrated with archival photography and images, Dear First Lady paints a fascinating portrait of American culture and a behind-the-scenes look inside the White House.

 

Review: This book, in brief epistolary snapshots, truly paints a picture of public opinion of individual First Ladies, but also of the multifaceted role of First Lady itself. With a foreword from Margaret Johnson, White House Correspondent who has covered nine First Ladies, this books provides letters written to and by America's First Ladies. Some are letters of admiration, some request help, some criticize the actions of the President's wife. Some are written by the President to his wife. Together this provide an overview of the ever-evolving role the President's wife has filled over the years and give very personal insights into the White House. Some are letters from children asking to meet the First Lady, others are more official, such as the letter of condolence from Queen Victoria to Mary Todd Lincoln on the assassination of her husband.

 

The First Lady is "elected by one man only. The statue books assign her no duties, and yet, when she gets the job, a podium is there if she cares to use it" (13). Because of the unwritten nature of the job, each First Lady throughout history has approached the task differently. Some have merely provided support for their husbands, while others have fully embraced the power and voice afforded them by their husband's position. I learned a lot about individual First Ladies, such as Grover Cleveland's much younger wife Frances, who was three decades younger and the titillating fact that "he had helped raise her after the death of her own father (Cleveland's law partner) when she was 11 years old" (61). It was interesting to read that Ida McKinley was essentially an invalid; "when she attended state dinners, the President violated protocol by insisting that she be seated beside him; if she had a seizure, he covered her face with a handkerchief" (67). I was moved by the deep affection between some presidential couples, such as the Reagans, who frequently wrote love letters to each other even while living in the White House.

 

It's interesting to contemplate what a monumental task keeping up with the First Lady's correspondence must be. It's also interesting to see how even the most well-intentioned campaigns or public speeches will elicit angry or outraged letters from American citizens, who feel compelled to write to the White House. This was an excellent survey of First Ladies throughout the years, filled with beautiful photographs and intriguing historical details.

 

My one true frustration with this book is that only a portion of the letters are transcribed in the appendix. Considering that the vast majority of the letters are handwritten, I found it extremely difficult to read some of them and would have greatly appreciated having full transcriptions of at least all handwritten letters.

 

Stars: 4