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The Matriarch: Barbara Bush and the Making of an American Dynasty
INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
"[The] rare biography of a public figure that's not only beautifully written, but also shockingly revelatory." -- The Atlantic
A vivid biography of former First Lady Barbara Bush, one of the most influential and under-appreciated women in American political history.
Barbara Pierce Bush was one of the country's most popular and powerful figures, yet her full story has never been told.
THE MATRIARCH tells the riveting tale of a woman who helped define two American presidencies and an entire political era. Written by USA TODAY's Washington Bureau chief Susan Page, this biography is informed by more than one hundred interviews with Bush friends and family members, hours of conversation with Mrs. Bush herself in the final six months of her life, and access to her diaries that spanned decades. THE MATRIARCH examines not only her public persona but also less well-known aspects of her remarkable life.
As a girl in Rye, New York, Barbara Bush weathered criticism of her weight from her mother, barbs that left lifelong scars. As a young wife, she coped with the death of her three-year-old daughter from leukemia, a loss that changed her forever. In middle age, she grappled with depression so serious that she contemplated suicide. And as first the wife and then the mother of American presidents, she made history as the only woman to see -- and advise -- both her husband and son in the Oval Office.
As with many women of her era, Barbara Bush was routinely underestimated, her contributions often neither recognized nor acknowledged. But she became an astute and trusted political campaign strategist and a beloved First Lady. She invested herself deeply in expanding literacy programs in America, played a critical role in the end of the Cold War, and led the way in demonstrating love and compassion to those with HIV/AIDS. With her cooperation, this book offers Barbara Bush's last words for history -- on the evolution of her party, on the role of women, on Donald Trump, and on her family's legacy.
Barbara Bush's accomplishments, struggles, and contributions are many. Now, Susan Page explores them all in THE MATRIARCH, a groundbreaking book certain to cement Barbara Bush as one of the most unique and influential women in American history.
"[The] rare biography of a public figure that's not only beautifully written, but also shockingly revelatory." -- The Atlantic
A vivid biography of former First Lady Barbara Bush, one of the most influential and under-appreciated women in American political history.
Barbara Pierce Bush was one of the country's most popular and powerful figures, yet her full story has never been told.
THE MATRIARCH tells the riveting tale of a woman who helped define two American presidencies and an entire political era. Written by USA TODAY's Washington Bureau chief Susan Page, this biography is informed by more than one hundred interviews with Bush friends and family members, hours of conversation with Mrs. Bush herself in the final six months of her life, and access to her diaries that spanned decades. THE MATRIARCH examines not only her public persona but also less well-known aspects of her remarkable life.
As a girl in Rye, New York, Barbara Bush weathered criticism of her weight from her mother, barbs that left lifelong scars. As a young wife, she coped with the death of her three-year-old daughter from leukemia, a loss that changed her forever. In middle age, she grappled with depression so serious that she contemplated suicide. And as first the wife and then the mother of American presidents, she made history as the only woman to see -- and advise -- both her husband and son in the Oval Office.
As with many women of her era, Barbara Bush was routinely underestimated, her contributions often neither recognized nor acknowledged. But she became an astute and trusted political campaign strategist and a beloved First Lady. She invested herself deeply in expanding literacy programs in America, played a critical role in the end of the Cold War, and led the way in demonstrating love and compassion to those with HIV/AIDS. With her cooperation, this book offers Barbara Bush's last words for history -- on the evolution of her party, on the role of women, on Donald Trump, and on her family's legacy.
Barbara Bush's accomplishments, struggles, and contributions are many. Now, Susan Page explores them all in THE MATRIARCH, a groundbreaking book certain to cement Barbara Bush as one of the most unique and influential women in American history.
432 pages, Paperback
First published April 2, 2019
1752 people are currently reading
3112 people want to read
About the author
Susan Page
4 books116 followersSusan Page is the Washington Bureau chief of USA Today, where she writes about politics and the White House. Susan has covered seven White House administrations and in 2024 covered her 12th presidential election. She has interviewed the past ten presidents -- from Richard Nixon through Donald Trump -- and reported from six continents and dozens of foreign countries. (She interviewed three of the presidents after they had left the White House.) In 2020, she moderated the campaign debate between Vice President Mike Pence and Democratic candidate Kamala Harris. Yes, that was the one with the fly. She frequently appears as an analyst on TV and radio. She's written three books and is working on her fourth, to be published by HarperCollins in April 2026.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 566 reviews
June 24, 2019
4.5 I've always respected Barbara Bush, and her dedication to her husband and family. I never knew though, the extent of her contributions and the issues she took on making her own contribution, outside of family. She was in all ways amazing, an uncanny intuition on the issues and world leaders, which proved pivotal on more than one occasion. Her common sense, her matter of fact outlook on the personal and political, were noteworthy. Amazing in this day and age, where so much is centered on looks, she decided to show her age, not making apologies.
A good combination of the personal, the family's tragedies and triumphs, and the political. Her early years, her first glimpse of the man who would become her husband. A love and marriage that lasted so many years. The author was given access to Barbara's diaries, by Barbara herself. Her stance, many kept private on the issues of the day. Her opinions on those who were in the White House before and after the first Bush presidency. Her opinions surprisingly matched mine, but I will not tell you what they are, you need to read the book yourself.
The beginning is emotional as is the end. I was not surprised to find years welling in my mind. A long life, long marriage, a noted political family, the insides and outs, sacrifices made, times of falling apart, times of admirable strength, all wonderfully portrayed. I would have loved to have had a conversation with this remarkable women. Think we would have gotten along fabulously.
The narrator was Kate Levy and she did a great job. I rated the book 4, the narration 4 and Barbara Bush herself a 5.
A good combination of the personal, the family's tragedies and triumphs, and the political. Her early years, her first glimpse of the man who would become her husband. A love and marriage that lasted so many years. The author was given access to Barbara's diaries, by Barbara herself. Her stance, many kept private on the issues of the day. Her opinions on those who were in the White House before and after the first Bush presidency. Her opinions surprisingly matched mine, but I will not tell you what they are, you need to read the book yourself.
The beginning is emotional as is the end. I was not surprised to find years welling in my mind. A long life, long marriage, a noted political family, the insides and outs, sacrifices made, times of falling apart, times of admirable strength, all wonderfully portrayed. I would have loved to have had a conversation with this remarkable women. Think we would have gotten along fabulously.
The narrator was Kate Levy and she did a great job. I rated the book 4, the narration 4 and Barbara Bush herself a 5.
May 14, 2019
During women’s history month I pointed out that if I wanted to I could take a year and focus my reading on memoirs and biographies of remarkable women. That has not come to fruition as of yet, but when I heard about a new biography about Barbara Bush, wife and mother of presidents, I knew that it was a book waiting for me to read. I have previously read Mrs Bush’s memoirs as well as President George HW Bush’s volume of letters so I felt I knew about the President and First Lady away from the spotlight of the White House. The memoirs and letters left me with the feeling that the Bushes were America’s First grandparents, loving people who represented strong family values and would make the correct moral decisions to lead the United States. Following both Bush’s passings within seven months of each other, I put a hold in for Jon Meacham’s biography of a President Bush; timely, the wait was over fifty people. Back tracking, I put in an early request for American Matriarch, and to my pleasant surprise, the wait was not all that long. As the old saying goes, ladies first.
