Jill: A Biography of the First Lady

by Julie Pace, Darlene Superville

Most Anticipated by Daily Hive

The personal and political life of First Lady Dr. Jill Biden

Dr. Jill Biden has been described as President Joe Biden’s greatest political asset. Like many women of her generation, she holds her commitments as wife, mother and grandmother at the center of her life. She is a professor, earned a doctorate in educational leadership, and taught at Northern Virginia Community College. She broke barriers as First Lady as the first to hold a paying job outside the White House. “Jill” is the story of this accomplished American woman.
 
From her earliest days dating Senator Biden, to her embrace of Biden’s young sons Beau and Hunter Biden and the birth of their daughter Ashley; her role by Joe Biden’s side through Senate reelection race after Senate reelection race; her years as Second Lady; to Joe’s successful third run for the Democratic presidential nomination, Jill has lived in the public eye. In this deeply reported biography, Julie Pace and Darlene Superville of The Associated Press, along with writer Evelyn M. Duffy, reveal some of the private sides of Jill Biden. We come to better understand her personality, which has held the Biden family together through tragedy and good fortune alike.

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, History, Memoir, Politics

320 pages, Hardcover

First published April 19, 2022

Reviews

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been reading about the First Ladies for over twenty years, beginning when I was designing and researching to make my quilt Remember the Ladies, a Redwork quilt featuring the wives of the presidents.

I have always felt sympathetic to the First Ladies. They are not elected. They have no job description. Their every move is scrutinized. They are open targets for criticism and idolization. They work to represent our country—for free. They are required to live in a house they don’t own and have little control over. Having spent over 30 years as a minister’s wife, living in a parsonage, I have an inkling of what they experience.

The Biden presidency is not over, and who knows what lies in store for the Bidens. But it was interesting to read this biography and learn about how Jill ‘got to here.’

Dr. Jill Biden knew what she was getting into when she finally accepted Joe’s proposal. He was a U.S. Senator, a father of two sons who had lost his wife and a daughter in a tragic accident. He fell for Jill early, and hard.

A non-political teacher and registered Republican, Jill wasn’t sure she wanted the lifestyle that came with being a politician’s wife. But after four years as an unofficial Biden, dating Joe and helping with his children Beau and Hunter, Joe stood his ground: marriage, or he needed to end their relationship.

Jill understood that she had to keep being herself, doing the things that kept her balanced and independent. Running. Teaching. She and Joe had a daughter, so she was parenting three children as well. When Joe suffered an aneurysm, Jill kept it together, juggling all those balls. When Joe decided to run for president, Jill fit campaigning into her schedule.

Over the years, Jill became stronger, staying true to herself while feeling more comfortable with the role of politician’s wife. Her students note that Jill was always supportive, a good listener, fun, and involved. Her innate kindness and generosity of spirit was noted by all, from the secret service men who protected them to the families of those in the military. The biography notes the ways that Jill has expanded the role of First Lady, the first to continue her career while in the White House.

This biography is straight forward with little perceived bias, even when narrating Jill’s loss of faith after Beau’s death and the criticisms of Hunter’s addiction issues and other struggles. The book is comprehensive, drawing from a multitude of sources and interviews.

I had previously read a biography about Joe Biden, his memoir Promise Me Dad, and a brief biography. It was a pleasure to further my acquaintance with this remarkable First Lady and teacher who took on the difficult role of wife and step mother in the public eye.

I received a free egalley from the publisher through NetGalley. My review is fair and unbiased.

[Deb · Rating 3 out of 5]

Outside of what most of us know about Jill Biden, I felt I didn’t know much else and thought this new highly acclaimed biography would give me some insights. But most of the book rehashed what I already knew. To the authors’ credit, it stayed away from any controversy and was pretty much politically neutral. A vanilla sunshine and rainbows story, even while covering the darker days that were certainly part of her life. At one point in the book it’s noted that during interviews, Biden seemed to keep to script, telling the same carefully practiced stories. And to her defense, that’s the best way to protect your private life in such a public role. But I didn’t feel I learned anything new, or got a fuller picture of her personality. I was also disappointed that the only pictures in the book didn’t include any childhood or early times in her life.

