Our July pick for book club was “American Wife,” by Curtis Sittenfeld.  The cover of the book has a quote from Joe Klein, Time, “A brilliant novel…and a grand entertainment.”  Well, I have to disagree with that quote.

The book is a fictional account of Laura Bush’s life.  The author used various sources to move the book along the lines of Laura Bush’s live, but fictionalized the story.  However, all you see when you read the book is Laura Bush’s face.

It may be good for book club because discussion regarding privacy of public figures is always a feisty conversation.

There is a part in the beginning of the book that doesn’t sit well with me.  After Alice (Laura Bush) has an accident, a very un-like Laura Bush incident occurs with a character named Pete.  Whether you like Laura Bush (separating her from her husband – if you can) or not it is so hard for me to believe she would act in any way like Alice did after the accident. Again, all I see is Laura Bush’s face as I read this, who was the First Lady of the United States, and as all of the First Ladies have been, she is reserved and deeply private.  To even insinuate the actions that Alice did seems disrespectful to a First Lady, but then she is a public figure.

My book club spent some time talking about this dilemma of privacy for public people.

Some of the members liked the book, some didn’t.  We also discussed marriages in the public eye and supporting your spouse unconditionally.  I believe there are other books that could shed more light and less sensationalism.

Rating: 5