View from the East Wing: A Memoir

by Jill Biden

A novelist once wrote, “There are stories one must tell, and years when one must tell them.” Jill Biden’s time to discuss her four years in the White House is now.

Jill Biden became First Lady at a complicated moment in US history, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and in the shadow of the January 6 insurrection. These were the circumstances under which she set up office in the East Wing, where she hit the ground running. Throughout her husband’s presidency, Jill remained a tireless advocate for her causes, including women’s health, military families, vaccine awareness, cancer initiatives, and education. She made history as the first-ever First Lady to hold an outside job while her husband was in office, continuing to work as a professor at a nearby community college. Yet all the while, she saw herself as an ordinary woman living an extraordinary life.

In View from the East Wing, Jill shares her White House experiences for the first time, in her own words. She reflects on the Biden presidency and its impact on her family. She brings you behind the scenes, from Camp David to Air Force One, from grading papers in the Rose Garden to witnessing the abrupt end of her husband’s bid for reelection. This is the story of a woman dedicated to her roles as a wife, mother, grandmother, teacher—and First Lady of the United States.

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Audiobook, Politics, Book Club, Biography Memoir, Biography

Audible Audio

Published June 2, 2026

About the author

Jill Biden, former First Lady of the United States, is the New York Times bestselling author of Where the Light Enters and her children’s books Don’t Forget, God Bless Our Troops, Joey: The Story of Joe Biden, and Willow the White House Cat. She served as Second Lady of the United States from 2009 to 2017. As First Lady, she advocated for military families, the Biden Cancer Moonshot, community colleges, and women’s health research—and maintained a full-time career teaching English as a community college professor. She chairs the Milken Institute’s Women’s Health Network. A mother and grandmother—and now great-grandmother—she lives with her husband, former President Joe Biden, in Wilmington, Delaware, with their cat, Willow.

Reviews

[Brittney Maas · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read for book club. This was legit all over the place. The format wasn’t chronological or thematic it just randomly jumped from one topic to another. And dude it was so slow and boring. Read more like a travel log and will probably only sell because she is a former First Lady and not because it is actual well written.

[Elyse · Rating 1 out of 5]

I started to read this book for the Sharon McMahon book club. I thought I'd enjoy it as I've read multiple memoirs the past few years and it's become a genre I enjoy. I admire women who are able to share their journey balancing well self-disclosure and insight yet not telling others' stories that might intersect with theirs (including their spouse, their children, etc.).

This book misses that mark. It was bland, it was self-focused, and it revealed nothing that I couldn't get from reading the news articles about Jill Biden back at the time. She admitted she and Joe Biden avoided discussing multiple issues (like mental health struggles, addiction, etc.) and this desire to avoid hard issues continues into her book. As a therapist, this avoidance, glossing over hard issues, and sanitizing controversial decisions (like the Afghanistan withdrawal and a relatives' public addiction struggle) is frustrating and leads to an unsatisfying read. When you learn nothing new in reading a memoir, what's the point of reading it?

I don't need salacious details, but I would love to hear that she and her husband really wrestled with issues that many Americans wrestle with.

Disappointed.

[Kristine M Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This Memoir Delivers Cheers and Tears

For decades, Dr. Jill and Senator/VP/President Joe Biden dedicated their waking hours to improving conditions and outcomes in the US and around the world. Their numerous personal and family heart aches, challenges and tragedies didn't derail them. Instead, they deepened their resolve and their empathy for others who have suffered and are suffering. And their hearts never hardened despite the cruel, merciless and unwarranted attacks on their characters.
I consider them both role models and salt of the earth human beings. I am, and always will be, glad that they represented us on the world stage for as long as they did. They continue to inspire me. So, it was impossible for me to put this book down. I read it in one sitting. It's riveting, emotional and utterly fascinating to be given the unique opportunity to inhabit Dr. Biden's mind and to vicariously experience the life she has lived. If you can put your preconceptions and your politics aside, no matter where you are on the political spectrum, you will find much to love and admire about her journey.

[Allison Horrocks · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book flows seamlessly from topic to topic as Jill Biden has her say about being First Lady. It’s obvious Dr. Biden has taken all her service roles seriously. In the early chapters, Biden makes it clear she’s uneasy talking about addiction & health issues. Her deliberate avoidance of difficult topics is obvious throughout this book, which is absolutely not a tell-all. There’s paragraphs filled with details about Camp David, flowers at the White House, and portrait projects. This book reads like a last attempt at assuring Americans someone cares about decorum, and I’m afraid that in June 2026, it’s already too late.

