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George & Barbara Bush: A Great American Love Story

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From teenage love to World War II to the White House--a love affair for the ages rooted in family and service.

"The First Couple of the Greatest Generation, the Bushes were bright and funny, strong and devoted, loving and enduring. Here is their story, wonderfully told by a granddaughter raised in the warm ethos of a fabled American family.” —Jon Meacham, Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer.

“To begin with I was in love and I am in love so that’s not hard,” Barbara Bush told her granddaughter Ellie LeBlond Sosa on her porch in Kennebunkport, Maine.

Sosa had asked for the secret to her and President George H.W. Bush's 77-year love affair that withstood World War II separation, a leap of faith into the oil fields of West Texas, the painful loss of a child, a political climb to the highest office, and after the White House, the transition back to a “normal” life.


Through a lifetime’s worth of letters, photographs, and stories, Sosa and coauthor Kelly Anne Chase paint the portrait of the enduring relationship of George and Barbara Bush. Sharing intimate interviews with the Bushes and family friends, this is a never-before-seen look into the private life of a very public couple.

240 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 2018

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Ellie Leblond Sosa

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5 stars
338 (49%)
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234 (34%)
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90 (13%)
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13 (1%)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 76 reviews
Profile Image for Eileen.
454 reviews100 followers
July 10, 2018
Written by their granddaughter, Ellie, this book offered a special window into the lives of the famous couple! The strength of their love is evident throughout. I was struck by the excerpts from George’s letters. He wrote to Barbara often, repeatedly expressing his devotion and reminding himself how lucky he was! He seemed to write prolifically to various family members also – his mother, as well as the kids and grandchildren.

I loved reading about how they met, and how the attraction was apparently instantaneous! It seems like such an innocent time, looking back. The war years and the loneliness of the long separations fascinated me, as my parents, too, fell in love and married during that time. Both George and Barbara seemed to have such a positive energy about them!

The book contained numerous black and white photos, along with letters which said so much so beautifully! I feel as though I know them a bit, and the aspects which came through are their warmth, the strong sense of family, and the importance of humor in their lives! In fact, Barbara is quoted on the back cover as saying that one of the reasons she married George was that he made her laugh!

The way they conducted themselves following the devastating defeat, when George failed to win reelection to the presidency, speaks volumes, and one cannot help but contrast that to the tone of today’s politics. ‘Humble in victory, gracious in defeat, went the mantra in the Bush home’. Barbara’s comment at the time shows her strength: ‘You know, I’m not one who looks back. I just say how lucky I was to have been there’. Through the snippets of his letters to various loved ones, one realizes what a sensitive, caring man George was, and how great was his depth of feeling. Several years ago, I read The Residence, by Kate Brower. I remember being fascinated by the author’s revelation that, in recent times, George and Barbara Bush were the presidential couple most beloved by the White House staff. Considering that they were both born to a life of privilege, that seemed noteworthy! The book isn’t long, less than two hundred pages, but it is rich indeed!
Profile Image for Unchong Berkey.
240 reviews1 follower
April 18, 2020
My thoughts as I listened to this read:
*George H.W. Bush was a man of a different era-his sense of duty to his country and family were VERY high.

*George & Barbara’s 77-years (ish?) of marriage—again, of a different era. Their loyalty and high regard for one another, through the toughest of times (including the death of their 3 yo daughter from leukemia), are what everyone wants in a marriage. Their letters to one another over the years communicate affection, commitment, and just a sense that they were each other’s biggest fans.

*The legacy of the family they raised is so respectable. The letters Bush wrote to his 5 adult children made me laugh and got me teary. His and Barbara’s love for their grandchildren were so tender and tough (especially Barbara’s). I want to be a grandma like her-no non-sense but deeply tender.

Profile Image for Johnny G..
808 reviews20 followers
December 16, 2018
When President Bush died, I wanted to know more about his life outside of his presidency. I did not want to read a 500 page biography, though. This is a well-written account charting the relationship of George and Barbara. They met on a dance floor when they were teenagers and the rest is history. I enjoyed all the letters and photos of the Bushes through the years.
Profile Image for Michael.
627 reviews24 followers
November 22, 2023
A different kind of book about a American President. This is really the story of the bond between President George H. W Bush and his wife Barbara as much as it is a relative biography of the both of them. A pretty decent dual biography. Lots of pictures. Only negative for me were the little blocks within each chapter with the personal stuff about the granddaughter who wrote the book.
Profile Image for Aryssa.
431 reviews47 followers
June 27, 2018
I'm not crying, you're crying.
Profile Image for Caitlin.
346 reviews67 followers
July 3, 2018
A beautiful "all American" love story.