Barbara Pierce Bush was born in Queens, New York on June 25, 1925. She could trace her family on both sides to the Mayflower and earlier and list amongst her illustrious family, Franklin Pierce, a fourth cousin who was an oft-maligned President of the United States. Her father Marvin Pierce was an editor of McCall’s Magazine and had multiple contacts on Wall Street so despite growing up during the Depression, Barbara Pierce grew up in affluence in suburban Rye, New York. Yet, she was not a favorite of her mother Pauline who favored her sister Martha, a beauty, and younger brother Scott, who had health problems. Barbara did not come into her own until she went to boarding school at Ashley Hall in South Carolina away from her mother’s gazing eye. It was during these years on a break from school that she met George Bush for the first time, and it was love at first sight for both. They would get married on January 5, 1944 when she was nineteen and he was twenty, and they would stay married for seventy three years, the longest of any American President.
Historians refer to George and Barbara Bush as the President and First Lady of the Greatest Generation. Following George’s service in World War II where he was a decorated fighter pilot, he finished Yale in two and a half years. George desired to make a name and career for himself away from his father Prescott, who would be elected to the senate and his mother’s family who were successful on Wall Street. The Bush’s set out for the West Texas oil boom, and rest, one can say, is history. George Bush always had his eye on politics and was on the road often. Barbara was given the moniker Midland, Texas’ original soccer mom as she shuttled her boys to little league games and served as a Cub Scout den leader. She was the one who would help with homework and deal with scrapes and bruises and loved her job as a mother. Later, in life as First Lady, Barbara Bush was asked to give the commencement address at Wellesley College in Massachusetts. She was given flak for not being a feminist and following her husband as her pursued higher office, giving up a career for her husband’s career. Yet, in the generation before the Feminine Mystique, which Barbara Bush never read, women did stay home as mothers and it was strong willed women like Barbara Bush who instilled family values to her children, one of whom would also go on to become President.
Susan Page produces a positive look at Barbara Bush’s life. She reveals how Mrs Bush demonstrated perseverance during her daughter Robin’s illness and how George and Barbara became rocks for each other following her death in 1953. She does not gloss over Barbara’s bouts with depression during her husband’s tenure as director of the CIA or her feud with Nancy Reagan. I felt that Page could have done without the sections on Mrs Reagan; however, the feud highlighted the contrast in their personalities and revealed Mrs Bush in an even more positive light. The Wellesley naysayers aside, Mrs Bush used her platform as First Lady to speak out about pediatric cancer research, AIDS/HIV awareness, and to promote literacy in children and adults. The Barbara Bush Foundation for Literacy exists to this day and has entered the 21st century as developers have produced an app that teaches literacy without having to attend a class or program. Page argues that if Barbara Bush had been born in a later generation, her qualities and values would have made her a CEO or a politician in her own right, yet as a parent to the baby boom generation, Mrs Bush would be the glue that held her family together and produce the closest thing to American political royalty.
Barbara and George Bush were married for seventy three years, with him passing on only seven months after her. In an interview late in her life, Mrs Bush is asked if their is another presidency in her family’s future, ensuring the Bush’s place as a political dynasty. Her answer was that there are a lot of great families and she hopes not; however, grandson George P. Bush has hinted about running for higher office. Today, the seventeen Bush grandchildren serve their country in different ways, running non profit organizations, foundations, and one holding a statewide elected office. Instilling strong values in her children and grandchildren and being labeled as an Enforcer by her progeny, Barbara Bush was hardly one to hide behind her husband; she spoke her mind and was an extra mouthpiece for her husband’s administration and offered unsolicited advice to her son’s. Perhaps if Barbara Bush was born a generation or two later, she could have been president. She was well liked and exhibited the qualities one needs to run for high office. After her passing on April 17, 2018, she certainly left her mark on American politics.
4 stars
Barbara Pierce Bush was born in Queens, New York on June 25, 1925. She could trace her family on both sides to the Mayflower and earlier and list amongst her illustrious family, Franklin Pierce, a fourth cousin who was an oft-maligned President of the United States. Her father Marvin Pierce was an editor of McCall’s Magazine and had multiple contacts on Wall Street so despite growing up during the Depression, Barbara Pierce grew up in affluence in suburban Rye, New York. Yet, she was not a favorite of her mother Pauline who favored her sister Martha, a beauty, and younger brother Scott, who had health problems. Barbara did not come into her own until she went to boarding school at Ashley Hall in South Carolina away from her mother’s gazing eye. It was during these years on a break from school that she met George Bush for the first time, and it was love at first sight for both. They would get married on January 5, 1944 when she was nineteen and he was twenty, and they would stay married for seventy three years, the longest of any American President.
Historians refer to George and Barbara Bush as the President and First Lady of the Greatest Generation. Following George’s service in World War II where he was a decorated fighter pilot, he finished Yale in two and a half years. George desired to make a name and career for himself away from his father Prescott, who would be elected to the senate and his mother’s family who were successful on Wall Street. The Bush’s set out for the West Texas oil boom, and rest, one can say, is history. George Bush always had his eye on politics and was on the road often. Barbara was given the moniker Midland, Texas’ original soccer mom as she shuttled her boys to little league games and served as a Cub Scout den leader. She was the one who would help with homework and deal with scrapes and bruises and loved her job as a mother. Later, in life as First Lady, Barbara Bush was asked to give the commencement address at Wellesley College in Massachusetts. She was given flak for not being a feminist and following her husband as her pursued higher office, giving up a career for her husband’s career. Yet, in the generation before the Feminine Mystique, which Barbara Bush never read, women did stay home as mothers and it was strong willed women like Barbara Bush who instilled family values to her children, one of whom would also go on to become President.
Susan Page produces a positive look at Barbara Bush’s life. She reveals how Mrs Bush demonstrated perseverance during her daughter Robin’s illness and how George and Barbara became rocks for each other following her death in 1953. She does not gloss over Barbara’s bouts with depression during her husband’s tenure as director of the CIA or her feud with Nancy Reagan. I felt that Page could have done without the sections on Mrs Reagan; however, the feud highlighted the contrast in their personalities and revealed Mrs Bush in an even more positive light. The Wellesley naysayers aside, Mrs Bush used her platform as First Lady to speak out about pediatric cancer research, AIDS/HIV awareness, and to promote literacy in children and adults. The Barbara Bush Foundation for Literacy exists to this day and has entered the 21st century as developers have produced an app that teaches literacy without having to attend a class or program. Page argues that if Barbara Bush had been born in a later generation, her qualities and values would have made her a CEO or a politician in her own right, yet as a parent to the baby boom generation, Mrs Bush would be the glue that held her family together and produce the closest thing to American political royalty.
Barbara and George Bush were married for seventy three years, with him passing on only seven months after her. In an interview late in her life, Mrs Bush is asked if their is another presidency in her family’s future, ensuring the Bush’s place as a political dynasty. Her answer was that there are a lot of great families and she hopes not; however, grandson George P. Bush has hinted about running for higher office. Today, the seventeen Bush grandchildren serve their country in different ways, running non profit organizations, foundations, and one holding a statewide elected office. Instilling strong values in her children and grandchildren and being labeled as an Enforcer by her progeny, Barbara Bush was hardly one to hide behind her husband; she spoke her mind and was an extra mouthpiece for her husband’s administration and offered unsolicited advice to her son’s. Perhaps if Barbara Bush was born a generation or two later, she could have been president. She was well liked and exhibited the qualities one needs to run for high office. After her passing on April 17, 2018, she certainly left her mark on American politics.
4 stars
April 2, 2019
I've never particularly been a fan of Barbara Pierce Bush. She has always struck me as a woman with a waspish tongue and a rather prickly personality. I knew her adulthood had been shaped by the death of a daughter at the age of three from leukemia and from her long-term marriage to George Bush. But I was anxious to read Susan Page's new biography, "The Matriarch: Barbara Bush and the Making of an American Dynasty." The book is very good and I've learned a bit about Mrs Bush that I didn't know before.