[Brielle Ashford · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unfortunately this was not a favorite for me — no shade to Jill. She seems like a lovely woman!

The memoir was a bit boring honestly, and often read like one very long press release chock-full of trite commentary on a litany of events that occurred during the Biden presidency. The story just lacked the intimacy and intrigue that makes a memoir great and memorable, in my opinion. However, I don’t doubt it was an authentic account, and I will note that it is written well enough and doesn’t necessarily shy away from any relevancies. It just doesn’t add much interesting context, either. Everything shared felt fairly easily assumed.

Even his pulling out of the race wasn’t expounded upon in any notable way — just emphasis on how no one around him thought he was unfit and basically the infamous debate breakdown appeared to be a random anomaly for which no one has ever discovered an explanation…
This made their team seem even more unfit to me, in retrospect, tbh. Ultimately, Jill came off to me as biased and a little head-in-the-sand about it all. No judgement though, really. I probably would be too if it were my dad, or husband. But not inspiring as a voter!

Although some details of life in the White House were charming, they didn’t quite add enough to save it. I will say my favorite details in the book were about her work at community college. She shared moving moments from her time teaching and I deeply respect that she took that on during such a chaotic and often difficult time in her life.

Having last read Michelle Obama’s memoir, I couldn’t help but compare and do recommend that one for a more intimate and comprehensive First Lady’s life and perspective.

For the record, I do assume I might enjoy Jill Biden’s first memoir more. However, after this, I’m not sure I have the confidence in her storytelling to try it.

[Kasey Bone · Rating 2 out of 5]

It feels like her ghost writer gave her a list of questions as a jumping off point, then Jill—being the endearing English professor she is—wrote a full essay for each question. Rather than weave the stories into a thematic narrative, they accidentally hit publish on the first, albeit well written, draft.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to this book on audio and Dr. Biden read it which was delightful. I loved how she never mentioned Trump by name-just a little snarky but why not. This was very enjoyable and I liked hearing about her years in the East Wing (RIP).

[Jenn S · Rating 4 out of 5]

Political thoughts and opinions aside, this is an easy audiobook to listen to. Jill Biden has a pleasant voice and narrates well.
The editing felt strange. In an effort to not sound like a daily diary, the timeline of this book jumps forwards and back constantly. One minute it’s the 2024 election, the next she’s Second Lady. Each anecdote is written well enough, but I’m not sure of the editing choices.


For my personal opinions— Jill Biden, as she describes herself, is from a “different time”. That lack of communication within the family likely lead to a lot of the image issues that plagued Biden’s presidency. Jill Biden notes multiple times that some things were not spoken of in their family. She toes the line of independent woman and dutiful wife, but struggles to remain centrist. She fought to be able to keep her teaching position, which she earned, but doesn’t talk to her husband about his health or her family about their son’s addiction.

She was a classy First Lady, à la Laura Bush. She used her influence when appropriate but didn’t upstage her husband in any way.

The differences in this memoir from Jake Tapper’s book and Kamala Harris’s memoir are slight, but there are definitely some rose-colored glasses being worn when writing this one.

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review to follow

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick listen with some interesting perspectives and an insider’s view…and I liked listening to it in her own voice, but it was a bit scattered and there was a whole lot of discussing which designer’s dress she was wearing to which function. A portion of it read like a travel log. There was some hard things she went through but very little emotion. I guess it felt a bit guarded…but perhaps it’s a generational thing? I did find it interesting that she referred to but did not name Trump for most of the book. “His opponent”, “the former president”, etc until the section where it was the lead up to the 2024 election.

[Abby · Rating 2 out of 5]

Managed not to DNF because I wanted to have read it through for book club. This was painfully poorly written. Incohesive. Jumped around. The loosest of timelines until the last third of the book. A nice opportunity of a memoir totally squandered

[Peyton Riddle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I need more time to digest this memoir and consider why I didn’t like it, but these are my initial thoughts.

This was nearly a DNF for me. I always give memoirs 5 stars because I feel strongly about what it means to absorb someone’s lived stories. This is the first memoir I can’t review that highly.

I saw another review that said a lot of the narrative is around Biden’s commitment to her public service roles and demonstration of respect for decorum, which I’ll admit is a breath of fresh air compared to what we’re seeing in politics today. That said, it almost reads as a travel log that was pieced together haphazardly, with japes sprinkled in that read to me as “and that’s how I really felt”.

