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The Residence: Inside the Private World of the White House Audiobook
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Publisher Description
A remarkable history with elements of both In the President’s Secret Service and The Butler, The Residence offers an intimate account of the service staff of the White House, from the Kennedys to the Obamas.
America’s First Families are unknowable in many ways. No one has insight into their true character like the people who serve their meals and make their beds every day. Full of stories and details by turns dramatic, humorous, and heartwarming, The Residence reveals daily life in the White House as it is really lived through the voices of the maids, butlers, cooks, florists, doormen, engineers, and others who tend to the needs of the President and First Family.
These dedicated professionals maintain the six-floor mansion’s 132 rooms, 35 bathrooms, 28 fireplaces, three elevators, and eight staircases, and prepare everything from hors d’oeuvres for intimate gatherings to meals served at elaborate state dinners. Over the course of the day, they gather in the lower level’s basement kitchen to share stories, trade secrets, forge lifelong friendships, and sometimes even fall in love.
Combining incredible first-person anecdotes from extensive interviews with scores of White House staff members—many speaking for the first time—with archival research, Kate Andersen Brower tells their story. She reveals the intimacy between the First Family and the people who serve them, as well as tension that has shaken the staff over the decades. From the housekeeper and engineer who fell in love while serving President Reagan to Jackie Kennedy’s private moment of grief with a beloved staffer after her husband’s assassination to the tumultuous days surrounding President Nixon’s resignation and President Clinton’s impeachment battle, The Residence is full of surprising and moving details that illuminate day-to-day life at the White House.
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"I love the tell-all stories and anecdotes included in The Residence. My family and I really enjoyed the shower specifications of LBJ and the birds-eye view of the fight between Bill and Hillary Clinton after the Lewinsky affair. I was fascinated by the first-hand accounts of the interviewees and really enjoyed Karen White as narrator. "
— Julie (5 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“Both elegant portraiture and highly readable, important White House history…Highly recommended!”
— Douglas Brinkley, New York Times bestselling author -
“Prepare to encounter the motherlode: Kate Brower’s The Residence.”
— Glamour -
“As engrossing as Downton Abbey, Brower’s book takes us into the captivating secret world.”
— Entertainment Weekly -
“The tell-all The Residence, featuring intimate anecdotes collected from past and current White House staff members, is absolutely delicious.”
— Washington Post -
“A juicy new book…[and] a touching story.”
— Daily Beast -
“Although most of the interviewees keep their memories close to the vest, some share anecdotes that truly humanize their employers…from the mundane (Lyndon B. Johnson’s shower specifications) to the dramatic (Hillary Rodham Clinton’s response to her husband’s cheating scandal)…Fascinating…[with] all the intriguing vignettes.”
— Library Journal -
“Anecdotes both touching and hilarious about living and working in the White House, ‘the country’s most potent and enduring symbol of the presidency’…A work of great historical interest that is also quite entertaining.”
— Kirkus Reviews -
“This intimate portrait of what it’s like to take care of the first family is a compelling read…[and] adds unique context to understanding our presidents as human beings.”
— Chuck Todd, moderator, Meet the Press -
“Superbly reported…A fascinating backstage account of the world’s most famous residence.”
— Judy Woodruff, anchor, PBS NewsHour
Awards
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An Entertainment Weekly “Must Read” of Brainy & Brilliant Beach Books
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A New York Times bestseller
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About Kate Andersen Brower
Kate Andersen Brower is the author of the New York Times bestsellers The Residence, First Women, and First in Line. She is a CNN contributor who covered the Obama White House for Bloomberg News and is a former CBS News staffer and Fox News producer. Her writing has appeared in the New York Times, Vanity Fair, and the Washington Post.
About Karen White
Karen White has been narrating audiobooks of all genres since 1999. Honored to be included in AudioFile’s Best Voices, she’s also a four-time Audie Finalist and has earned multiple AudioFile Earphones Awards and Library Journal starred reviews.