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American Wife (Abridged): A Novel Audiobook
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(3.00) - 24,585 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
On what might become one of the most significant days in her husband’s presidency, Alice Blackwell considers the strange and unlikely path that has led her to the White House–and the repercussions of a life lived, as she puts it, “almost in opposition to itself.” A kind, bookish only child born in the 1940s, Alice learned the virtues of politeness early on from her stolid parents and small Wisconsin hometown. But a tragic accident when she was seventeen shattered her identity and made her understand the fragility of life and the tenuousness of luck. So more than a decade later, when she met boisterous, charismatic Charlie Blackwell, she hardly gave him a second look: She was serious and thoughtful, and he would rather crack a joke than offer a real insight; he was the wealthy son of a bastion family of the Republican party, and she was a school librarian and registered Democrat. Comfortable in her quiet and unassuming life, she felt inured to his charms. And then, much to her surprise, Alice fell for Charlie. As Alice learns to make her way amid the clannish energy and smug confidence of the Blackwell family, navigating the strange rituals of their country club and summer estate, she remains uneasy with her newfound good fortune. And when Charlie eventually becomes President, Alice is thrust into a position she did not seek–one of power and influence, privilege and responsibility. As Charlie’s tumultuous and controversial second term in the White House wears on, Alice must face contradictions years in the making: How can she both love and fundamentally disagree with her husband? How complicit has she been in the trajectory of her own life? What should she do when her private beliefs run against her public persona? In Alice Blackwell, New York Times bestselling author Curtis Sittenfeld has created her most dynamic and complex heroine yet. American Wife is a gorgeously written novel that weaves class, wealth, race, and the exigencies of fate into a brilliant tapestry–a novel in which the unexpected becomes inevitable, and the pleasures and pain of intimacy and love are laid bare. Praise for American Wife “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 “What a remarkable (and brave) thing: a compassionate, illuminating, and beautifully rendered portrait of a fictional Republican first lady with a life and husband very much like our actual Republican first lady’s. Curtis Sittenfeld has written a novel as impressive as it is improbable.” –Kurt Andersen
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"I really enjoyed this book. Laura Bush has been a person I have admired for quite some time and that is what first attracted me to the novel. However, I kept having to remind myself that Sittenfeld very loosely based the novel on her. The three quarters of the book were very quick to read and engaging. The last quarter of the book dragged on for me. Even with the book being more of a work of fiction, it has made me sympathize more with the family of the President, when they are more "innocent bystanders" than the ones who actually ran for the office."
— Cassandra (4 out of 5 stars)
Awards
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A New York Times bestseller
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A 2008 Time Magazine Top 10 Book for Fiction
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One of the 2008 New York Times Book Review 100 Notable Books for Fiction
American Wife Listener Reviews
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" Good story about the life of Laura Bush--including her early years with George W. Bush. It will give you a picture (I think) of what he was like, how he came to be the man we saw lead (?) our nation for 8 years. "
— Mj, 2/6/2014 -
" It was interesting, seeing a President wife's view of how she made it to that certain point of her life, but it lacked flow. The story just was not as solidified as I would have liked to have seen it. It was also very compelling to see the difference between her beliefs and her husbands. "
— Samantha, 2/6/2014 -
" Surprising and wonderful. One of my favorite passages about how reading books made the narrator who she is. I agree! "
— Carolyn, 2/1/2014 -
" One of those books that stayed with me for a long time. "
— Desiree, 2/1/2014 -
" American wife is a well written novel based on the life experiences of Laura Bush. I found it very intriguing . "
— Joan, 1/27/2014 -
" Absolutely loved this book. A great fictional account based on Laura Bush's life. Well written and interesting. "
— Martha, 1/27/2014 -
" I really liked the main character but thought the story a little blah. "
— Tkal, 1/22/2014 -
" Sittenfeld does an amazing job of putting the reader inside the heads of her characters. Great summer vacation read! "
— Jennifer, 1/18/2014 -
" It took me a while to get into this book but it was definately worth my patience. It is a very clever and interesting look at a charector who is loosely modelled on Laura Bush. "
— Catherine, 1/17/2014 -