She made clear she’s very private and avoids speaking about heavy topics such as addiction and physical ailments, which she tries to overcome some in this memoir, but there is just such a strong barrier between Jill and the reader.

We are met with so much affirmative commentary about Joe’s mental and physical health and the impact of political propaganda on the Biden campaign that I ended up catching a “woe is me” vibe, which albeit is valid but also feels like a missed opportunity with her platform to impact the public positively.

[Chriss · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve read every First Lady’s memoir since Rosalynn Carter, except for the current one. I’m primarily a fiction reader but at some point I must have decided the First Ladies had better stories than their husbands. Rosalynn Carter, Nancy Reagan, Barbara Bush, Hillary Clinton, Laura Bush, Michelle Obama, and Jill Biden, both Republicans and Democrats. I wasn’t surprised to note that politics played a part for those who panned this book in their reviews. I was surprised though that they even read it. I enjoyed the book as I find Jill Biden down to earth and relatable. It covered a little bit of everything, life in the White House, her responsibilities as First Lady, not much on politics as we think of it, but some about her travels and other wives of heads of state that she met on those travels, her love of teaching, family and grandchildren, grief over the death of a child, another child’s struggle with addiction, the importance of her female friends and more. I listened to her narrate it on Audible in a day. Her writing style was as one might assume, that of an English teacher, so I’m not sure why there’s criticism of her writing style, it’s a memoir not a thriller, and as such I’m giving it 5 ⭐️.

[Sally · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jill Biden is a remarkable woman. She’s smart, compassionate and thoughtful, and has had so many truly incredible experiences. All of that and the fact that she’s an English professor gave me high hopes for this book. So I was surprised that it was not particularly well written and terribly organized. The timeline is all over the place. There are seemingly random swerves in thought and timeline and unconnected pieces of information, sometimes all in the same chapter. The writing is oddly stilted. It’s all written in first person, but it seems a little stiff. Only the last couple of chapters seem warm and authentic. Her experiences are interesting and unique, but not conveyed particularly well.

[Kira Simmons Murphy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I listened to this, doubt I would have gotten through it reading it. I am reading it for a book club. I appreciated she never said the name of a certain political opponent. I found the most sincere parts to be the ones where she talked about teaching and appreciated her highlighting educators. I respect that she did keep working and maintained her own identity. However, to me most of this read like a resume and some of it I just wasn't buying, it felt like political spin.

[Clay H · Rating 4 out of 5]

Regardless of the 2024 election and one's feelings about Biden's campaign end, the book describes interesting behind the scenes moments from the Biden-Harris administration. The book describes a more intimate look at the presidency and woman who has accomplished a lot in life.

[Lynn 🌟 · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like doctor biden and I was looking forward to this book. I'm stating this because I also want to say it was dullish. That being said, I think you should read it.

.
Someone mentions that it jumps around a lot in timelines, and it does, and it was a little annoying. I read a lot of biographies, and that's kind of a new ish fing, the deaf been doing more and more, but I feel the chapters were too small in this book for that to happen.You just felt like you were getting whippedlash jumping between timelines so quickly. But that being said, I really do think you should read it

[Whitney · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's always fascinating to see first hand experiences of those who are in the government. My favorite line was "We are ordinary people living an extraordinary life."

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐ It was fine. I have a little bit of a difficult time with books written by those in politics because they always feel a little PR-motivated. It was interesting to hear Jill's perspective on things, particularly to hear about the dynamic she has with Joe.

[Danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so interesting to me (you know i love a political memoir). I’ve always admired the Bidens and it was fascinating to get a BTS look at their lives, both during their time in the White House and in the years leading up to the presidency. This story felt really personal and genuine in the way it was about Jill the wife, mom, grandma, teacher rather than Jill former FLOTUS. Bonus points for the audiobook being narrated by Jill herself, her voice was lovely to listen to and made it so easy to devour this one in less than 48 hours.

[Michelle Pizarro · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5⭐️

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was more interesting than I expected, but there are no huge revelations. Honestly, I give her credit for her restraint. I think she is someone who doesn’t forget those who inflict harm on the people she loves, even if she, in some cases, finds a measure of forgiveness.

