American Woman

The Transformation of the Modern First Lady, from Hillary Clinton to Jill Biden

By: Katie Rogers

Narrated by: Karen Murray, Katie Rogers

Length: 10 hrs and 21 mins

Publisher's summary

The first definitive exploration of the changing role of the twenty-first-century First Lady, painting a comprehensive portrait of Jill Biden—from a White House correspondent for The New York Times

“A fascinating and deeply researched exploration into the most public facing and least understood role in Washington.”—Kate Andersen Brower, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Residence and First Women

Since the Clinton era, shifts in media, politics, and pop culture have all redefined expectations of First Ladies, even as the boundaries set upon them have often remained anachronistic. With sharp insights and dozens of firsthand interviews with major players in the Biden, Obama, Trump, Bush, and Clinton orbits, including Jill Biden and Hillary Clinton, New York Times White House correspondent Katie Rogers traces the evolution of the role of the twenty-first-century First Lady from a ceremonial figurehead to a powerful political operator, which culminates in the tenure of First Lady Jill Biden.

Dr. Jill Biden began her journey toward public life in 1975 as a twenty-three-year-old who caught the eye of a widowed Senator Joe Biden. Recovering from the heartbreak of her failed first marriage, she found a man who was still grieving. She knitted his life together after unspeakable tragedy and stood by his side through three presidential campaigns.

In some ways, her legacy as First Lady was set before she ever entered the White House: She is the first presidential spouse in history to work in a paid role outside the White House, a decision that blazes the path for future first spouses. But as a prime guardian of one of the most insular operations in modern politics, she is also a central part of her husband’s presidential legacy.

Through deep reporting and newly discovered correspondence, American Woman is the first book to paint a full picture of Jill Biden while exploring how she helps answer the evolving question of what the role of the modern First Lady should be.

©2023 Katie Rogers (P)2023 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“[A] deeply interesting, and thoroughly researched, look at the role of First Lady.”—Town & Country

“From one of our shrewdest students of the Presidency comes this trenchant, fresh and fascinating story of Jill Biden and earlier First Ladies in our time, and how—both in public and private—they have transformed what we should expect of a Presidential spouse.”—Michael Beschloss

“American Woman is a fascinating and deeply researched exploration into the most public facing and least understood role in Washington. Katie Rogers’s fresh reporting offers striking revelations about the inner lives of the first ladies. Each of these women has faced the society’s fickle expectations and arbitrary limitations on female power.”—Kate Andersen Brower, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Residence and First Women

Women to emulate

The stories of these women thrust into fame, some which they liked others who did not made me so much more appreciative of the roles they played in creating our America. This book was so engaging with new stories I didn’t know of, told with empathy and regard. Very well researched. Enjoyed every minute of these history lessons.

Great stories!

If there was a part two of this book that went back further in history I would read it too! I loved this book.

Great book

It was an interesting book to listen to. The only thing is that it seemed to skip over a lot of Melania and dig into why she makes all these bad decisions.

Full of, “Gee Whizzes”. 

it was an interesting trivia read on first ladies and others, but fell short on in-depth insights into the actual first ladies. 

Partisan

Why make this partisan? This book is very republican leaning which is such a disappointment. I was seeking an unbiased (or even slightly leaning) perspective.