[Donald Powell · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good biography of a prominent American. The tone and content of the book mirror the image of Jill they were portraying. There is some balance because she is shown as a true human. However, she does sound like a saint. I have had some teachers who felt that way to me, true mentors and moral teachers. I expect history will treat her better than a large number of Americans do currently.

I hope to have her in our lives for years to come. Thank you for this wonderful little biography.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reading a biography about a living subject - currently living in The White House - prepares the reader to expect a favorably written account that almost certainly glosses over uncomfortable moments. This book was no exception. And yet, it was highly readable. Dr. Jill Biden came across as a decent and caring human being, and that made this reader glad to know a little bit more about this incredible woman.
3.5

[Linda Hagedorn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Biographies are a favorite for me. Though I don’t support her in all of her politics, I admire her support of education, military families and her own family. Her priorities are centered. It has been a great experience watching her joy and enthusiasm in embracing the political role she has had to play.

[Debbie Roth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jill is a very different book from Biden’s 2019 memoir Where the Light Enters: Building a Family, Discovering Myself (she narrates the audiobook). That was a very personal book, wrenching at times. The biography Jill by Julie Pace and Darlene Superville, is someone else’s observations of her, like taking a class in Jill, taught by two Associated Press professional writers who have followed politics and its players for years, and have had a close up look at Jill throughout their years of White House reporting.

The effort may seem perfunctory at first glance, as though the authors have a specific goal to accomplish in the writing of this book. The book reveals all the things it takes to be a politician’s spouse on a very public stage, the importance of having a career, family as a core value, and the continuous juggling of priorities between family, professional, personal and political obligations. She comes across as fiercely independent. Jill took up long distance running for a period as a way to deal with the stress of her mother’s failing health in the midst of a campaign, as well as the frustrations of teen conflict with her adolescent daughter.

This book is also about blended families, how a woman can fall in love with the children of another woman who has been taken away from them due to illness or accident. The role Jill played as mother in the lives of Beau and Hunter, provided the unconditional love every child needs in their lives, and was deeply felt by her; she experienced a crisis of faith after the staggering blow of Beau’s death, and has grappled with it since. Raised a Presbyterian, she does not routinely accompany Joe to church.

24 year old Jill met Joe in 1975, 3 years after his wife and daughter were killed in a car accident that also injured his young sons. At that point he was no doubt weary of being set up by friends and colleagues. Walking through an airport he saw Jill in an advertising poster for a Wilmington park, and opined to his brother “that’s the kind of woman I want to meet.” His brother knew her, and set them up. Being in a relationship with a public figure is not for the faint at heart. People are watching everything you do, judging your choices, women attracted to the sphere of power aggressively make themselves available to candidates, and media is a gleeful nonstop purveyor of marital carnage.

A widower sees a dating interest as a potential opportunity to take some pressure off of them, as sole head to the nuclear family. While extended family were helping, he no doubt wanted a companion to share family duties with, to restore a mother’s care to his sons. A wife would relieve Joe by giving him a partner to share family responsibilities. For a woman in her mid 20s, it was a huge addition of responsibility to her life, an instant family of two rambunctious boys, and all the expectations they and society have for that role.

A widowed politician knows a wife is a political asset for help in campaigning, a relatable figure appealing to those who might not feel strongly about Joe, the matron of the happy family unit who can double the campaign coverage by her own personal appearances, the arm candy who picks up conversation when attending countless dinners and functions as part of the grind of fundraising, networking, and party obligations with people who aren’t the least bit interested in you as a person, just what you can do for them and their cause. It requires public speaking skills, standing up in front of huge crowds, unforgiving television cameras that catch each flaw or mistake for all of perpetuity, and the pressure to look attractive and polished at all times to create a spark that can build interest and loyalty to her husband, the candidate. That’s a lot of time subtracted from your own interests to dedicate to someone else’s interests. Before accepting Joe’s proposal, a young Jill had a great deal to weigh, and she took two years to do it.

Despite her youth at the time she and Joe dated, Joe asked her to marry him 5 times before she accepted in 1977. Having been through a marriage at the age of 18 that ended in divorce, she clearly didn’t want to jump into a relationship that could be fraught with the issues of life on a very public stage, a role that is a harsh taskmaster for many.

Reading the book made me think Jill owned the choices she made, they were not an afterthought, as she took years to consider them. Once made, she fought to integrate them into her life in a way that didn’t compromise what was most important to her. Her life has been a constant battle to extricate that kernel of what was important to her in a situation that otherwise seemed onerous. She obviously loved the boys, and wanted to be a perfect mom, that image of all one should be we carry around in our heads to use as a yardstick in seeing how we measure up. Being a mom is hard. It’s a shock to discover having a child doesn’t automatically imbue one with all the wisdom and knowledge to be a good one, of all the patience and understanding it takes to deal with a toddler or teen in the midst of their worst moments. Imagine stepping into that role with two children in a politician’s household, with all those willing advisors to tell you what’s best.

Jill was a registered Republican at the time she was dating Joe, and did not switch parties until after they were married, before a primary for an election Joe was running in, so she could vote for him. Her party affiliation was part of who she was, and wasn’t something she changed early on just because she was dating a Democrat and US Senator. I was interested to see Jill did not dedicate her 2006 doctoral dissertation to her husband, but to her father who passed away 6/7/1999, age 72: “This manuscript is dedicated to: My father, Donald C. Jacobs, for always believing in me.”

Jill’s profession as a teacher plays a pivotal role in her life, in having a piece of her life that isn’t owned by another, such as a family member of prominence and celebrity. It is your own accomplishment, and the influence or feedback from students belong to you alone. Whatever comes your way in life, death of a family member, divorce, loss of an election, your fortunes do not rise and fall by such external events that their absence might subtract from your inner core. The job, as teacher, would be an integral part of who she is, as opposed to relying on assignments received as a result of a spouse’s accomplishments. Working as a teacher, even if it was for two classes a semester, was a direct investment of time she made to students’ lives, as well a gift to her personal account, contributions and accomplishments defining who she was that nothing could take away.

Starting in Chapter 49 politicization becomes more apparent, and rhetoric shifts as the book becomes less a biography of Jill and more a crescendo of partisan merchandising with opposition derision, underscoring party narratives of recent history. I’d like to think if Jill finished the book, it would have been different, but the political divide currently runs so deep, that’s probably just wishful thinking.

[Julie Bestry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having read Dr. Jill Biden's autobiography, I was looking forward to a book that went into greater depth about Dr. Biden's life (including her formative years prior to her marriage). Her own book was excellent, but I was left wanting more, not in an exploitative way, but in order to understand the person in various contexts. In that way, I was disappointed by this book.

It surprises me that this book Pace and Superville are two Associated Press journalists, for two reasons.

First, journalists who write biographies are usually eager to delve into backgrounds and provide historical context, to spin yarns and create narratives. However, these slim 2-5 page chapters are anemic in texture or detail on many topics, and feel like sidebars in those weekly newspaper magazines.

For example, I would have expected much more depth to the background surrounding the initial run for the presidential election in 1987 (for 1988), the Bork hearings, the Clarence Thomas hearings. I would have expected a narrative about Jill Biden's pregnancy that amounted to more than the existence of it and Jill's own snark about the hospital paying more attention to Joe than Jill.

I'd have expected more about the interaction between the Bidens' professional and personal lives. One who knows that the media portrayal of what originally seemed like a clear-cut case of plagiarism (but was not) on the part of Biden in 1987 would expect the authors to try to find the English-teacher-turned-wife's perspective, what she might have said at the time. Biden famously overcame a childhood stutter, but although there's a reference to her initial discomfort speaking at campaign functions, there's not even a consideration of how their speaking styles or challenges might have compared or contrasted, how he might have supported her in that regard, or how she developed her non-academic speaking skills.

I would have thought there'd be more about the Senate campaigning they did, especially given her apolitical stances earlier in their marriage. And certainly I'd have expected them to dig more deeply into Dr. Biden's experience as a new parent of the boys (beyond telling them she didn't intend to do laundry daily), and as a new mother to a newborn.