[Krystle Gascoigne · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good memoir of life in the White House as First Lady. RIP East Wing.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dr. Jill Biden’s soft yet steady voice brings her story to life with a tender honesty that feels both intimate and inspiring. Her reflections on her time in the White House are shared with a vulnerability that never feels performative. Just deeply human. Listening to her felt like being offered a quiet, comforting balm. I loved learning more about her experiences, and the audiobook was so beautifully delivered that I can’t imagine taking it in any other way. Highly recommend.

[Chelsey Pinto · Rating 4 out of 5]

Poised. Loving. Reserved.

The way Dr. Jill Biden loves Joe, her family, her country, and her career both as an english professor and as the Second and then First Lady rings so evident in her memoir. She herself narrates the audiobook and her Pennsylvania accent is particularly pronounced when she is reminiscing on her childhood, its sweet. I loved learning about her first date with Joe, or how she fell just as in love with his two sons. I loved learning about how she was firm about having her own career and her own money, even from a young age, and had to keep that line when she was First Lady - preach it, sister! Can you imagine going to your college writing class and having Dr. Jill Biden as your professor?

The book enumerates so many of the dignitaries, outings, and events that Jill Biden managed in her time as First and Second lady, it was exhausting just to read about, and she never complains. Heavy lies the crown and Jill Biden was raised right, knowing her position of supreme privilege and trying to use her political prowess for good. Especially for often overlooked causes - women's health, mental health, and education. I learned of a few programs that both she and Joe championed while in office that I had never even heard of! ARPA-H what??

The final chapters of the book were a little daunting, like pouring salt on an open wound, especially after reading Kamala Harris's 107 Days so recently. The loss after loss after loss. I'm still bitter. Jill does well to show her disappointment, but she is never devastated beyond hope or repair.

Often throughout the book, she circles back to her late son Bo, and how his loss seems to color so many parts of her life. I think Jill does well to illustrate her grief, and try to be more open about it. It touches upon everything, you are never far from it. You must walk with it, there is no way around. And still, joy. I loved her ending sentence, which makes the book feel like a giant love letter to Joe. What an adorable couple, they don't make 'em like that any more.

[Sara Planz · Rating 5 out of 5]

SYNOPSIS
Jill Biden became First Lady at a complicated moment in US history, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and in the shadow of the January 6 insurrection. These were the circumstances under which she set up office in the East Wing, where she hit the ground running. Throughout her husband’s presidency, Jill remained a tireless advocate for her causes, including women’s health, military families, vaccine awareness, cancer initiatives, and education. She made history as the first-ever First Lady to hold an outside job while her husband was in office, continuing to work as a professor at a nearby community college. Yet all the while, she saw herself as an ordinary woman living an extraordinary life. In View from the East Wing, Jill shares her White House experiences for the first time, in her own words. She reflects on the Biden presidency and its impact on her family. She brings you behind the scenes, from Camp David to Air Force One, from grading papers in the Rose Garden to witnessing the abrupt end of her husband’s bid for reelection. This is the story of a woman dedicated to her roles as a wife, mother, grandmother, teacher—and First Lady of the United States.

Jill Biden is the epitome of a strong woman. I really enjoyed reading this book, and also listened to it on audio so I could hear it in her own voice. Her empathy, love of country, and dedication to her students is remarkable. In a political climate so willing to degrade our education system and our incredible teachers, Dr. Biden does a phenomenal job honoring that profession and the people who work tirelessly to educate. And my, how she loves her family, taking readers through the joys and sorrows of being a wife and a mother while in the public eye. Her work and her initiatives are a legacy that she can be proud of and that we as a country will benefit from.

[Lynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book more, but the further I got into it, the more disenchanted I became.

I have always enjoyed reading about First Ladies, knowing I could never do what they do. I have admired Jill Biden as a Second Lady and as a First Lady, especially given that she continued to teach while in both roles. This book is her truth as she lived it. Unfortunately she comes across as very self serving, with a lot of justification for things that she and President Biden were criticized for, especially after that disastrous debate. Her love of family, teaching and country come through clearly. The loss of Beau, and Hunter’s addiction and legal troubles are heartbreaking. She narrates the audiobook and you can tell when she is smiling and when she is emotional.

The writing is almost saccharine and the narrative jumps around in time, making it feel less cohesive. At times it felt like the descriptions of fancy dinners and couture clothing were fillers to expand the book. There is also a lot of repetition in describing events, since the book is chronologically out of order. I did enjoy that she hardly mentions DJT by name, using euphemisms like “Joe’s opponent” or “the current resident.” She’s pretty scathing about Melania, deservedly so.