This is a touching story of two people who fell in love, stayed in love, and built a legacy even though the odds were stacked against them. You don't see many public figures who have strong marriages, which might be why this love story is so touching. Poppy & Bar Bush navigated a changing world, public service, politics, the media, family tragedy, and 12 years in the White House...all by holding each other's hands and staying true to the vows they had made to each other.
Profile Image for Meredith.
122 reviews2 followers
February 1, 2020
My apologies in advance for this novel of a review! If you're looking for a quick snapshot of the book, perhaps look elsewhere. If you'd like my honest appraisal, read further.

This is an interesting book. I desperately want to give it 5 stars but don't feel that I can for a couple of reasons. (In fact, I was teetering on 3 stars until I was about half-way through and the book started to redeem itself.)

My sister introduced me to this book after we visited the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum in College Station. It's a biography of George and his wife Barbara with a focus on their relationship and marriage, and it is written by their granddaughter Ellie LeBlond Sosa. Since Sosa has no background in writing but wanted to tell her grandparents' story (something I really applaud), she partnered with a New England-based writer and magazine editor Kelly Anne Chase to write this book.

I've read a few other books like this, where the main author is not an experienced writer, or for some other reason doesn't feel comfortable writing by themself, so he or she teams up with someone who has an educational background in writing - someone who can help make the book as strong as possible. I Am Malala, for example, is the first book that comes to mind where this style worked wonderfully. For some sad reason, it wasn't such a success with Sosa's book.

The first half of this book, which covers the Bush's childhoods and young-adult lives read very awkwardly. The timeline of events from paragraph to paragraph seemed off and, even from sentence to sentence, I had a hard time absorbing and understanding the information and messages Sosa was trying to communicate.

I think the first half of the book was so much harder to digest because many of its subjects - the Bush's parents, grandparents, and siblings - are more unfamiliar to me as an audience than the Bush's children and grandchildren, who occupied more of the book's second half. However, this really shouldn't have been a problem with Chase's help. It was her job, not only as an experienced writer but as an outsider who was less familiar with the Bush family, to notice where the text was difficult to understand and offer suggestions for how Sosa could communicate her ideas more clearly.

In addition to an awkward writing style, I pretty consistently noticed strange punctuation and grammar choices, which distracted me and continued to make the book difficult to understand.

I pressed through the book's first half though, and as I said at the beginning of this review, the second half was much stronger. The flow of writing definitely improved, and it became much easier to follow Sosa's train of thought and the story's timeline.

To summarize this rather long review, I lay most of the blame for this book's partial failure to clearly communicate on Chase. As an experienced writer and editor, she should have caught many of the things that made the beginning of the book difficult to follow. If she were a good editor, she could have made improvements without compromising Sosa's voice.

Mechanics aside, I really did enjoy this book. There's no denying that the Bush's love story is, as the title suggests, great! I actually do recommend that you read this book. Just make sure you're at least slightly familiar with the Bush's history and story before diving in, lest you find yourself slightly lost. One fantastic way to familiarize yourself with them might be to visit the museum, about which I have nothing negative to say.
169 reviews1 follower
January 30, 2019
What a wonderful love story. No matter your political views, there is no doubt that George &Barbara Bush were lovely people so devoted to one another and to their family. I loved reading the letters and journal entries by each. One can only hope for such a loving supportive relationship such as theirs.
Profile Image for Deborah Martinez.
648 reviews
December 24, 2018
What a beautiful love story told by their granddaughter, Ellie! The numerous pictures and handwritten letters were heartfelt and just truly amazing to me! A great way for me to bring my 2018 reading to a close with a happy ending!
Profile Image for Sarah.
19 reviews7 followers
July 19, 2020
An inspirational love story in too many ways to count. They were exceptional people who lived a remarkable life and I am grateful their family has shared so many insights, quotes, and letters from these two timeless icons.
Profile Image for Kristin Murphy.
194 reviews3 followers
January 30, 2020
I really liked this book. It’s a beautiful love story of two people committed to each other despite the challenges of life in the public eye.
474 reviews
March 20, 2020
I so enjoyed this labor of love and devotion to Ellie's grandparents. George and Barbara Bush were truly the Greatest American Love Story. I smiled throughout reading this book. I wish we all could have a love story like this. Not only were they a great couple, they also were great parents and role models and instilled in their children and grandchildren all of the qualities that they themselves possessed.
Profile Image for Price.
152 reviews1 follower
May 25, 2020
A fun yet informative historical read! I enjoyed reading about the personal details between George and Barbra and their family over the course of their interesting life in politics. The letters and photographs sprinkled throughout helped bring the love story to life!
Profile Image for Anne.
170 reviews4 followers
December 23, 2018
I’ve read a lot of books about George and Barbara Bush. While this book does not offer a lot of new information in the telling of their love story, it does offer A LOT of new pictures. In addition, the personal insights offered by their granddaughter are something special. Both of these make it worth revisiting their great lives together.
Profile Image for Jim B.
880 reviews43 followers
July 4, 2019
This was one of our biographies-for-travel. It was easy to listen to, and a good reminder of decent people - better than decent: genuinely kind people. It wasn't that long ago that this kind of person was the American G.I. that made America so beloved internationally. It will be hard to believe in generations to come, so cynical and mocking have Americans become.