There were three or four parts of Mrs Bush's life I thought were interesting and well-explored in Susan Page's book. One is the illness and death of young Robin Bush in the early 1950's, six months after having been diagnosed with childhood leukemia. Much has been made of the fact that George and Barbara played a round of golf after Robin died. But the truth was that both Bushes had spent months at Robin's bedside, nursing her though her treatments, and helping her along. Barbara Bush made one rule and that was no one could cry around Robin. The round of golf was a release needed by both grieving parents. And, of course, there was very little support for young George W in his grief over losing his sister.
I also didn't realise that Barbara Bush and Nancy Reagan hated each other. Both women were famous for protecting their husbands and Reagan was reacting to the somewhat vicious 1980 primary where George Bush ran against Ronald Reagan. Nancy was vile in her cold relations with the Bushes, leading to a final blow-up between the two women after Bush left office.
Susan Page selected several other themes in Barbara Bush's life to explore in detail. She tells about George Bush's affair - or was it an affair? - with his aide Jennifer Fitzgerald, who was sort of around for a longish period in the 1980's. Whatever the relationship was, George Bush did little to clean up the situation, even knowing about his wife's distress.
But Page writes movingly about Barbara Bush's period of depression in the 1980's. It was deep and it was dark and I can't figure out exactly how Bush came out of it. Those are just a few of the topics Susan Page covers in the biography. Page is a very "easy" and smooth writer. I have a better view of Barbara Pierce Bush after reading the book.
There were three or four parts of Mrs Bush's life I thought were interesting and well-explored in Susan Page's book. One is the illness and death of young Robin Bush in the early 1950's, six months after having been diagnosed with childhood leukemia. Much has been made of the fact that George and Barbara played a round of golf after Robin died. But the truth was that both Bushes had spent months at Robin's bedside, nursing her though her treatments, and helping her along. Barbara Bush made one rule and that was no one could cry around Robin. The round of golf was a release needed by both grieving parents. And, of course, there was very little support for young George W in his grief over losing his sister.
I also didn't realise that Barbara Bush and Nancy Reagan hated each other. Both women were famous for protecting their husbands and Reagan was reacting to the somewhat vicious 1980 primary where George Bush ran against Ronald Reagan. Nancy was vile in her cold relations with the Bushes, leading to a final blow-up between the two women after Bush left office.
Susan Page selected several other themes in Barbara Bush's life to explore in detail. She tells about George Bush's affair - or was it an affair? - with his aide Jennifer Fitzgerald, who was sort of around for a longish period in the 1980's. Whatever the relationship was, George Bush did little to clean up the situation, even knowing about his wife's distress.
But Page writes movingly about Barbara Bush's period of depression in the 1980's. It was deep and it was dark and I can't figure out exactly how Bush came out of it. Those are just a few of the topics Susan Page covers in the biography. Page is a very "easy" and smooth writer. I have a better view of Barbara Pierce Bush after reading the book.
May 7, 2019
While some perceived the 41st First Lady of the U.S. as an anachronism with her grandmotherly appearance and seemingly old-fashioned attitudes to wifely and family responsibilities over her own educational and career opportunities, Susan Page in her book The Matriarch: Barbara Bush and the Making of an American Dynasty reveals the woman, behind the scenes in her husband's goals and career advancement, as having compassion, fortitude, strength and perseverance.
The author makes great use Mrs. Bush's diaries, personal papers, letters, relative and friend interviews, colleagues, press and TV interviews, and of course the 5 personal interviews granted to Page. This is a well researched biography that begins with Mrs. Bush's childhood, overcoming childhood insecurities about her "chubbiness" and her mother's criticisms, her school and college days, as well as the first introductions of George Bush and Barbara Pierce.
Mrs. Bush does devote herself to her husband and family, completely loyal, but never subservient. As the author tells us about her role in the political life of George Bush, she shows us that it is Barbara who is ever watchful, cunningly intuitive, and critically aware of others who may not be looking out for the best interests of her husband ... she always "had his back." Barbara Bush is described as the force behind her family of 5 children (not including the early death of their daughter, Robin) always encouraging them to lead independent and purposeful lives; and as the "rock" to her husband throughout his political losses and wins advising him of her thoughts and ideas from behind the scenes (and sometimes not so behind the scenes). Her diplomacy and wit with foreign leaders such as Gorbachev and his wife Raisa , King Hussein, Brian Mulroney among others helped ease diplomatic tensions and permitted dialogue that resolved issues. Her husband trusted her implicitly. As her children created their own lives and as First Lady she seized upon the opportunity to do good herself by promoting literacy among children and especially among adults. She had contributed on the local level raising money for the Literacy Volunteers of America previously, but as First Lady (per www.bush41.org) she launched the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy, focusing simultaneously on early childhood education for preschoolers and adult literacy for their parents. She also launched Mrs. Bush's Story Time, a national radio program that stressed the importance of reading aloud to children. In 1991, Mrs. Bush and other advocates celebrated the passage of the National Literacy Act, which created the National Institute for Literacy and permitted the use of libraries and other municipal property as evening literacy centers for adults. She also became an advocate for HIV/AIDS education that led ultimately to erasing the stigma of that disease, and encouraged her husband’s administration to increase funding for AIDS research and treatment. Though not a professional woman, she had a big impact.
Susan Page presents an even-handed view of Barbara Bush by also including Bush's struggles with the death of her daughter in 1953, her bout with depression, her feud with Nancy Reagan, her sometimes caustic remarks and criticisms, her tendency to hold grudges and suspicion toward those she thinks were harmful to her husband and family, and at times she came across as petty, bullyish and quick to judge. She could also make statements that were not filtered that came across as denigrating.
The writing in this book is engaging and informative. Some chapters about the politics, opposing candidates, and voting were a bit dry (some of which I skimmed) and there are repetitious wordings and thoughts throughout the book where I thought, "OK, let's move on." I also at times got the idea that the author was in some way diminishing George Bush's decision making ability when claiming he trusted Barbara implicitly and relied on Barbara's thoughts and opinions before he would decide an issue.
A good book, though, and I gained a lot of knowledge of First Lady 41.
The author makes great use Mrs. Bush's diaries, personal papers, letters, relative and friend interviews, colleagues, press and TV interviews, and of course the 5 personal interviews granted to Page. This is a well researched biography that begins with Mrs. Bush's childhood, overcoming childhood insecurities about her "chubbiness" and her mother's criticisms, her school and college days, as well as the first introductions of George Bush and Barbara Pierce.
Mrs. Bush does devote herself to her husband and family, completely loyal, but never subservient. As the author tells us about her role in the political life of George Bush, she shows us that it is Barbara who is ever watchful, cunningly intuitive, and critically aware of others who may not be looking out for the best interests of her husband ... she always "had his back." Barbara Bush is described as the force behind her family of 5 children (not including the early death of their daughter, Robin) always encouraging them to lead independent and purposeful lives; and as the "rock" to her husband throughout his political losses and wins advising him of her thoughts and ideas from behind the scenes (and sometimes not so behind the scenes). Her diplomacy and wit with foreign leaders such as Gorbachev and his wife Raisa , King Hussein, Brian Mulroney among others helped ease diplomatic tensions and permitted dialogue that resolved issues. Her husband trusted her implicitly. As her children created their own lives and as First Lady she seized upon the opportunity to do good herself by promoting literacy among children and especially among adults. She had contributed on the local level raising money for the Literacy Volunteers of America previously, but as First Lady (per www.bush41.org) she launched the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy, focusing simultaneously on early childhood education for preschoolers and adult literacy for their parents. She also launched Mrs. Bush's Story Time, a national radio program that stressed the importance of reading aloud to children. In 1991, Mrs. Bush and other advocates celebrated the passage of the National Literacy Act, which created the National Institute for Literacy and permitted the use of libraries and other municipal property as evening literacy centers for adults. She also became an advocate for HIV/AIDS education that led ultimately to erasing the stigma of that disease, and encouraged her husband’s administration to increase funding for AIDS research and treatment. Though not a professional woman, she had a big impact.