There's almost nothing about her parenting experiences until the children were adults, save that she attended all of their sporting events. And with the exception of two paragraphs about Ashley Biden's marriage, Ashley is practically a ghost in the story.

The relationship between mothers and daughters is key to understanding the character development path of many women, and given the way Jill's maternal grandmother behaved, the caught-in-the-middle seriousness of Jill's mother (and little else provided about their relationship), you'd absolutely expect to get a sense of Jill and Ashley's relationship. We see the fierce way Dr. Biden protected and loved her adult sons, but no more than a brief mention of Ashley. We don't even get a story about the Bidens meeting Ashley's physician husband, or how he was incorporated into the family (notwithstanding him translating the medical lingo after Beau Biden's stroke.)

If I hadn't read Dr. Biden's autobiography, this book might have served as a good enough primer for what Jill Biden's life was like. Instead, throughout most of the book, I kept thinking, "Well, that's practically word-for-word what I read about this experience of hers in her own book."

I'd read the memoir, Where the Light Enters in early 2021, but almost two years later, I could have told you exactly what was coming, "plot"-wise, chapter by chapter; it was THAT similar to the earlier book. I remember her maternal grandmother's bigoted coldness and the warmth of her father's family at those Sunday meals. I remembered the early courtship and how Biden's brother got involved in the introduction. I remembered that the memoir skirted almost everything to do with her teenage years and first marriage. So, I expected this book to fill in the gaps. Nope.

The chapter on Biden courting Jill, and then her unwillingness to accept his first four proposals, added nothing. You'd have thought the authors would have interviewed Hunter and other family members alive at the time (and now). But it felt like a warmed-over rehash of important aspect of her life. I don't feel like there was anything new.

At the end of the book, I admit I was shocked that the authors had actually interviewed Dr. Biden; they, themselves, note her practiced way of sharing a bit but not too much. This is exactly why we read a biography, to see what the individual has not shared, to get to know the depth and breadth of their personalities beyond the curated presentation. As I go through the source notes, it seems that so much of what was written as background came right from Jules Witcover's biography of Joe Biden and Jill's own memoir. Through much of the book, I felt like I was reading a Wikipedia entry.

Yes, the authors pepper some chapters with the reflections of political spouses, co-workers, and staffers (Chrsitine Vilsack, Doug Emhoff, Mary Doody, Cathy Russell), but they feel like those soundbites you get on the local news after a fire or when someone's received an award. There's just a sentence or two.

Certainly I didn't expect (nor would I have wanted) a hatchet job. I adore Jill Biden, and I crack up when imagining her hiding herself in the airplane's storage compartment or parading in front of political operatives in a bikini with Sharpied "No" on her abdomen. But this book didn't really tell me anything that I didn't already know from reading Dr. Biden's memoir and having been alive and conscious over the past several decades. There are no fun anecdotes I hadn't already read in several places.

The other reason I was surprised that this was written my journalists was that on a handful of occasions, I found sentences that were sloppily written and obviously not reviewed by an editor, places where two clauses in complex sentences bore no relationship to one another. On two occasions, I called someone to read the sentence aloud to verify that it made no sense and that I wasn't losing my mind

This book was adequate. But there will be other biographies written about Dr. Jill Biden with the potential to have greater depth and charm. In the meantime, I'd suggest reading the memoir.

[Megan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked this book up on a whim while walking out of the library.

I didn't hate it but here are my problems with it:

1. I probably should have just read Jill Biden's autobiography but I didn't know it existed until I read this one. It likely covers the same stuff but from Jill herself. Being an English teacher and having 3 advanced degrees likely means she's not a terrible writer.

2. It mostly focused on Joe Biden's life and how Jill fit into it. Jill is an interesting person herself, and I didn't need the political history lens to see that.

3. Why write this book now? It makes no sense to me, given the lens they chose to write it in, why they would write this book before the Biden presidency is over.

All that said, I have an appreciation for Jill Biden and her dedication to education, as shown throughout her years of teaching, even as second and then first lady.

