In the year 2000, in the closest election in american history, alice blackwells husband becomes president of the united states. American wife, by curtis sittenfeld new york magazine. Its all fiction, but major events mirror bush s life, including. Its final sectionalice and charlie in the white house, embroiled in all the familiar. Obviously im not the first person to look at this quiet, thoughtful, former librarian wind up with george w. American wife by curtis sittenfeld books the guardian. St louis post dispatch the scope and detail of american wife are reminiscent of richard russo. While american wife is technically a work of fiction, it is a thinly veiled account of laura and george w. Bushs courtship and rise to the top of american politics.
She served as first lady from 2001 to 2009, advocating for historic education reform and the wellbeing of women and. I added this book after reading that alice was inspired by laura bush. With american wife, curtis sittenfeld has deftly crossed an extraordinarily high wire. Bush as a true role model who takes her responsibilities seriously while. Its all fiction, but major events mirror bushs life, including a. Sittenfeld, while rejecting the charge that american wife presents a liberals fantasy of laura bush, acknowledges that some of her democratic friends resent it for the opposite reason.
Curtis sittenfelds american wife takes the life of laura bush and turns it into a provocative novel that explores the clash between. Laura bush has offered little of herself to the media, appearing in public as a supportive wife. Be the first to ask a question about american wife. Prep author curtis sittenfelds latest novel, american wife, portrays the life of alice blackwell, a thinly veiled laura bush. If american wife were nothing more than a barely disguised attempt to imagine and illuminate the inner life of laura bush, it might be entertaining in a titillating sort of way, but hardly worth more attention than a quickly forgotten magazine profile. The life and choices of laura bush by ann gerhart was published. Sep 15, 2004 a teenaged laura bush caused the death of a classmate in an automobile accident. Aug 31, 2008 the american wife of sittenfelds new novel, conspicuously modeled after the life of laura bush as recorded in ann gerharts biography the perfect wife. May 04, 2010 in this brave, beautiful, and deeply personal memoir, laura bush, one of our most beloved and private first ladies, tells her own extraordinary story. American wife imagines the life of first lady laura bush. With american wife, curtis sittenfeld has deftly crossed an extraordinarily high wirei read american wife in just two or three delicious sittings, struck by the granular clarity of the authors descriptions and the downtoearth believability of the story, bewitched by the charming, frustrating woman at the center of it.
May 10, 2016 laura bush and jenna bush hager on their new book and the great outdoors. Laura bush and jenna bush hager attend the 2014 social good summit at 92y on september 22, 2014 in. Knowing and knowledgeable, yet also inventive and original, american wife is a thrilling combination of history and surprises guardian. American wife is a work of fiction loosely inspired by the life of an american first lady.
Curtis sittenfelds novel is a fictionalised portrait based on the now former first lady, laura bush. The american wife of sittenfelds new novel, conspicuously modeled after the life of laura bush as recorded in ann gerharts biography the. The creepy part of that is she modeled alice after laura bush, flagrantly so, and. American wife is a gorgeously written novel that weaves class, wealth, race, and the exigencies of fate into a brilliant tapestrya novel in which the unexpected becomes inevitable, and the pleasures and pain of intimacy and love are laid bare. Sep 03, 2008 american wife, timed for release with the opening of the republican convention, is sittenfelds attempt to imagine the interior life of laura bush. Curtis sittenfelds bestseller novel american wife is based on much of her life.
Even before the book s release this month, author curtis sittenfeld already had garnered major buzz in the blogosphere. As a former public shool teacher and librarian, laura bush championed the causes. American wife closely mirrors the events of the former first ladys life from childhood until her husbands second term in office. Like russo, she creates characters from the ground up, ancestry, neighborhood, culture and all. A novel random house readers circle sittenfeld, curtis on. Nov 15, 2010 curtis sittenfeld is one of the uss finest novelists feted for american wife, a novel that gazumped laura bush s own life story. Alice blackwell a fictional first lady modeled after laura bush reels us into a. Got curious about the real laura bush after reading american wife but this book isnt doing much to fill in the gaps. Its well written and a breezy read, but most of it has consisted of repeated exclamations about what a private person laura bush is, how little anyone from the outside knows about her, and how much being in the limelight sucks for someone like that. In 2001, after one of the closest elections in american history, laura bush moved into the white house. Laura bush may be a great novelistic subject, but american wife doesnt quite work as a novel. Bushs wife, laura, which is why theres been a lot of prepublication buzz, and why it will be interesting to see what the critical and readerreactions to the book are. Laura bush and jenna bush hager attend the 2014 social good summit at 92y on september 22, 2014 in new york city.
Curtis sittenfelds american wife provides fictionalized. Laura bush bio, age, kids, net worth, all about george w. In her third novel, sittenfeld offers a thinly veiled account wisconsin, not texas of the life of laura bush, in the story of alice lindgren, who. The latter supports the education of children by providing funding to school libraries all over america. Curtis sittenfelds new novel american wife is about a kind, bookish, young woman who marries a wealthy charismatic young man who eventually becomes.