Susan Page presents an even-handed view of Barbara Bush by also including Bush's struggles with the death of her daughter in 1953, her bout with depression, her feud with Nancy Reagan, her sometimes caustic remarks and criticisms, her tendency to hold grudges and suspicion toward those she thinks were harmful to her husband and family, and at times she came across as petty, bullyish and quick to judge. She could also make statements that were not filtered that came across as denigrating.
The writing in this book is engaging and informative. Some chapters about the politics, opposing candidates, and voting were a bit dry (some of which I skimmed) and there are repetitious wordings and thoughts throughout the book where I thought, "OK, let's move on." I also at times got the idea that the author was in some way diminishing George Bush's decision making ability when claiming he trusted Barbara implicitly and relied on Barbara's thoughts and opinions before he would decide an issue.
A good book, though, and I gained a lot of knowledge of First Lady 41.
November 24, 2020
This was, in many respects, a fine biography. It treats its subject kindly, quotes Barbara Bush's journals enough to provide new material, and focuses on some of the emotional high and low points in her life. But in the end, it left me feeling dissatisfied.
I think the problem is on the one hand, Susan Page presents Barbara Bush as America's Grandma: a tough, loving little woman who dutifully filled her role as wife and mother and supported her husband's decisions. On the other hand, she gives us glimpses of a snarky, opinionated, and harsh woman who didn't hold back and didn't fit in with anyone's idea of a traditional grandma.
I wanted to get to know that second woman better. She reminded me of my own grandma. But Page is much more interested in the first portrait and she continually emphasizes how much Barbara Bush sacrificed by "marrying the first boy she ever kissed" (a phrase you will come to hate by the end of the book because she says it so many times.) She will remind you nearly every chapter that George H.W. Bush did not consult his wife before moving them to Texas or running for politics. And she'll recount every single time Barbara gave advice and H.W. ignored it (usually to his detriment.) Even the title of the book ("The Matriarch") places Barbara in the context of her extended, influential family.
But it doesn't really give us a clear glimpse of Barbara Bush herself. It is Page who wants to push this "generational gap" that made her stay home and care for her kids, contrasting her with Hilary Clinton. It is Page who wants to relish the reverse gender roles in the Bush marriage. (With Barbara being the unforgiving, hard thinking one and H.W. the more emotional, kind-hearted one.) And it is Page who continually harps on what a success Barbara could have been if she'd only been born a generation later.
Maybe Barbara Bush thought those things. Maybe she mourned them. But the woman who kept peaking through this biography didn't seem that way to me. She wasn't mourning that she didn't have a chance to run for president herself. She seemed pretty in love with her life and her role. There is a part by the end where Page asks both Barbara and H.W. if he would have become president without his wife. And both said, "Yeah, probably." Which clearly dissatisfies this autobiographer. Page is convinced Barbara Bush was the secret sauce that pushed her husband (and definitely her son) into the presidency. And maybe she's right. But that doesn't really seem to be something that mattered to Barbara much.
It is funny that this book wants to frame Barbara Bush so much in the feminist debate of stay-at-home versus career women. The biography looks kindly upon her, even sympathizes with her frustration when people questioned her decision to stay home and raise her kids while her husband traveled, but in the end it gives Barbara Bush the same treatment she found so frustrating. It insists on wondering what she could have accomplished in a different milieu, a different age.
And you can't really do that to a woman like Barbara Bush, or perhaps any woman in history. We are all creature of our age, no matter how strong our personalities. To place her in any other context is to lose the rich, wonderful uniqueness that was this first lady.
I think the problem is on the one hand, Susan Page presents Barbara Bush as America's Grandma: a tough, loving little woman who dutifully filled her role as wife and mother and supported her husband's decisions. On the other hand, she gives us glimpses of a snarky, opinionated, and harsh woman who didn't hold back and didn't fit in with anyone's idea of a traditional grandma.
I wanted to get to know that second woman better. She reminded me of my own grandma. But Page is much more interested in the first portrait and she continually emphasizes how much Barbara Bush sacrificed by "marrying the first boy she ever kissed" (a phrase you will come to hate by the end of the book because she says it so many times.) She will remind you nearly every chapter that George H.W. Bush did not consult his wife before moving them to Texas or running for politics. And she'll recount every single time Barbara gave advice and H.W. ignored it (usually to his detriment.) Even the title of the book ("The Matriarch") places Barbara in the context of her extended, influential family.
But it doesn't really give us a clear glimpse of Barbara Bush herself. It is Page who wants to push this "generational gap" that made her stay home and care for her kids, contrasting her with Hilary Clinton. It is Page who wants to relish the reverse gender roles in the Bush marriage. (With Barbara being the unforgiving, hard thinking one and H.W. the more emotional, kind-hearted one.) And it is Page who continually harps on what a success Barbara could have been if she'd only been born a generation later.
Maybe Barbara Bush thought those things. Maybe she mourned them. But the woman who kept peaking through this biography didn't seem that way to me. She wasn't mourning that she didn't have a chance to run for president herself. She seemed pretty in love with her life and her role. There is a part by the end where Page asks both Barbara and H.W. if he would have become president without his wife. And both said, "Yeah, probably." Which clearly dissatisfies this autobiographer. Page is convinced Barbara Bush was the secret sauce that pushed her husband (and definitely her son) into the presidency. And maybe she's right. But that doesn't really seem to be something that mattered to Barbara much.
It is funny that this book wants to frame Barbara Bush so much in the feminist debate of stay-at-home versus career women. The biography looks kindly upon her, even sympathizes with her frustration when people questioned her decision to stay home and raise her kids while her husband traveled, but in the end it gives Barbara Bush the same treatment she found so frustrating. It insists on wondering what she could have accomplished in a different milieu, a different age.
And you can't really do that to a woman like Barbara Bush, or perhaps any woman in history. We are all creature of our age, no matter how strong our personalities. To place her in any other context is to lose the rich, wonderful uniqueness that was this first lady.
April 14, 2019
Barbara Bush is only the second first lady to be the wife and mother of presidents. Abigail Adams was the other. Susan Page has done a good job with the biography of Barbara Bush.
The book is well written and researched. Page had access to Bush’s private diaries and papers. She also had multiple interviews with BB as well as her family, friends and colleagues. In fact, she interviewed over 100 people. Page appears to reveal more of the personal side of BB including spending more time with the death of her daughter, Robin. She also covers her husband’s affair with a young woman, Jennifer Fitzgerald, as well as her decade long fight with depression. I have always had some sympathy for the first ladies. As many were forced into roles they did not want by their husband’s careers. I am impressed with the writing skills of Susan Page. I have watched her on television as one of those talking heads. She did an excellent job with the neutral biography of Barbara Bush.
I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. The book is twelve hours and forty-six minutes. Kate Levy does a good job narrating the book. Levy is an actress and audiobook narrator.