[Hina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this biography of Dr. Jill Biden and learning more about her, about how down-to-earth she's always been. I like how she and Joe Biden had been in each other's orbit before they actually met, particularly the part where she had been the face of some parks campaign (I don't remember the details now) with a large poster featuring her displayed at some location (maybe the Wilmington airport?) and Joe Biden walks by, transfixed by the image of this woman, and tells the person with him something like, "I'm going to marry that woman." Well, you get the general idea! See, now you have to read the book to figure out what the actual details were and how bad my memory is, hahaha!

We're all familiar with present-day, First Lady Dr. Jill Biden who is a community college professor of English. What I didn't know just invested she is and always has been in her students, the lives that she has transformed, and what they've done for her. It's so heartwarming and encouraging that she insisted on keeping her job first as Second Lady, and then as First Lady. It's what, she says, has kept her grounded. The authors, Pace and Superville, also give us a look into the life of Jill Biden before she was Jill Biden, when she was Jill Jacobs. I think the best way to describe her is spunky. Jill Biden has always been, and continues to be spunky.

Jill's story is inextricably linked to Joe Biden's story, so of course there is much information about him as well. There were a few parts where the story seemed to be only about Joe Biden and yet the authors kept going...... and I was thinking, "WHAT ABOUT JILL? THIS IS SUPPOSEDLY TO BE HER BIOGRAPHY, NOT HIS!" Regardless, I enjoyed reading this book and appreciate how well it's laid out and that the chapters are reasonable lengths with informative titles. Yes, this kind of thing is very important and helps the readability of a book!

BTW, Jill Biden and I have something in common- we're both marathoners and have both run the Marine Corps Marathon! I don't think I'd want to race against her- pretty sure she's a lot faster than me!

[Rikki Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is exactly what a biography should be - a tale spanning the life and mission of the person it is diving into. Many biographies, however, miss the mark on their sole job. Not this one.

Pace and Superville have delicately crafted a look into the life of Dr. Jill Biden, a figure who many of us know from photos and soundbites. The authors were very careful in putting together a narrative that trims the fat and hones in on important events, while still weaving together an entertaining and heartbreaking narrative.

Like myself, most readers know of the tragedies that have struck President Biden, but 'Jill' gives us insight into the role of Dr. Biden in his life, and most touchingly, Beau and Hunter's. I am grateful for the initimate look at the difficult times the Bidens have gone through, but also appreciate the feeling that I received 'just enough' information without feeling like a voyeur into unthinkable tragedies of death and poor health.

I learned so much through this book and while it's about the first lady, you won't leave the pages without a deeper, keener understanding of the president, his children and their trusted circle.

There were so many anecdotes that I highlighted while reading, including the fact that the late Neilia Hunter Biden and Dr. Jill Biden met at an event that the future president was speaking at. These little details that the authors so clearly scoped out shows the depth and breadth of their interviews.

A good biography is one that shares the life of its subject, but a great biography is one that brings you into their life and leaves you feeling like you were, at least for a few hundred pages, a part of their life. 'Jill' is the latter.

What an excellent read.

[Dalton Valette · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had known of Dr. Jill Biden’s life only through larger events, more often than not directly connected to her husband, Joe Biden: her courtship and marriage to Biden, her ascension to Senator’s wife, then Second Lady, and finally First Lady. What authors Julie Pace and Darlene Superville offer is the humanizing perspective and understanding between these events. This book may not be as detailed as I would have liked, the authors are not historians and the short chapters and breezy quality of the writing attests to that, but I did find myself wrapped up in learning more about the First Lady and what makes her tick. Thanks to several interviews between her and the authors, we can see just that. By the end of this, I found myself empathizing with Jill, having learned a great deal more about her through this. I was particularly excited reading through the second-half of the book which focuses on her roles as Second and First Lady, seeing where she spends her time and resources, and how she juggles teaching at Northern Virginia Community College with supporting military families and counseling her husband. This is thankfully not an entirely starry-eyed portrayal of Jill. The book addresses some of the controversies in Biden’s past and during his presidency (Anita Hill’s testimony, the Biden Crime Law of 1994, the withdrawal in Afghanistan to name a few), but throughout you are always reminded of the advisory role Jill plays. You see when her advice is taken and when it is not and what ramifications occur as a result. In the end, I found this biography to be an enjoyable, quick, and heartening read. I’d like to thank Little Brown and AP News for the advanced copy of Jill: A Biography of the First Lady.