As other reviewers have mentioned, it was nice to have the politics in the background instead of the focus of the book. Even so, mentions of milestones such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) brought pleasant memories of the era and its bipartisan accomplishments.

A favorite moment: when the author was 5 she was painting a picture in school and a classmate said to her, "I hope your grandfather loses." She took her paint brush and painted a red line down the face of her class mate. I wish we could get away with that!
248 reviews1 follower
October 7, 2019
I have always been drawn to the open honesty and frankness of Barbara Bush. She loved and respected her husband, she raised wonderful moral children who in turn raised great positive families. She and Pres. Bush exuded love and devotion for each other. Their lives truly encompassed Faith and Family.
Profile Image for David Simon.
Author 4 books16 followers
April 26, 2019
This is an excellent book that shares the real George and Barbara bush through someone who knew them personally. The personal stories, and the told stories were great!
Profile Image for Annie Booker.
510 reviews5 followers
February 3, 2021
A lovely intimate look at this longtime marriage and partnership. I really enjoyed every word.
3 reviews
August 2, 2019
George and Barbara Bush: a great American love story delivers just that. It is a wonderful way to spend a summer day with a true life love story. With all the hallmarks of a great fiction, you can almost hear "Some Enchanted Evening" playing in the background as their eyes meet across a crowded room at a dance. The next thing you know, George is enlisting in the Navy and going off to fight in World War II, but not before asking the young beauty to marry him, and Barbara says,"Yes!." During the course of the war, George's plane is shot down and thankfully, he survives, comes home a hero, and they marry. This alone makes for a wonderful story.

The book shines with personal letters, pictures and accounts from the family in addition to those of George and Barbara Bush. After such an auspicious start, bad things were bound to happen. No life lived is perfect, and George and Barbara suffered the worst loss, that of their young daughter, Robin to leukemia. Many marriages could not have withstood such a tragedy. George stood strong for Barbara when she needed him most. When he suffered political setbacks, she was there for him. I think the key to their successful union can be summed up in a statement Mrs. Bush made to her granddaughter in an interview for this book the week before she died. She had been asked for marital advice and said "You have to go 75 percent of the way. Be thoughtful and make things nice for your husband or wife...it's a two-way street." I remembered thinking to myself when I read it that what a different place the world would be if everyone would treat each other in that way. Thinking of others above themselves was so evident in George and Barbara's volunteering and fundraising efforts, and it was passed down to their children and their grandchildren. They passionately pursued a lifetime of service and love for their country, for others and most of all for each other. They truly lived a great American love story.
Profile Image for Susan.
488 reviews16 followers
January 12, 2019
Enjoyed reading the nostalgic political life of George, and Barbara Bush. I wasn't interested in their romantic life when they were young. Though, it was fascinated. It didn't grabbed me as much as their political life. I enjoyed reading their letters to each other, and their love shines through. Also reading their letters especially the Pres. to their children. How much even in his busy life. He had time to write how he felt about his children. And had the time to play on their level. He, and Barbara are a time past in our political life has changed. The times they shared I with themselves, their children, and grandchildren, in Texas, the WH, in Kennebuckport, Maine is timeless. This is a love letter from their grand daughter to her grandparents. Given to her parents, and Bush family, and to the people of the United States of America. What a fine couple that will never be forgotten. A grand tribute to Barbara, and George H. Bush.
Profile Image for Mary.
922 reviews39 followers
October 12, 2020
I loved this Book. It is a wonderful story ... A love story! I cried and I laughed. When I started it, I was not sure if it was the right book for me. I lost my Husband in December of 2017. On the 15th of the month. I was not sure our Christmas was going to be okay. My grandchildren were very unhappy and they would cry at the drop of a hat when they thought about their PopPop.