The book is well written and researched. Page had access to Bush’s private diaries and papers. She also had multiple interviews with BB as well as her family, friends and colleagues. In fact, she interviewed over 100 people. Page appears to reveal more of the personal side of BB including spending more time with the death of her daughter, Robin. She also covers her husband’s affair with a young woman, Jennifer Fitzgerald, as well as her decade long fight with depression. I have always had some sympathy for the first ladies. As many were forced into roles they did not want by their husband’s careers. I am impressed with the writing skills of Susan Page. I have watched her on television as one of those talking heads. She did an excellent job with the neutral biography of Barbara Bush.
I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. The book is twelve hours and forty-six minutes. Kate Levy does a good job narrating the book. Levy is an actress and audiobook narrator.
September 29, 2019
4.5 ⭐️ I don’t know where to start with this book! I really really enjoyed it, but didn’t expect to when I first started it. I can now say without a doubt that I have a deep respect for Barbara Bush. The only thing I knew about her before starting this book was that she was a member of the same sorority as me and that she was the wife and mother of former presidents. Now, after finishing the book, I truly understand the impact she made not only in politics but also the world! A must read if you enjoy biographies! I’m normally not one for biographies, but I really enjoyed this one!
October 25, 2019
A mostly sympathetic but not sycophantic biography of a truly formidable woman not known for holding her tongue. This is Susan Page's first book, and it comes off fairly well. Her interview efforts are obvious, as she managed to speak to most if not all of the extended Bush family, along with political heavyweights and non-political friends. Of especial note is Page's series of interviews with Barbara Bush (and also George H. W. Bush) prior to her death. Considering that Barbara Bush was very free with dispensing opinions, the interviews had to have been fascinating for Page to conduct, and interesting for readers to read.
Why do I say sympathetic? It is clear that Page admires Barbara Bush - and certainly with good reason as there is much to admire in her long life. While Page does not shy away from the rough edges that Bush possessed (indeed, those are mentioned throughout the book) you can tell that the emphasis is on her devotion to her family, to her husband, to helping him further his career, and to her outspoken, brutally honest way of calling things (and people) like she saw them. I do not consider any of this to be a negative reflection on page. Not at all. Yet what is missing is interviews with anyone who didn't particularly like her or the Bushes, or perhaps were not so admiring of them. An example: much is written about Barbara's difficult relationship with Nancy Reagan. Now, not for a moment, do I have any interest in taking Nancy Reagan's side of the story. In fact, I doubt I would. But my point is this: nobody from the Reagan circle (Nancy already being deceased) was in this book. I am sure they would have some different things to say about Barbara Bush than what we get in Page's book. There are two sides to everything.
Page does a good job of really getting into what Bush's life was like, using her own words to tell some of the story. She begins not with her birth, but with the tragic death of the Bushes' three-year-old daughter Robin in 1953, from leukemia. Both Bushes barely made it through that difficult period, and no wonder. What Page does well is explain how Barbara used that horrible experience to temper her attitude towards others later on in life, such as those diagnosed with HIV/AIDS in the 1980s and early 1990s.
The other, though in comparison to the death of Robin, lesser trials are covered as well. Page reveals how down-in-the-dumps the Bushes were when George lost the 1992 election to Bill Clinton. For a moment, Page comes close to going too far towards making a sympathy case for the Bushes, when she writes about them not realizing how much groceries or new cars cost (page 257). Ironic, considering one of the most likely reasons that he lost the election was because many people viewed George as out of touch with everyday concerns such as the cost of food.
The Epilogue also seems a bit off the mark. It consists of Page asking quite a few of the many people that she interviewed, if George Bush would have ever become President had he not married Barbara? It's not a question that can ever really be answered, so why ask it? It's pretty clear that she was integral to his entire life and his political career. But beyond that, it is pure speculation. Still, this is a worthy biography of an underestimated lady who had a mix of pampered lifestyle and real, awful heartache. Barbara Bush led a very interesting life, and it is most definitely worth reading about.
Grade: B+
Why do I say sympathetic? It is clear that Page admires Barbara Bush - and certainly with good reason as there is much to admire in her long life. While Page does not shy away from the rough edges that Bush possessed (indeed, those are mentioned throughout the book) you can tell that the emphasis is on her devotion to her family, to her husband, to helping him further his career, and to her outspoken, brutally honest way of calling things (and people) like she saw them. I do not consider any of this to be a negative reflection on page. Not at all. Yet what is missing is interviews with anyone who didn't particularly like her or the Bushes, or perhaps were not so admiring of them. An example: much is written about Barbara's difficult relationship with Nancy Reagan. Now, not for a moment, do I have any interest in taking Nancy Reagan's side of the story. In fact, I doubt I would. But my point is this: nobody from the Reagan circle (Nancy already being deceased) was in this book. I am sure they would have some different things to say about Barbara Bush than what we get in Page's book. There are two sides to everything.
Page does a good job of really getting into what Bush's life was like, using her own words to tell some of the story. She begins not with her birth, but with the tragic death of the Bushes' three-year-old daughter Robin in 1953, from leukemia. Both Bushes barely made it through that difficult period, and no wonder. What Page does well is explain how Barbara used that horrible experience to temper her attitude towards others later on in life, such as those diagnosed with HIV/AIDS in the 1980s and early 1990s.
The other, though in comparison to the death of Robin, lesser trials are covered as well. Page reveals how down-in-the-dumps the Bushes were when George lost the 1992 election to Bill Clinton. For a moment, Page comes close to going too far towards making a sympathy case for the Bushes, when she writes about them not realizing how much groceries or new cars cost (page 257). Ironic, considering one of the most likely reasons that he lost the election was because many people viewed George as out of touch with everyday concerns such as the cost of food.
The Epilogue also seems a bit off the mark. It consists of Page asking quite a few of the many people that she interviewed, if George Bush would have ever become President had he not married Barbara? It's not a question that can ever really be answered, so why ask it? It's pretty clear that she was integral to his entire life and his political career. But beyond that, it is pure speculation. Still, this is a worthy biography of an underestimated lady who had a mix of pampered lifestyle and real, awful heartache. Barbara Bush led a very interesting life, and it is most definitely worth reading about.
Grade: B+
November 28, 2019
While deciding how much I did or did not like this book, I’ve tried very hard to separate Barbara’s life and personality from the writing itself. I was a little disappointed in many of her views and beliefs, and actually feel like I would have preferred to stay in the dark on them. I also found it curious that she had such self-deprecating humor, but also so much self-confidence in her own choices and what she thought best for other people.
About the writing itself... I think this book was pretty well-written, certainly very detail-oriented, and it’s obvious that the author spent a lot of time on the research. However, there was just SO much repetition, as if one would forget something that has been stated 2 or 3 times already. The format was not totally chronological, so I think the author felt she had to keep referencing events previously stated, so you would understand the background better of the current event she’s discussing. Also, she did try to expressly cover Barbara’s behind-the-scenes influence, but I didn’t feel like I was reading about HER LIFE. I felt like I was reading about everyone else’s lives she played a background role in. While I am positive she had a bit impact on the people around her, it would have been interesting to learn much more about the specific work she did for her cherished causes. I kind of felt like the author really wanted to paint her as more forward thinking and liberal than maybe she really was. But, I was a child while she was First Lady, and have no memories of her speeches and talks on television or in papers, so it was all pretty new information for me.
About the writing itself... I think this book was pretty well-written, certainly very detail-oriented, and it’s obvious that the author spent a lot of time on the research. However, there was just SO much repetition, as if one would forget something that has been stated 2 or 3 times already. The format was not totally chronological, so I think the author felt she had to keep referencing events previously stated, so you would understand the background better of the current event she’s discussing. Also, she did try to expressly cover Barbara’s behind-the-scenes influence, but I didn’t feel like I was reading about HER LIFE. I felt like I was reading about everyone else’s lives she played a background role in. While I am positive she had a bit impact on the people around her, it would have been interesting to learn much more about the specific work she did for her cherished causes. I kind of felt like the author really wanted to paint her as more forward thinking and liberal than maybe she really was. But, I was a child while she was First Lady, and have no memories of her speeches and talks on television or in papers, so it was all pretty new information for me.