[Don Heiman · Rating 5 out of 5]

In 2022 Little, Brown and Company released the book “Jill: A Biography of the First Lady.” The book’s authors are Associated Press Julie Pace (Executive Editor) and Darlene Superville (Washington D.C. Reporter). The book profiles the life of Jill Jacobs from her adolescence years of the 1960’s in Willow Grove Pennsylvania; the time she spent working and surfing during the summers in Ocean City; and her dedication to formal school learning. She was born at Hammonton, New Jersey in 1951. She was the first born in a family of five daughters. After graduating from high school she pursued an under graduate degree in English from the University of Delaware and Master degrees in Education and English from West Chester and Villanova University. She later earned a Doctorate from the University of Delaware in Education. After meeting and marrying Federal Senator and later U.S President Joe Biden she dedicated her life to serving others and to the pursuit of social equity. The book discusses in detail her work ethic, her love for Joe Biden, and her dedication to caring for children and teaching. The biography also highlights her insights about American mores, American governance, religious thought, as well as overcoming the heartache she and Joe experienced with the death of loved ones. The book is exceptionally well written, very thought provoking, inspiring, and at times highly astonishing. Dr. Jill Biden’s biography is a book I will long remember. (P)

[Suzan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have always been interested in our country's First Ladies. So when I saw this book I felt I had to read it. I think a better title would be "The Bidens" as this book is about the couple more than Jill. I did take from reading this book a genuine desire to read "Where the Light Enters" by Jill Biden. "Where the Light Enters" is referenced many times and seems to be a more personal account of Jill's life which is what I thought this book was going to be. All of that said I learned a lot, not only about the Bidens but about how our political system works. Especially in regard to political campaigns. I also gained a new respect for our President and the First Lady. I am in awe of the loving relationship they share and the way that spills over to everyone and the things they are involved with. I would like to thank Netgalley, Little, Brown and Company, and the authors Julie Pace and Darlene Superville for the chance to read and leave an honest review.

[Elizabeth Tripp · Rating 3 out of 5]

While a little rushed and a little choppy, this book provides a decent look into Dr. Biden’s personal and professional life.

Pace and Superville portray Dr. Biden as a very caring and compassionate person. Her passion for teaching and education reform shines through. The most interesting sections of the book were about her work on these fronts. I also appreciated learning about her practical jokes. I admire her ability to use humor to help get through tough times.

Overall, the usage of very short chapters did not work for me. More than once I was left confused by the abrupt ending of a story. I would have liked to know more about her relationship with her sisters. They are all but absent in the book. Also, Pace and Superville move pretty quickly through the more scandalous stories within the Biden family. If you want more of an inside scoop, look elsewhere.

Thank you to NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

This biography is a real page-turner. Very engaging and interesting. It covers everything from Jill's life as a child up until the present day, and goes into detail about her time as a student, her first marriage, meeting Joe Biden, their courtship, getting used to political life, surviving his many campaigns, striving to hold onto her career as an educator, her time as Second Lady of the US, and all the struggles the entire family endured. Jill Biden is a strong woman, loving and interesting. Biden sat for a few interviews for the book. The book relies heavily on those interviews, and it also quotes many other interviews in various publications with lots of footnotes in the index. I don't think you would have to agree with Jill Biden's politics to like this book, she's such an engaging and caring person that I think this book would appeal to many readers. Definitely recommended!

[LaShanda Chamberlain · Rating 5 out of 5]

I remember Inauguration Day 2009 when I first saw Dr. Jill Biden in her beautiful red coat & black leather boots. She seemed spunky & full of life. I admit I paid little attention to her during the campaign. As I learned more about her, I was intrigued in the coming days. As a community college administrator, I was immediately drawn to her story. Since then, I have read several books & articles that covered her. This book, Jill, is one of my favorites. It is beautifully written. It covers her early life, her courtship with President Biden, their family life & the political side of their lives. Dr. Biden is a remarkable woman!! After suffering the tragic loss of losing his wife & young daughter, she was just what Joe Biden needed.

