American Wife: A Novel (Hardcover)

~ (Author)
Key Phrases: jessica sutton, mrs blackwell, abor tion, Miss Ruby, Edgar Franklin, White House (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Sittenfeld tracks, in her uneven third novel, the life of bookish, naïve Alice Lindgren and the trajectory that lands her in the White House as first lady. Charlie Blackwell, her boyishly charming rake of a husband, whose background of Ivy League privilege, penchant for booze and partying, contempt for the news and habit of making flubs when speaking off the cuff, bears more than a passing resemblance to the current president (though the Blackwells hail from Wisconsin, not Texas). Sittenfeld shines early in her portrayal of Alice's coming-of-age in Riley, Wis., living with her parents and her mildly eccentric grandmother. A car accident in her teens results in the death of her first crush, which haunts Alice even as she later falls for Charlie and becomes overwhelmed by his family's private summer compound and exclusive country club membership. Once the author leaves the realm of pure fiction, however, and has the first couple deal with his being ostracized as a president who favors an increasingly unpopular war, the book quickly loses its panache and sputters to a weak conclusion that doesn't live up to the fine storytelling that precedes it. (Sept.)
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From Bookmarks Magazine

While critics couldn’t say for sure whether or not Sittenfeld captures the exact thoughts of Laura Bush, they did agree that she creates a realistic and highly sympathetic portrayal of the (soon-to-be former) First Lady. (The author supposedly based the novel on Ann Gerhart’s 2004 biography, The Perfect Wife: The Life and Choices of Laura Bush.) Sittenfeld asks provoking questions about marriage, loyalty, and responsibility. But many reviewers couldn’t fundamentally understand why the very decent Alice had supported her husband despite her doubts about his capabilities; Sittenfeld’s pat, unsatisfactory answer is that Alice leads a life “in opposition.” That, combined with the author’s obvious contempt for Charlie, brought the reviews down a notch. Still, there’s nothing as titillating as a look, albeit fictional, inside the White House—especially during an election year.
Copyright 2008 Bookmarks Publishing LLC

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 576 pages
• Publisher: Random House; 1 edition (September 2, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1400064759
• ISBN-13: 978-1400064755
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.1 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (232 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #135,118 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

44 of 51 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Mixed feelings: good story but knowing the background ruins it., October 2, 2008

By	Mahlers2nd "Mommy of Many Interests" - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)

(What's this?)

When I ordered this book, I didn't know that it was supposed to be based (loosely or otherwise) on Laura Bush. I ordered it because I am fascinated by what it would be like to be behind the doors of the real White House. (If you want a non-fiction view, I recommend:

America's First Families: An Inside View of 200 Years of Private Life in the White House (Lisa Drew Books)

I did find out that the book was loosely (?) based on Laura Bush's life prior to reading it. It is through that lens that I wound up forming my opinion on the book.

As a work of hypothetical fiction, the book was interesting and entertaining. You meet a lot of characters in the book -- particularly the early life of Alice -- that you wouldn't expect to meet in a midwest middle class traditional family and you catch a glimpse of that period that is outside the Kennedy "Camelot" rose-colored glasses. From that perspective, as a novel, it stretches your imagination and makes for a book that is "out of the ordinary".

However, knowing that it is based in part on the life of Laura Bush -- I think this really does a disservice to the book and to the woman. I don't have strong feelings about Laura Bush either way but by making this a work of fiction, you constantly find yourself wondering which parts were true and which ones were not. If everything was true, then you get a very unkind picture of the person who is Laura Bush. If much of it is untrue, then you feel sorry for Laura Bush for being "slandered" and the voyeurism into what should be very private events, feelings and thoughts for this very public person. You feel a little guilty even reading it.

I think the author would have been better off not trying to tie this novel to any particular person. That way, there would not be the "distraction" that you ultimately feel as you read trying to separate fact from fiction.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Back up to standards, February 11, 2009

By	Book Dork (Southern California) - See all my reviews

I adored Curtis Sittenfeld's Prep but was sorely disappointed with Man of My Dreams, so I was a little apprehensive about American Wife. While not quite as good as Prep, I found this to be an interesting, well-written novel based on George and Laura Bush.

Why I Read 555 Pages in a Few Short Days:
- The parallels and comparisons Sittenfeld decides to make regarding her fictional first family, the Blackwells, and the Bushs are really interesting and often amusing. Meat instead of oil, Wisconsin instead of Texas, one daughter instead of twins, the Brewers instead of the Rangers. It's obviously about the Bush family, yet Sittenfeld adds some of her own twists.
- It feels as if it's written from the perspective of Laura Bush. While I obviously don't know her, it just seems to match her public persona. Reserved, kind, polite, and guarded. Sittenfeld's narrative voice is effectively different from her other novels.
- The prose is very well written and flows well.
- The scandalous elements are evenly paced throughout the novel; a car accident, an abortion, destroyed friendships and substance abuse (obviously).
- I have to admit, as someone who does not respect George Bush, I got a kick out of how idiotic he was often depicted.

A Few Drawbacks:
- For those looking for a typical quick read, keep in mind it is 555 pages. It is broken up into 4 residences, with no chapter breaks in between.
- There are occasionally passages that feel a bit rambling, generally later in the novel when Alice Blackwell starts becoming a bit reflective.
- If you are a Republican, or a Bush supporter, you may not appreciate the bumbling Charlie Blackwell/George Bush character.
- I hate the hardback cover (not sure if they'll change it for the paperback). It makes the novel seem like some sort of "chic lit" book, which it is not. Where did they even get the idea for it? She doesn't wear a wedding dress like that or any such ball gowns!
- While I didn't mind, those that are offended but descriptive sex scenes may recoil during several episodes.

All in all, I thought this was a really great novel that restored my faith in Curtis Sittenfeld (I have a feeling Man of My Dreams was really an old first novel that they decided to publish).

65 of 84 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Loved it, September 2, 2008

By	B. Lee (Houston, Texas, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Great summaries in the other reviews - I won't repeat those.

I loved the beginning and middle of this book. Loved Alice, her childhood, her growing up experiences, her family, her life as a single woman, her courtships, her experiences with the Blackwell family (these were my favorite sections), and her relationship with her husband, the future president. All of these things are plot lines that Sittenfeld wrote BRILLIANTLY.

When I finished reading this book, however, I was lukewarm about the ending. 2 weeks later, when I was still thinking about the book, I realized how fervently it had stuck with me, and have since decided that it was one of my favorites of 2008 so far.

Great work, Curtis. I praise your boldness and your talent for writing about women in a sometimes awkward and uncomfortable but always honest fashion. Definitely worth the read.