A Book Review! Upstairs at the White House

I just finished reading Upstairs at the White House My Life with the First Ladies by J.B. West and I loved it! For snippets of history you won't get anywhere else, this book is a must-read. Find out what every day life is like for our presidents and their families.

From Eleanor Roosevelt sending her staff home early on Sundays to spend time with their families and doing their work herself, to Jackie Kennedy's refusal to comb her hair, letting it all over her face when she was home, you will learn many intricate details of our first families' lives.

J.B.West spent nearly 3 decades serving our first families, ultimately becoming Head Usher, which meant he literally ran the White House, had access to the president's most intimate living spaces and got to plan renovations, decorating, parties and even weddings with the first ladies.

This is not a new book. I think it was first published in 1973, but it was new to me as I hadn't read it. I highly recommend this book. It will change the way you view our first families. You'll see how staff responded to each new first lady as she moved in. You'll see the graciousness of Lady Bird Johnson toward Jackie Kennedy after the assassination of JFK. You'll see how Caroline was able to keep her school room in the White House even after they'd moved out. Every detail of daily life in the White House is brilliantly penned in this amazing work.

~Tricia

Comments

Just Think

Sometimes, I just need to think. Life is busy, praise God, and time to think is a sweet luxury. This weekend, I am home almost alone....just myself and my 18-year-old daughter. My hubby took my two teenage sons on a father/son retreat, leaving us girls here alone and I've actually had time to think. As a writer, especially, I need thinking time. So far, the results of my thinking are: 1) I thought of a title for an article I've been wanting to write for a while, 2) I thought of an approach to a chapter in a book I'm writing, 3) I thought of a way to approach a rather sensitive subject without tossing blame directly onto certain people by name. 4) I thought of doing this blog post. So, my thinking has been very productive so far. Writers, do you take time to think? I grab every opportunity I have to do some serious thinking about my writing goals. For me, it's important to keep my goals in front of me as it makes me more likely to work to fulfil...

What's a Mom to do When her Son goes off to War?

Tears in a Bottle is filled with short, easy to read articles that address every day life from the perspective of my personal walk with God. Some articles in Tears in a Bottle were previously published by Regular Baptist Press, either in their Sunday School adult papers or their magazine, The Baptist Bulletin . About Letting Go , the second article in Tears in a Bottle , is the very personal story of when one of our sons decided to join the Marine Corps Infantry after 9/11. Just 17-years-old, he saw Ground Zero and felt the Holy Spirit was telling him to do his part to fight terrorism. My struggle with his decision is laid bare in this transparent article. After publication through Regular Baptist Press, this article went on to become a go-to resource for Military Chaplains. A hard article to write, but an even harder reality to live, find out how God protected my boy while keeping my heart together at the same time. Get your copy of Tears in a Bottl...

Rule #2 - Mom is the boss of everybody

Preventing Abused Children is my newest e-book and it consists of 10 rules that can help prevent children from being victims of abuse. Rule #2 - Mom is the boss of everybody. How empowering for a kid to realize that their mom is the boss of everybody. From the playground supervisor to the crossing guard, from the Drill Instructor to the President, Mom is everybody's boss when it comes to her kids. Moms, teach your kids that you are the boss of everybody. Click here to read more. ~Tricia

Search This Blog