Probably the thing that disappointed and annoyed me the most, almost to the point of anger, is when she is describing the events of October 7 and its aftermath. Several times she mentions what was happening in Gaza in the aftermath of the attack on Israel, and heaps praise on Jose Andreas and his World Central Kitchen for their efforts to feed the Gazans, but she never, ever mentions the agony of the hostages who were kept in the underground tunnels of Gaza by Hamas. She mentions how devastated she was when World Central Kitchen aid workers were killed in an air strike, but never mentions how the IDF was trying to rescue the hostages. Her unspoken words said volumes to me. She apparently isn’t the ally I thought she was and I lost some respect for her because of this. I get that this is a “me” problem, but 10/7 opened my eyes to how much the world really doesn’t care about what happens to Jews.

The book is interesting in a way, but I’m not sure I would recommend it.

[Queena Roquemore · Rating 3 out of 5]

(I read this for a book club, otherwise, I don't think I would've picked it up.)

Hm.

Reading this reminded me of how I felt after finishing Julie Andrews's memoir: most of it felt more like a timeline of events, and less like a journal of reflections.

While I enjoyed hearing Jill Biden's voice (she's got that warm, grandmotherly, English teacher presence), the book as a whole felt all over the place. Being that she's an English teacher, I was kind of hoping for something a better edited?

One thing that stood out to me is how she mentions the many things that she doesn't talk to Joe about - a lot of those really heavy topics like Hunter's addiction, grief, and Joe's health issues. I found that kind of sad, and I was surprised by the lack of emotion in those sections of her memoir as well. Given the weight of those experiences, I kept wishing for more depth and vulnerability.

Some of the insider bits of the WH were interesting though, and I always appreciate how much she loves on and passionately advocates for teachers.

She also made the decision to give Trump the "He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named" honor throughout the majority of the book, which I found it to be ... an interesting choice.

Overall a fine read/listen, but nothing life changing.

[Claudia Stephens · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved getting to know Jill through this book. Some things I didn’t love which knocked it down to three stars for me.

Her refusal to say Trump’s name was kind of strange. Like I get it (🤢) but also it felt so forced sometimes to avoid the T word. She only used it when quoting someone else.

Sometimes her lavish explanations of all the perks that come with the job seemed a bit tone-deaf? Like most people reading this book have so much less means than she does (outside of being FLOTUS) and now she’s gabbing on and on and on about the outfits, food, rooms, jewelry, celebs, etc etc etc she got access to from her position. I could have left that part out.

I was surprisingly not satisfied by the reasoning behind pardoning Hunter Biden. It just felt like an abuse of power. Even if he was judged too harshly and punished too much, they had decided to let justice run its course and then when they didn’t like it they used their trump card (pun unintended). Most people don’t get that opportunity. Not so moral of them after explaining how they were very moral.

Also…I’m just not convinced Joe was of sound mind after that debate. Again, her explanation just wasn’t convincing to me.

Loved learning about her as a teacher and I was inspired by her continuing to work.

Loved learning about her interactions with other first spouses.

Appreciated so much the insider facts about life in the White House. That’s really why I wanted to read the book.

[Deanna · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really enjoyed learning more about Dr. Jill Biden and her experience as First Lady. I started reading this book physically, but then switched to the audiobook version because it’s narrated by her. I got this book at her Author Talk at Sixth and I the day after it was released.

Maybe I’m confusing myself based on what I heard at the talk versus what is mentioned in the book, but it is a really repetitive memoir. Sometimes Spotify will skip around if you listen to certain chapters and don’t listen to others (because sometimes I do a combo of both), and I could’ve sworn some of the stuff mentioned about Joe Biden’s debate that ultimately made him drop out of the race, having a prayer partner after losing faith following Beau’s death… I kept thinking, “wait, am I repeating a chapter I already listened to or read?” It was genuinely confusing. It felt like there was a repetition of stories in order to hit a word count. Her editor should’ve caught this and maybe should’ve structured the memoir better to cut the repeated material or put information about her life in chronological order.

I like her as a person. I love that she’s a teacher (because I’m a teacher too), but something about her makes me feel like despite having boots on the ground and teaching at a community college, she still felt disconnected from the everyday American experience. I expected more nitty gritty details of her journey as First Lady rather than hearing about planning galas and what designer outfits she chose. Maybe I went in with the expectation that her memoir would be written similar to Becoming by Michelle Obama but it fell flat for me.