June 24, 2019
This was a delightful biography of a strong-willed, intelligent, complicated, and delightful woman. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
May 6, 2019
I’ve taken my time in reviewing this new biography of Barbara Bush, as I took my time reading it. I just haven’t been ready to say good-bye.
I’ll say it out loud: I have always admired Mrs. Bush, esp after reading her mid-90’s autobiography and learning about her loss of a three-year-old daughter. As the mother (at the time) of a handicapped, chronically-ill daughter, the story of Robin really resonated w/ me. And I have always admired Mrs. Bush’s frankness and decidedly-moderate political views. Honestly, the only things I didn’t like about Mrs. Bush were her oldest two sons!
However, this biography is not softened by self-defense in the way of an autobiography, so we learn some unpleasant truths about Mrs. Bush. For example, it was she who was responsible for Mr. Bush attacking his political opponent, Michael Dukakis, w/ the Willie Horton ads. Willie Horton raped and murdered a woman shortly after being let out of prison, and this was used to portray Dukakis as soft on crime. I had always blamed the reprehensible Lee Atwater for that. We also hear all about Mrs. Bush’s real feelings about Nancy Reagan and Hillary Clinton. I don’t blame her for not liking Mrs. Reagan: Mrs. Reagan was quite unkind to the Bushes. But I feel that she was too hard on Hillary. Also, Mrs. Bush could not help that she was a child of wealth and an old family name, but I can’t help but wonder if that left her a little cold to “normal” people.
The book leads w/ the story of Robin and definitely shows GHW Bush as a man of his generation—and Barbara as a woman of hers. But neither one of them ever got over losing Robin, and boy, can I understand that!! I’m still sorry that Barbara has left us, but I’m happy to have gotten to know her better—warts and all—in Susan Page’s biography.
I’ll say it out loud: I have always admired Mrs. Bush, esp after reading her mid-90’s autobiography and learning about her loss of a three-year-old daughter. As the mother (at the time) of a handicapped, chronically-ill daughter, the story of Robin really resonated w/ me. And I have always admired Mrs. Bush’s frankness and decidedly-moderate political views. Honestly, the only things I didn’t like about Mrs. Bush were her oldest two sons!
However, this biography is not softened by self-defense in the way of an autobiography, so we learn some unpleasant truths about Mrs. Bush. For example, it was she who was responsible for Mr. Bush attacking his political opponent, Michael Dukakis, w/ the Willie Horton ads. Willie Horton raped and murdered a woman shortly after being let out of prison, and this was used to portray Dukakis as soft on crime. I had always blamed the reprehensible Lee Atwater for that. We also hear all about Mrs. Bush’s real feelings about Nancy Reagan and Hillary Clinton. I don’t blame her for not liking Mrs. Reagan: Mrs. Reagan was quite unkind to the Bushes. But I feel that she was too hard on Hillary. Also, Mrs. Bush could not help that she was a child of wealth and an old family name, but I can’t help but wonder if that left her a little cold to “normal” people.
The book leads w/ the story of Robin and definitely shows GHW Bush as a man of his generation—and Barbara as a woman of hers. But neither one of them ever got over losing Robin, and boy, can I understand that!! I’m still sorry that Barbara has left us, but I’m happy to have gotten to know her better—warts and all—in Susan Page’s biography.
May 30, 2019
I’ve been wanting to spread my reading and add more memoirs and biographies. I read Michelle Obama’s book and loved it! When I got the chance to read Barbara Bush’s book I was excited I wanted to learn more about this amazing woman who became First Lady and then had her own son become president as well. The book began with the death of her three year old daughter dying of leukemia. This part of the book hit me extremely hard. I also have lost a child my second son was born to early and died a week later, I could feel the pain she experienced though the pages and I could understand how her child’s death shaped who she was and how she never let it go. I was amazed how the author brought Barbers to life through the pages. How Barbara stayed by her daughters side until she passed and made it a rule no one could cry in front of her. That she had to deal with everyone judging her that she didn’t dress up enough and she had grey hair and was a little heavy while her husband was Vice President and later President. Nancy Reagan did not like her and she could never figure out why. Barbara Bush always put her family first and was always loyal even while her husband possibly had an affair or did he? Susan Pages book left me respecting Barbara Bush and how she found herself after her children left home and George was off working and how she wasn’t afraid to admit she was suffering depression. This book had me tearing up and saying you go girl when everyone was belittling her about her looks and talking about her. I give this four stars I loved that she was honest and not afraid to stick up
herself.
herself.
April 17, 2019
The Matriarch is a detailed biography of Barbara Bush, wife of President George H. W. Bush. From her girlhood to her life in the White House and beyond, Susan Page presents Barbara Bush in a way that captures, to the extent a book can, the personality and character of Barbara Bush and many of her life experiences and personal struggles.
Many remarks about Barbara Bush characterize her as "one of the most influential and under-appreciated women in American political history." There were many fascist of her personality and character I was unaware of, prior to reading this book, especially her views on same-sex relationships and abortion. Though she supported her husband and worked to help him achieve his political aspirations, she was an independent thinker and had her own ideas, which did not always parrot the politics of conservatism or the views of her husband. What I am left with, after reading this book, is a better understanding of the many difficulties she had to overcome in life, and her continued effort, always, to do what she believed was right. I think Susan Page captures much of the essence of her subject in this book, and I recommend it to anyone wanting to learn more about Barbara Bush.
April 16, 2019
What a strange book. It spends many, many paragraphs discussing how Barbara Bush was more than a support to the people in her life, asserting that she was her own woman. But it spends chapter after chapter discussing her only in the context of other people.
While the book is well researched, it doesn’t tell her own story - most telling when it jumps from her children being preschoolers to them being adults helping on H.W.’s Presidential campaign. Family was the most important thing in Barbara Bush’s life but the book completely eliminates those years. In fact, it barely touches on the personal.
And while the book acknowledges her feistiness and sharp tongue, the anecdotes are few and far between.
I found myself skimming the recitations of history searching for something more of her. It was there but it was often, while not quite buried, hidden in the shadows of world events. Not entirely unlike the characterization of her that the author kept asserting was not right, true, or fair. Irony.
While the book is well researched, it doesn’t tell her own story - most telling when it jumps from her children being preschoolers to them being adults helping on H.W.’s Presidential campaign. Family was the most important thing in Barbara Bush’s life but the book completely eliminates those years. In fact, it barely touches on the personal.
And while the book acknowledges her feistiness and sharp tongue, the anecdotes are few and far between.
I found myself skimming the recitations of history searching for something more of her. It was there but it was often, while not quite buried, hidden in the shadows of world events. Not entirely unlike the characterization of her that the author kept asserting was not right, true, or fair. Irony.
April 9, 2019
I always admired Barbara Bush, not for her politics, but for her sharp wit, her outspoken nature and her ability to be "real" in a world where people are expected to conform. I certainly didn't agree 100% with her husband's politics but it was interesting to see times when she also disagreed with him. She would make her views known and then leave him to make his decisions and more often than not, he deferred to her better judgment.
Page did an excellent job of developing Barbara's lifetime journey from when she was a "chubby little girl" (ridiculed by her mother) to her time as the quintessential soccer mom and corporate wife and then later into the national spotlight where her every move was scrutinized and debated. Through it all she never lost her passion for her family although her life was certainly not without some major struggles such as the loss of a young child and a severe bout with depression.