A special thanks to Netgalley, the authors & LIttle, Brown and Company for this advance copy!

[Joseph J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

We can still learn much even about a woman who has been First Lady for a year, and in the national spotlight for longer. I found the opening chapters of this book especially informative and interesting, as the writers delve into Jill's childhood and formative years. Many as adults remember a mother's rejection, but a grandmother's cold shoulder!? Because she sees you as setting the deal on your parent's marriage. Well, I had a grandmother too, but another story. Also interesting is Jill's introduction into the lives of the tragically motherless Biden boys, and her reluctance to marry their father. Here is the story of a woman who had to make her own way, via unique and challenging options along the journey.

[Meryl Hiler · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a nice read (listen) about Jill Biden’s life experiences. I’ve always thought she was an admirable lady, and I enjoyed hearing more about her early life and how she has navigated life in the political spotlight. She has done especially well at continuing to live out her passion of teaching and making strong connections with students and others that she reaches out to. The narrator was robotic-sounding at times. The author interviewed Jill several times as well as many of her friends and family to put the book together.

[Ives Phillips · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although this biography is about Dr. Jill Biden, I couldn't help but feel that there was a lot more material about President Biden than was warranted for a book about his wife, even if any true story about people would obviously be woven with people in their lives. Still, it's a wonderful read, a look into the compassionate and driven person beyond the polished version we see in media. It's incredibly detailed and emotionally provoking.

[Eileen Breseman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting background to our current First Lady. The first part about her growing up years were perhaps the most insightful, before being involved in politics and marrying a young senator thrusting her into the spotlight. I love how she keeps her own space as an individual, educator working woman and also is the salve that helps rebuild a family scarred by tragedy. I have yet to read Dr. Biden's autobiography but feel it will likely be better to hear her story from her own words.

[Maryclaire · Rating 4 out of 5]

The description of the book is truly what it is. Dr. Jill Biden is her own person, she reminds me of Eleanor Roosevelt. She has ongoing educational wants, just like Laura Bush and others. This proves the importance of early education and education for all people in America. Dr. Biden is a strong supporter of Military personnel and their families.
I wish I could spend an afternoon with Dr. Biden, have coffee, and just chat.

[Ana Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Long book, but short, easy-to-read chapters.
It was especially interesting to hear the Biden’s side of the historic last few years. Of course we all show our best side to the public, but through this book and Hunter’s memoir I feel I’ve gotten to know them a little better. Quite inspired by Dr. Biden as I attempt to balance my own career and motherhood in my little sphere of the world.

[Joe Desmond · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick, light read with few new insights. Most of Jill’s story highlighted in this book has been previously told. Her story remains a work in progress so I would expect more in depth, critical writing in future biographies.

This book is not quite a quick political biography, but it is close. As such, it succeeds in telling Jill Biden’s story. In that regard, it succeeds.

[Candy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very readable biography. I learned a great deal about Jill Biden and the Biden family dynamics. Such a loving family who have each other's backs at all times. The book goes beyond politics and lets the reader enjoy Dr. Biden's passions. I'm thankful that we have such a caring First Lady now.

[Terri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Are you looking for a book about the amazing woman that is Dr. Jill Biden? If so, then you have found the perfect book. This book not only delves into her political life but her personal life as well. I highly enjoyed learning about this amazing woman!

[Tracy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Engaging, felt a little rushed and choppy at times. Learned a lot about Jill and the Bidens who are compassionate, strong, loving, ordinary and relatable. Definitely have a new appreciation for Jill and would be interested in reading her autobiography.

[Everydayreader1 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book to be a most interesting read. Comprehensive and rich in detail, it seems to encapsulate Jill Biden for who she is and what she has accomplished.

[Greg Halvorson · Rating 1 out of 5]

Dreadful. 🤦🏻‍♀️

[Vader · Rating 2 out of 5]

5 star - Perfect
4 star - i would recommend
3 star - good
2 star - struggled to complete
1 star - could not finish

[Lois Whiteheaf · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful book with lots of detail about Joe and Jill Biden and their family and their political life. Very engaging and delightful to read.