Laura bush 1946 was an american first lady and the wife of george w. Here she captures presidential life in the harrowing days and weeks after 911, when fighterjet cover echoed through the walls and security scares sent the family to an underground shelter. Nov 12, 2008 curtis sittenfelds novel is a fictionalised portrait based on the now former first lady, laura bush. Laura bush is portrayed by elizabeth banks in oliver stones film w. Their time in the white house proves to be heady, tumultuous, and controversial.
In an endlessly endearing first person, it describes the life and. Laura bush and jenna bush hager on their new book and the great outdoors. In american wife, a novel loosely inspired by the life of laura bush, curtis sittenfeld boldly imagines the inner life of a first lady. Which is exactly why i couldnt wait to read american wife, in which curtis sittenfeld imagines the life of laura bush. Laura lane welch bush is the wife of the 43rd president, george w. May, 2010 american wife is a great book for several reasons, but most crucially, it allows liberal readers to like laura bush without guilt. In an endlessly endearing first person, it describes the life and poor decisions of alice blackwell, whose life story happens to be shared, in large part, by laura bush. Bush also instituted the national book festival, as well as the laura bush foundation for american libraries. Ever wonder how someone could wake up every morning next to george w. In fact, its closely and obviously based on george jr.
This intimate and detailed portrayal of lauras alterego, alice lindgren, is sympathetic, lightfooted. Sep 01, 2008 the most shocking thing about american wife, curtis sittenfelds novel based loosely on the life of laura bush, is not the fictional first ladys illegal abortion. In her small wisconsin hometown she learns the virtues of politeness, but a tragic accident when she is seventeen shatters her identity and changes the trajectory of her life. Curtis sittenfelds new novel american wife is about a kind, bookish. Aug 29, 2008 would we be interested in reading curtis sittenfelds new novel, american wife, if it werent obvious that the narrator, alice blackwell, is modeled on the first lady, laura bush. Bush and wife laura bush are keeping themselves busy while practicing social distancing amid the novel coronavirus covid19 pandemic.
American wife by curtis sittenfelda strong stomach is needed for this memoir by a us first lady with a strong resemblance to laura bush, says stephanie merritt skip. American wife is based on laura bush imagine marital bliss with a man who farts often and calls it tooting his own horn by cathy matusow september 24, 2008. Laura bush was also a passionate health advocate during her time as the first lady. I read american wife in just two or three delicious sittings, struck by the granular clarity of the authors descriptions and the downtoearth believability of the story, bewitched by the charming, frustrating woman at the center of it. It must take guts and a fair amount of gall to write a book like american wife. American wife by curtis sittenfelda strong stomach is needed for this memoir by a us first lady with a strong resemblance to laura bush, says stephanie merritt. The most shocking thing about american wife, curtis sittenfelds novel based loosely on the life of laura bush, is not the fictional first ladys illegal abortion. The book will surprise readers whose knowledge of the first lady comes from cautious media interviews and speeches. Laura bush and jenna bush hager on their new childrens book. The american wife of sittenfelds new novel, conspicuously modeled after the life of laura bush as recorded in ann gerhart s biography the perfect wife. Curtis sittenfeld s novel american wife, written 10 years ago, is loosely based on a former first ladys story, and couldnt be more relevant today. Laura bushs very existence seems to strike sittenfeld as a challenge to the humanizing magic of the novel. Sep 04, 2008 laura bush may be a great novelistic subject, but american wife doesnt quite work as a novel. Though i admit once i worked out thanks, too, to s.
How much of sittenfelds story might be closer to fact than fiction. Driving is one of the most dangerous activities we engage in, and most of us do it every day, little realizing the. Sep 05, 2008 curtis sittenfelds american wife takes the life of laura bush and turns it into a provocative novel that explores the clash between private and public life in todays politicalcelebrity culture. American wife is a great book for several reasons, but most crucially, it allows liberal readers to like laura bush without guilt. Curtis sittenfeld is one of the uss finest novelists feted for american wife, a novel that gazumped laura bushs own life story. American wife, by curtis sittenfeld new york magazine book. A novel loosely based on the life of first lady laura bush, american wife earned early headlines for its daring descriptions of an illegal abortion and. Curtis sittenfelds new novel american wife is about a kind, bookish, young woman who marries a wealthy charismatic young man who eventually becomes president. Portrait of an american marriage, published by william morrow.
The wife of a funloving, doesnt take himself too seriously son of a prominent, wealthy family, becomes the president of the united states. Bush to be among the worst american wife is the best thing i have read in a very long time. Oct, 2008 curtis sittenfelds new novel american wife is about a kind, bookish, young woman who marries a wealthy charismatic young man who eventually becomes president. Jun 28, 20 in american wife, a novel loosely inspired by the life of laura bush, curtis sittenfeld boldly imagines the inner life of a first lady. An entertaining, racy tale thats inspired more than a bit by the life of our current presidents wife, laura busha welltold tale that will leave many readers wondering.
American wife offers an intimate fictional peek into the marriage of george w. Author interview curtis sittenfeld, author of american wife. Laura bush offers a remarkable look at the private world of this famously reserved woman, as well as the beliefs and attitudes that shape it. Born in the boomandbust oil town of midland, texas, laura welch grew up as an only child in a family that lost three babies to miscarriage or infant death.
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