An enlightening biography of one of our better first ladies.
Page did an excellent job of developing Barbara's lifetime journey from when she was a "chubby little girl" (ridiculed by her mother) to her time as the quintessential soccer mom and corporate wife and then later into the national spotlight where her every move was scrutinized and debated. Through it all she never lost her passion for her family although her life was certainly not without some major struggles such as the loss of a young child and a severe bout with depression.
An enlightening biography of one of our better first ladies.
May 11, 2019
While this is an interesting biography and I learned a lot, I did not care for the style of writing. The transition from topic to topic was at times jarring and repeatedly I had to reread paragraphs just to figure out who the first person pronoun was referencing. While this is about Barbara Bush, it is more about the people around her. I came away wondering just what did she do solely for herself? Even her needlepoint was for a purpose other than her own.
July 1, 2019
Susan Page depicts an appealing, down-to-earth, sharp-tongued Barbara Bush who held her own in a man’s world. Susan Page selects the adjective, indispensable, to describe Barbara's place in both her family and in American history.
April 15, 2019
The book was well-written, but I was never a fan of Barbara Bush and the author didn't change my mind.
February 6, 2022
Characteristics of optimism, gratitude and joy evident throughout her life.
What more could she want? Hadn’t her ship already come in? 54
Her self-confident acceptance of the life cycle 169
Wellesley college graduation speech: make three choices… To believe in something larger than themselves, as she had with literacy. The second was to live their lives with joy. The third choice that must not be missed is to cherish “human connections …relationships with family and friends, the most important investments you will ever make.” 203
Facing an affront, Barbara made a decision to let it go. That didn’t mean she wasn’t annoyed. She decided not to make a stink over it, at that time or later. She didn’t mention it in her memoirs. “I just acted like that hadn’t happened.” 214
In planning her funeral: “Remember no living human being ever had a better life. I adore my GOD, husband, children and friends.” 331
At the funeral, Jeb Bush said: “she called her style a benevolent dictatorship, but, honestly, it wasn’t always benevolent… Barbara Bush filled our lives with laughter and joy, and in the case of her family, she was our teacher and role model on how to live a life of purpose” and on how to be “genuine and authentic.” 338
Tranquility has reached her final destination.
What more could she want? Hadn’t her ship already come in? 54
Her self-confident acceptance of the life cycle 169
Wellesley college graduation speech: make three choices… To believe in something larger than themselves, as she had with literacy. The second was to live their lives with joy. The third choice that must not be missed is to cherish “human connections …relationships with family and friends, the most important investments you will ever make.” 203
Facing an affront, Barbara made a decision to let it go. That didn’t mean she wasn’t annoyed. She decided not to make a stink over it, at that time or later. She didn’t mention it in her memoirs. “I just acted like that hadn’t happened.” 214
In planning her funeral: “Remember no living human being ever had a better life. I adore my GOD, husband, children and friends.” 331
At the funeral, Jeb Bush said: “she called her style a benevolent dictatorship, but, honestly, it wasn’t always benevolent… Barbara Bush filled our lives with laughter and joy, and in the case of her family, she was our teacher and role model on how to live a life of purpose” and on how to be “genuine and authentic.” 338
Tranquility has reached her final destination.
August 19, 2019
This was an outstanding biography of former First Lady and First Mother Barbara Bush. I was a young H.W. Bush was President but I still remember having a lot of respect for Barbara Bush and her wit. This biography is very well written and covers her entire life in a way that is interesting and does not get bogged down in unimportant details. Much of the biography is about her relationships and the respect she had from just about everyone around her. The parts that I found most fascinating - especially when looking at our polarized politics of the current day - was that she (and her husband) were right of center conservatives. Some of Barbara's actions and views changed over time on social issues and could even be called liberal in some ways. The story of her holding and hugging a baby with AIDS at a time when people were afraid to be in the same room brought chills to me while reading. Her challenge of losing a young daughter was heart-breaking. However, her attitude of being stoic and moving on was inspirational - even as she admitted that it was not always easy and she suffered from depression for a shot time. Overall I highly recommend this book regardless of your political opinions.
July 8, 2019
Although I didn't always agree with Bush politics, but I liked Barbara Bush for her directness and sardonic humor. Susan Page captured the former first lady's personality, wit and resilience. Barbara Bush was born in the era when women married young, had a bunch of babies and prioritized their husband's career. What's nice about this book is that it underscores how vital Barbara was to the success of her husband and children and how important love and family can be to have a fulfilling life. This is a well written and researched book into the life of Barbara Bush - sometimes sad, sometimes funny - but always insightful. I've come to really admire Barbara Bush - warts and all; she really was a remarkable lady.
October 15, 2019
What a strong, interesting woman. I may not agree with everything she believes but I certainly admire and respect her grace, her dignity and her ability to influence the world around her for the better. A well-written bio.
January 29, 2022
Interesting content, well written, good storytelling.
November 6, 2020
I must admit that I knew very little about Barbara Bush before this book. The biography was interesting and very well written. I walked away admiring the strong, confident, family-oriented, funny, unapologetically honest woman that she was. I loved that she kept a journal and how involved she was in raising her children and grandchildren. The world needs more people like Barbara Bush.
February 26, 2020
I enjoyed the book about Barbara Bush and her influence/support of George HW Bush. Yes, she was a devoted, supportive wife; outspoken and passionate mother of her children; grateful for all things (except Nancy Reagan and the Clintons) but these attributes were repeated throughout the book and I found the repetition somewhat tiresome. 3.5 stars
April 12, 2019
When I heard that Mrs. Bush had blasted Trump in this biography, I posted on Facebook: "I never thought I'd live to say these words: 'I can't wait to buy the Barbara Bush book.'" Not much is said about Trump in the book, and the few pages dealing with him aren't that interesting because I already knew the content, but I'm happy that I bought and read Page's well-sourced, informative, and usually interesting biography. Despite her racist Katrina comments, the down-to-earth, plainspoken, caustically witty Barbara was always my favorite Bush (Laura is second), and I liked her even more after reading about her early life. I also liked all of the other Bushes more, even son Neil, who I thought was the handsome loser, after reading about their interactions with their wife/mother/grandmother. I had two minor and two more major problems with this otherwise excellent biography. The minor problems: 1) I found the admittedly brief discussion of Barbara's early ancestors boring; I was over the Mayflower white folks by the time I left high school. 2) The book is somewhat repetitious. I found the information that Abigail Adams died before her son became President interesting the first time I read it; by the third or fourth time, I was cursing the editor. The major problems: 1) Like too many white people, Page is a racism denier. I was annoyed with her handling of the Willie Horton and Katrina episodes. 2) The epilogue titled "Indispensable" is insulting to both President Bush and Barbara Bush. Why ask if a man whose father was a Senator and who had political ambitions early would have been President without his wife? Why diminish his achievements by trying to elevate her? Mrs. Bush's use of the spotlight that her husband's achievements provided (she definitely would not have been First Lady without him) to promote literacy makes her an important historical figure, and I believe that she helped her husband with foreign diplomacy more than Nancy Reagan helped hers. She also raised five children, helped raise many grandchildren, wrote at least three books, and gave countless speeches. Isn't that enough? Trying to elevate her above her husband just makes a contrarian like me think of her flaws. For instance, why didn't she return to college after her nest emptied in the seventies or even when she was Second Lady in the eighties? After all, Dr. Jill Biden continued to teach while her husband served as Vice President. Whether or not Bush I and II would have become President without her (and certainly II wouldn't have because he wouldn't be alive) is irrelevant. Barbara Bush was an indispensable advocate for literacy, caretaking (for a dying toddler, a sick husband, AIDS patients), nurturing grandmothers, and sarcasm. That's more than enough glory for one long and consequential life.
