The matriarch
Page, Susan
Genre:
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.
Target Readership: