Loves, Lies, and Tears An Intimate Look At America's First Ladies
Normally, I have to admit, that this type of book, is not my cup of tea. That being said, I read your book over a 2 day period. Once I started, I wanted to continue reading. Your profiles were so intimate and revealing. I particularly liked your what I learned from section at the end of each bio. What I learned was that, even after all these years, basically, nothing much has changed. I related to each first lady in one way or another. My one disappointment was that the book was not a hard cover. I wanted to use it has a coffee table book. I m very curious about the more contemporary first ladies in recent history and I have just one question for you when can I expect to receive Vol. 2? I can hardly wait --Stephanie Whitt Accounting ManagerREVIEWS  Engaging History: Not an Oxymoron   Ever wished you could have your dose of history with a good dollop of entertainment? Well, you ve found your source in Loves, Lies and Tears: An Intimate Look at America s First Ladies, Vol. I. This 346-page volume, the first of two, provides the essentials in a highly readable format that will have you paging ahead for just one more story every time you reach the end of a chapter.    A concise survey of the lives of the United States First Ladies, from Martha Washington onward, this book by noted speaker and First Lady authority Jacqueline Berger covers the facts but goes a bit further. The author includes the historic, geographic, emotional, familial, and marital landscapes of each Lady s life in a succinct yet thorough manner, so the reader is viewing these important women through a wide-angle lens. The political background of each presidential era is sketched in, but this is not a book about politics or presidents. It is about the very human, very real women who happened to be married to the men at the helm of one of the most powerful nations on earth. And it is in revealing the humanity behind the biographical facts that Loves, Lies, and Tears shines. Readers come away from the stories of these important historical figures with not just facts, but an emotional portrait of each First Lady who inhabited the White House.    Volume I covers the period between 1789 and 1913 with biographies of Martha Washington ( The General s Lady ) through Helen Taft ( Careful What You Wish For ); Volume II will cover the remaining First Ladies through the present. One thing I greatly appreciate is the black and white portrait that accompanies each First Lady s biography, complementing the author s careful physical description of each woman. The book s chronological structure is admirable in its logic and cohesion: seven main parts, from Women of the Revolution through Women of the Turn of the Century, group women by historical time frame and provide seamless segues from one mistress of the White House to the next. Ms. Berger includes a personal insight at the conclusion of each First Lady s story, providing a contemporary perspective and a clue to the fascination these women hold for the author.   While eminently readable, this book is not lightweight: it is carefully and conveniently annotated and contains a respectably sized bibliography and a thorough index. Because it is well-researched and annotated yet entertainingly written, Loves, Lies, and Tears would be ideal for college or high school students as well as general audiences.    I can t wait for Volume II. --Catherine Viel, Santa Barbara, California