June 22, 2019
Barbara Bush would likely have been called 'feisty' by my grandparents. Strong-willed, determined, blunt with civility and compassion.
From a start at her memorial service, the author moves on to the Bush's devastating loss of their daughter Robin to leukemia at the age of 3. But then we learn about Barbara Pierce, a girl who adored her father, who had a difficult relationship with her critical mother and fell in love with a handsome young man at a country club dance even as World War II was dragging the U.S. into the conflict.
Barbara was - in a sense - the perfect partner for George Herbert Walker Bush. She was happy to follow him to Texas to make their lives away from their influential families. She supported him as he dipped into politics. Various losses and victories eventually led to becoming a Congressmen, an ambassador and the chairman of the Republic National Party. Liaison to China and the director of the CIA and vice president of the United States. And then, President.
Through all this, Barbara made the decision that her place was wife, mother, and homemaker to the horror of feminists. She would not color that blaze of white hair - she had bad experiences with coloring agents and the chlorine in a swimming pool. She would not criticize any family decision in public but her sharp-tongue would let her displeasure known to the offender.
The author also goes into the tension between Barbara and Nancy Reagan. How she was treated by her predecessor as First Lady and how the memoirs of the two have different memories of certain incidents. How she made a point to invite Hillary Clinton for a personal tour of the White House mere weeks after the election instead of the days before George's inauguration. The friendship that developed between Raisa Gorbachov and Barbara Bush.
Eventually supporting her son - who everyone says is so much like Barbara - in his bid for the Presidency. Supporting her son Jeb in his own political aspirations. The friendship that developed between the Bush and Clintons. The difficulty dealing with Graves' disease which affected her eyes. Then there are grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
The author was given permission to examine Barbara Bush own journals as well as conduct interviews in the First Lady's final years. She also had access to George H and George W as well as all of the children, grandchildren and Barbara's own siblings.
It's like a sweet biography of your kindly grandma - if she had a bit of spice!
2019-088
From a start at her memorial service, the author moves on to the Bush's devastating loss of their daughter Robin to leukemia at the age of 3. But then we learn about Barbara Pierce, a girl who adored her father, who had a difficult relationship with her critical mother and fell in love with a handsome young man at a country club dance even as World War II was dragging the U.S. into the conflict.
Barbara was - in a sense - the perfect partner for George Herbert Walker Bush. She was happy to follow him to Texas to make their lives away from their influential families. She supported him as he dipped into politics. Various losses and victories eventually led to becoming a Congressmen, an ambassador and the chairman of the Republic National Party. Liaison to China and the director of the CIA and vice president of the United States. And then, President.
Through all this, Barbara made the decision that her place was wife, mother, and homemaker to the horror of feminists. She would not color that blaze of white hair - she had bad experiences with coloring agents and the chlorine in a swimming pool. She would not criticize any family decision in public but her sharp-tongue would let her displeasure known to the offender.
The author also goes into the tension between Barbara and Nancy Reagan. How she was treated by her predecessor as First Lady and how the memoirs of the two have different memories of certain incidents. How she made a point to invite Hillary Clinton for a personal tour of the White House mere weeks after the election instead of the days before George's inauguration. The friendship that developed between Raisa Gorbachov and Barbara Bush.
Eventually supporting her son - who everyone says is so much like Barbara - in his bid for the Presidency. Supporting her son Jeb in his own political aspirations. The friendship that developed between the Bush and Clintons. The difficulty dealing with Graves' disease which affected her eyes. Then there are grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
The author was given permission to examine Barbara Bush own journals as well as conduct interviews in the First Lady's final years. She also had access to George H and George W as well as all of the children, grandchildren and Barbara's own siblings.
It's like a sweet biography of your kindly grandma - if she had a bit of spice!
2019-088
July 20, 2019
(Audiobook) A book that made headlines, particularly with the subject’s recent passing and her views on the current president, but it offers a very detailed and candid insight into one of the more public figures in American political life. It starts with perhaps the most painful event in Barbara Bush’s life, the passing of their little daughter, Robin. From there, the book recounts the life of the former First Lady. Perhaps in a different time, Barbara Bush might have established her political identity, but as a woman of her time, she found her identity as a mother, wife and activist. Later in life, Barbara came across as a grandmotherly sort, but she possessed as keen a political mind as her husband...in some cases, she had better political instincts than her husband.
Given access to her diaries, Page is able to piece together a very intimate picture of Barbara Bush, one that few might have ever really known. While maybe only seen as just a political mother and wife, she was also a woman of keen intellect and perception. She accepted the challenges that her husband put her through as they went through life, from World War II, to the oil fields of West Texas, to the various political races they ran. Barbara did not easily forget the slights her husband faced, nor her sons or herself. She dealt with a doubting public and the condemnations of others. Yet, she managed to maintain her honesty and perspective, eventually become one of the most popular and admired women in the world.
This is a remarkable read. You don’t have to be a political junkie to enjoy this work and get a lot out of it. She was not perfect, but her life is one worth studying, even separate from her husband and sons. The reader is good, and either the hard copy or audio will work fine.
Given access to her diaries, Page is able to piece together a very intimate picture of Barbara Bush, one that few might have ever really known. While maybe only seen as just a political mother and wife, she was also a woman of keen intellect and perception. She accepted the challenges that her husband put her through as they went through life, from World War II, to the oil fields of West Texas, to the various political races they ran. Barbara did not easily forget the slights her husband faced, nor her sons or herself. She dealt with a doubting public and the condemnations of others. Yet, she managed to maintain her honesty and perspective, eventually become one of the most popular and admired women in the world.
This is a remarkable read. You don’t have to be a political junkie to enjoy this work and get a lot out of it. She was not perfect, but her life is one worth studying, even separate from her husband and sons. The reader is good, and either the hard copy or audio will work fine.
July 3, 2019
I have always been intrigued by Barbara Bush. At the time she was first lady, I found her to be brusque and almost rude. However, there are many layers to this lady. Even though she and her husband were raised in privileged families, she was very proud that all of her grandchildren were actively doing things to serve others. She endured tragedy as a young mother with the death of her beloved daughter, Robin, from leukemia. She told visitors that no crying was allowed in front of Robin. George frequently had to go out in the hall when visiting her. She was the rock in the final months of Robin's life and George was the rock for her after Robin died. Her husband basically told her where they were moving, what job he was taking, etc. and she supported him. Her opinion in these cases didn't matter. The author was given unprecedented access to Barbara Bush's private journals. Additionally, she interviewed Bush herself numerous times in the final six months of her life as well as her close family members and friends. I came away with a new admiration for Mrs. Bush and the life she led. I highly recommend this account of it.
May 27, 2019
This was great!! Barbara Bush was a practical, straightforward, choleric introvert, but she loved being George's wife and a mom to all their kids. She put the hammer down with her family, but thanks to her mother teaching her manners and social skills, she overcame her shyness and she threw backyard barbecues for her husbands coworkers and business partners. Her negative relationship with her mother shaped her personal view of herself always leaving her feeling a little inadequate, a little lacking and then the death of her young daughter Robin caused her to spiral into a deep depression. That's all in the beginning of the book. George and Barbara have this beautiful love story, totally devoted to each other. When they get to the White House, things get interesting in a different way. Nancy Reagan was a vicious force to be reckoned with, self-centered, demanding, and jealous of Barbara. George won the Presidency and the last half of the book was fun!! I loved all the personal stories and this book was absolutely loaded with them!! It was a great book!
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