• First Ladies

  • The Ever Changing Role, from Martha Washington to Melania Trump
  • By: Betty Boyd Caroli
  • Narrated by: Susan Ericksen
  • Length: 20 hrs and 37 mins
  • 4.3 out of 5 stars (46 ratings)

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First Ladies  By  cover art

First Ladies

By: Betty Boyd Caroli
Narrated by: Susan Ericksen
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Publisher's summary

Betty Boyd Caroli's engrossing and informative First Ladies is an essential resource for anyone interested in the role of America's First Ladies. Caroli observes the role as it has shifted and evolved from ceremonial backdrop to substantive world figure. This expanded and updated fifth edition presents Caroli's keen political analysis and astute observations of recent developments in First Lady history, including Melania Trump's reluctance to take on the mantle and former First Lady Hilary Clinton's recent run for president. Caroli here contributes a new preface and updated chapters.

Covering all 45 women from Martha Washington to Melania Trump and including the daughters, daughters-in-law, and sisters of presidents who served as First Ladies, Caroli explores each woman's background, marriage, and accomplishments and failures in office. This remarkable lot included Abigail Adams, whose "remember the ladies" became a 20th-century feminist refrain; Jane Pierce, who prayed her husband would lose the election; Helen Taft, who insisted on living in the White House, although her husband would have preferred a judgeship; Eleanor Roosevelt, who epitomized the politically involved First Lady; and Pat Nixon, who perfected what some have called "the robot image."

©1987, 1995, 2003, 2010, 2019 Oxford University Press (P)2019 HighBridge, a division of Recorded Books

What listeners say about First Ladies

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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interesting read

it was interesting to hear how the first lady role has changed depending on circumstances of the president as well as our country. it's difficult to cover every first lady in great detail in one book. this book has triggered an interest in finding out more information about specific first ladies. thank you for continuing to keep it updated.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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period overviews and comparisons

Human analysis with period overviews and detail comparisons, were interesting, without being boring or repetatative.

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    3 out of 5 stars
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Thorough

Very long, but thorough book. Included too much information on President Trump, not a First Lady.

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2 people found this helpful

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not my favorite

I struggled to finish, and was not impressed with narration or story. Too long for what was said.

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