" The main character (thinly veiled Laura Bush) is so passive - it sometimes was tedious. And I never was convinced that she and her husband (thinly veiled George Bush) were compatible. Still seemed like a very unlikely match. Wonder whether Laura Bush's own memoir was more convincing?! "
— Ginnie, 12/27/2013 -
" A very interesting book. I loved the first 2/3s but the last third dragged a bit for me, although I enjoyed the book overall "
— Bobbi, 11/26/2013 -
" this was the best book i have read in a long time. unput-downable but good quality as well as a page turner.. "
— Eliza, 10/20/2013 -
" Brilliant - one of my all time favorites - a must read. More epic than prep and loosely based on Laura Bush "
— Emmaj, 9/20/2013 -
" What I'm currently listening to during my commute. Interesting read knowing that it's losely based on Laura Bush. "
— Tara, 5/10/2013 -
" Its been a couple years since I have read this but I remember enjoying the story. I also remember thinking, 'I wonder if this is a true story and if this was really written by . . . ' Read it, tell me who you think this book is based on :) "
— Bonnie, 1/26/2013 -
" Completely amazing. Perfectly written. Perfectly paced. And a fascinating story. Read this. "
— Jaclyn, 11/9/2012 -
" Interesting take on the Bush marriage. Raises some good questions about a wife's role and responsibility in her husband's decision making. "
— Kathleen, 10/21/2012 -
" It was alright...I couldn't connect much with the main character. Her decisions and the way she didn't get upset was upsetting :( I need someone who is more passionate. "
— Stephanie, 10/15/2012 -
" LOVED! Really good book - compelling - couldn't stop reading! "
— Jennifer, 9/9/2012 -
" We enjoyed listening to this. Supposedly a fictionalized account of episodes from the life of Laura Bush. "
— Darlis, 6/14/2012 -
" I read this when Bush was president so I don't know if it would be AS interesting now, but I thought it was a good read. It was very creative- how interesting to try and imagine the path to the presidency through her eyes. "
— Amy, 6/3/2012 -
" I really struggled to finish this one. Who has the nerve to write about someone else like that? I'm surprised anyone goes into politics anymore if this is the way you get treated. True or not it seems pathetic to make money off of someone else's story this way. "
— Jo, 12/1/2011 -
" A fictionalized telling of Laura Bush's young adult to post-presidency life. I think I would have loved it even if it wasn't based on a well-known public figure. "
— Leigh, 10/24/2011 -
" I really loved this book and didn't want it to end. I loved the writing style, the main character and the plot. "
— Carolyn, 9/28/2011 -
" Predictably predictable but I really liked the description of her emotions. Felt very real and I could relate! Don't really know how Laura Bush does it...but love knows no boundaries I guess. "
— Michelle, 8/15/2011 -
" I have always thought Laura Bush is a very decent, classy, intelligent, gracious woman with an interesting past. Whether any of this is true or not...I don't know. But I would love to believe she really is "that human." "
— Patty, 6/30/2011 -
" Reimagines the life of Laura Bush. Very disturbing to read about her and the former president in sexual situations... "
— Mimy, 6/27/2011 -
" Poignant insight into a complicated yet ordinary woman, brilliant "
— Alicia, 6/23/2011 -
" I like it until perhaps the last 100 pages - was a great exploration of what makes relationships work. But then it got all weird/political/too transparently about the Bush family. After all the liberties taken earlier, it was much too far-fetched! "
— Laurelaura, 6/20/2011 -
" Loved this book. It's loosely based on Laura Bush's life but whether you like her or not it was an entertaining book. "
— Katie, 6/19/2011 -
" Totally enjoyed this from beginning to end!! "
— Susan, 6/18/2011 -
" Good book but for some reason it took me 3 years to read it!<br/> "
— Leah, 6/10/2011 -
" Written by a proclaimed Democrat who admires Laura Bush, this book is loosely based on Laura's life. I enjoyed the book, but now I want to read a Laura Bush bio. "
— Vivian, 6/10/2011 -
" It wasn't what i thought it would be "
— Waterstoneswalsall, 6/9/2011 -
" I was surprisingly engrossed for the first 3 sections. The 4th started to lose me, I must admit. "
— Allison, 6/8/2011
About Curtis Sittenfeld
Curtis Sittenfeld is the author of several New York Times bestselling works. Her short stories have appeared in the New Yorker, Washington Post magazine, Esquire, and The Best American Short Stories. Her nonfiction has been published in the New York Times, Atlantic, Time, and Glamour and have been broadcast on public radio’s This American Life. She is a graduate of Stanford and the Iowa Writer’s Workshop.
About Kimberly Farr
Kimberly Farr is an actress and winner of numerous AudioFile Earphones Awards for narration. She has appeared on Broadway and at the New York Shakespeare Festival, the Roundabout Theatre, Playwright’s Horizons, and the American Place. She created the role of “Eve” in Arthur Miller’s first and only musical, Up from Paradise, which was directed by the author. She appeared with Vanessa Redgrave in the Broadway production of The Lady from the Sea and has acted in regional theaters across the country, including a performance in the original production of The 1940’s Radio Hour at Washington, DC’s Arena Stage.