It was a very quiet Christmas and because of my Daughter and her Xspouse we were able to get through it.

George and Barbara were very much involved with their children and grandchildren, just like Louis and me!

The book brought all of that back to me and felt so comforting to me. It was good to read about others who had a great love for eack other.

I picked up the phone and called my three sisters who were all married to thier soul mates for over 50 years. I was only married to my love for 35 years. But it is a wonderful book to read.

I would recommend it to anyone.
Profile Image for Abra.
21 reviews1 follower
January 29, 2025
It is perhaps unfortunate that I read this shortly after finishing Michelle Obamas book as the contrast between these presidential families was particularly striking. I’m trying to hold space - knowing that complete stories will never be made public (rightfully), but seeing Bush continue to put his career before his family (and particularly his wife’s mental health) was challenging to ignore after knowing Obama literally stayed home from voting to care for his sick toddler and be a support for his wife. Clear skies means stability and peace for one family and to the other, it harkens the reality of increased gang activity in the neighborhood she grew up in. Both of these perspectives are valid and deeply American and we must learn to be compassionate and curious about that which we do not understand.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Patsy Crawford.
141 reviews2 followers
December 13, 2018
LOVED THIS BOOK!! After President George H.W. Bush's funeral one week ago, I knew I knew that they lived in Texas, but I didn't know why? I knew just enough to be curious about the "REST OF THE STORY". I started the book about 7 or 8pm and finished about 11ish and went on to read the next President Bush book that I had purchased. Oh how I loved every story, every note, every detail of this love story. The Prince and the Princess. They both were genuine, well-mannered, good citizens of the United States of America and the whole, wide world.

We are all better Americans for many of the issues that the Bush family took care of. I felt blessed all day today after reading these two books.
Profile Image for Amanda.
1,504 reviews
June 28, 2023
I had to hurry and finish this book when I realized the audiobook was returning to the library within hours. This is a sweet book, a sweet love story about a love story. It has a lot of information and is easy to read, it even gets deep here and there. Most certainly it lacks the depth and dimension typical of a Presidential biography, but that is expected of a granddaughter writing about her beloved grandparents. Naturally, there is a bias. It didn't bother me, but if you want more about the political side of this couple this isn't the best read for that.
Loved the use of letters. How wonderful!
Profile Image for Alisa Luciano.
55 reviews
July 1, 2018
What a fantastic and personal perspective on the love of a couple who have lived and lead and loved well. I’ve read a number of biographies on the Bushes since April when Mrs. Bush passed away, but there is definitely something special and touching about this one. I enjoyed the unique perspective that Ellie Sosa adds with her notes about her grandparents and the unassuming manner with which the Bush grandchildren seem to carry themselves, obviously a legacy of the humble leaders who taught them well. This is a great read and I definitely enjoyed it.
Profile Image for Jennifer.
246 reviews11 followers
January 6, 2019
This book was inspiring in showcasing their love, devotion, and commitment to each other (and their family)- especially throughout times of separation due to the military and their support of each other throughout politics.

Everything I have heard about George and Barbara Bush throughout their funerals has increased my respect for them and my interest in wanting to learn more. As part of their funerals were held at my church and they could have been considered neighbors, they have become that much more interesting to me. This book was an enjoyable overall summary of their life together.
19 reviews
October 21, 2025
What I truly enjoyed about this book was the simplicity of an
enduring and lasting love.
Certainly the subjects were interesting based on what they have contributed to the world of politics, Yet they brought so much more to our lives based on their programs & fundraising as well as awareness for literacy,cancer, & aids.
George & Barbara Bush had a life not without challenges but
always with each other. Whenever you have to look into the eye of the storm it’s nice to know the one who means the most is there for you to lean on. Absolute proof that
“Love never fails”
Profile Image for Doris Herrmann.
94 reviews7 followers
June 7, 2018
This is such a sweet book. The story of two people who fell in love, this Great American Love Story just happens to be about a former president and his adoring wife. Much of what is in the book came from The Bush library, so there were no surprises, but I loved hearing the stories from the point of view of one of their grandchildren.

If you love presidential history or a great love story, this is for you!
108 reviews5 followers
February 3, 2019
I listened to this book on audible.com. The narrator did a great job.
This was fast moving. Really didn't spend a whole lot of time on the politics portion of his life, for which I was grateful.
Written by one of their grandchildren telling their love story.
I do not care for the nickname George had for Barbara...."Barr". Got really tired of hearing it too.
Particularly sad as it neared the very end since they are both no longer living.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 76 reviews

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