pickLow end of the pick scale. The stories from White House residence staff were interesting, but Brower was all over the place. My two favorite sections had themes — children in the WH and how residence staff dealt with traumatic events like 9/11 and Kennedy‘s assassination. In many ways, Brower turns the staff members into saints. No staff member ever talks out of turn. All staff members respect and care for the families they serve. Really?
so-soI really enjoyed another book by this author but this one was so all over the place it annoyed me. #roll100 @PuddleJumper #readyourkindle @CBee
pickThis was so interesting! Full of sweet stories and surprising revelations from the White House resident staff. Covering multiple decades and presidents, I especially loved hearing about the caring relationships between the first families and staff. The author also explored the history of how the house staff system came about, race, and respect. One juicy stories too. Really fascinating, great on #audio Highly recommend!
pickOh! This book is so good. The hours that went into this research has to be astounding
https://reecaspieces.com/2024/01/26/mrs-kennedy-by-barbara-leaming-nonfiction-au...
pickBarbara is such an interesting person! As a woman of her generation, she married young and unconditionally supported her husband whether it was moving to Texas or running for president without asking her opinion. But she did have opinions of her own and expressed them as she could be it was wearing a pro-choice button at the 1980 Republican convention or working with AIDS charities when others in her party were turning away. #roll100
pickThis was a surprisingly fun little book! I listened to it for this month‘s FOTL meeting. The book covered the second half of the 20th century through the Obama administration, with the most detail given by staff who served the Ford, Carter, Reagan, Bush, and Clinton families. Very interesting story of LBJ‘s shower obsession, which I‘ve now run into in 3 different books! Unique perspective on the Kennedy assassination and 9/11 from the ⬇️
pickI love learning about houses; whether it‘s driving around neighborhoods, watching HGTV, touring famous houses, or pouring over pictures. I‘m also curious about how people live in their houses; from decorating styles to daily lifestyles. I‘ve often wondered how the Presidential family lives in the White House. This book satisfied all of my curiosities. Did you know there is a Monet in the White House? 🖼️
Full review at https://abookandadog.com
pickLeaming‘s stress on Jackie's PTSD was illuminating at first, but was repeated so often it got gimmicky, but I liked the emphasis on Jackie's forties & onward, when she was a conservationist who saved NYC's Grand Central Railway when it was threatened with destruction and saw through notable books in her editor role. These kinds of details make it valuable overall, since it is, admittedly, a well-trodden story that is difficult to make fresh.
Up next…our book club pick. Excited to see the behind-the-scenes moments of Jackie! #bookspinbingo
