Description
Description
In the year 2000, in the closest election in American history, Alice Blackwell's husband becomes President of the United States. Their time in the White House proves to be heady, tumultuous and controversial. But Alice's own story--that of a kind, bookish, only child born in the 1940s Midwest who comes to inhabit a life of dizzying wealth and power--is in itself remarkable. Alice candidly describes her small-town upbringing, and the tragedy that shaped her identity; she recalls her early adulthood as a librarian, and her surprising courtship with the man who swept her off her feet; she tells of the crisis that almost ended their marriage; and she confides the privileges and difficulties of being first lady, a role that is uniquely cloistered and public, secretive and exposed.
As her husband's presidency enters its second term, Alice finds herself increasingly conflicted, as her private beliefs come into ever sharper contrast with her public responsibilities. Ultimately she must confront contradictions years in the making and face questions nearly impossible to answer.
Praise for "The Man of My Dreams "
'Grave, good-humoured, deeply engaging . . . Brilliant . . . Gratifying and elucidating' "Guardian"
'Razor-sharp . . . Sittenfeld's prose, which has that elusive ability to seduce you without you ever noticing The Writing, is a joy to read, and her characters a joy to spend time with' "Time Out"
'Delightful . . . Entertaining and thought-provoking' " Observer"
'Clever and refreshing . . . likeable and compelling . . . [Sittenfeld] is witty and astute . . . Impressive but most of all enjoyable' " Sunday Times"
About the Author
About the Author
Critical Reviews
Critical Reviews
"An intimate and daring story . . . Alice is a woman of considerable intellect, compassion and character."--USA Today
"Curtis Sittenfeld is an amazing writer, and American Wife is a brave and moving novel about the intersection of private and public life in America. Ambitious and humble at the same time, Sittenfeld refuses to trivialize or simplify people, whether real or imagined."--Richard Russo "Sittenfeld installs herself deep within the psyche of the tight-lipped wife of the president and emerges with an evenhanded, compassionate look at her mind and heart. . . . Powerfully intimate. Grade: A."--The Washington Post Book World
"A sparkling, sprawling novel . . . a ridiculously gifted writer . . . Sittenfeld has harnessed her talents perfectly in American Wife, producing an exhilarating epic infused with humor, pain and hope."--BookPage "A well-researched book that imagines what lies behind that placid facade of the first lady . . . Ms. Sittenfeld was not out to sensationalize but sympathize. The portraits of Laura and W.--known as Alice and Charlie Blackwell here--are trenchant and make you like them more."--Maureen Dowd, The New York Times "A gripping epic of public and private lives. A gem."--Good Housekeeping
"American Wife reveals how difficult it can be, living this American life with its dreams of power and prosperity, to be true to yourself. . . . Sittenfeld hits all the hot spots: daughterhood, sex, money, career, marriage, motherhood. . . . Alice's life has something in it for every American female."--Los Angeles Times "Audacious . . . Sittenfeld's imagination knows no bounds."--People
"Showing that she's grown immensely even since her bestselling debut, Sittenfeld now claims her spot as one of a new generation's greatest novelists."--BUST
"[Sittenfeld] writes in the sharp, realistic tradition of Philip Roth and Richard Ford--clear, unpretentious prose; metaphors so spot-on you barely notice them. Sittenfeld may have lifted the set pieces from a real woman's life, but in the process she has created a wise and insightful character who is entirely her own."--Time Out New York
"The novel is a gift, a sweeping exploration of a woman's odyssey from obscurity to fame and the painful decisions she must make along the way."--The Miami Herald
"We love Sittenfeld. We love her wry, razor-sharp observations. We love her funny, straightforward honesty. . . . An empathetic, fascinating, and gorgeously written story about a thirty-year marriage. We devoured it in one night."--Boston magazine
"If you've ever wondered, while watching President Bush cavorting through the minefields of foreign policy and public opinion, 'What must Laura be thinking?' novelist Curtis Sittenfeld has written the book for you."--The Dallas Morning News
Publishing Information
Publishing Information
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