The 24 Best Books About (And By) First Ladies

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The role of First Lady of the United States has evolved since Martha Washington's husband, George, took the oath of office in 1789. Notably, Martha wasn't even called first lady—the title wasn't coined until decades after her death. America's first First Lady was actually not even married to the president; James Buchanan's niece, Harriet Lane, was the first woman to carry the title in 1857. (Buchanan, the 15th president of the U.S., was a lifelong bachelor and the only U.S. president never to have married, so Lane stepped up.)

Over the centuries, the position of the presidential spouse has become part of the fabric of this country's executive branch and its traditions, and yet, given that it is not an official post with duties outlined in the constitution, each first lady has shaped the job to fit her personality, her ambitions, and the time in which she served.

These 24 books present a wide array of perspectives on the role of First Lady—from memoirs by Julia Grant, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Michelle Obama, to biographies on Jackie Kennedy, Barbara Bush, and Louisa Adams.

The Personal Memoirs of Julia Dent Grant (Mrs. Ulysses S. Grant)

Julia Dent Grant, wife of 18th president Ulysses S. Grant, initially wrote these memoirs as a "family volume," with no intention of sharing them publicly, but in 1975, Julia's great-granddaughters finally allowed her words to be published, and they remain an "important historical resource for interpreting the lives of the Grants, Dents, and enslaved people who lived at White Haven in the nineteenth century," per the National Parks Service. They also speak to the relationship between Ulysses and Julia.

Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis: The Untold Story

Perhaps the most famous First Lady of all time, biographer Barbara Leaming seeks to understand Jackie Kennedy in a new light. The first half of Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis dives into her early life and marriage, and the latter half is all about the wake of her husband's assassination.

First Ladies of the Republic: Martha Washington, Abigail Adams, Dolley Madison, and the Creation of an Iconic American Role

Though they weren't called "First Lady" at the time, Martha Washington, Abigail Adams, Dolley Madison were the first three first ladies of the United States, and shaped the role of FLOTUS for generations to come. As Jeanne E. Abrams writes in the introduction, "Despite the fact that the role of First Lady was not an elected position, Martha and her two successors...would all come to symbolize the heart and character of their husbands' administrations. Never officially authorized, nevertheless, the position of First Lady became a highly influential role in American history."

Laura Bush: An Intimate Portrait of the First Lady

This biography of Laura Bush was written with White House cooperation, so author Ronald Kessler interviewed Laura Bush's family and friends to understand the 43rd FLOTUS. Kessler writes about Laura's politics, and her life as a "famously reserved woman."

First Women: The Grace and Power of America's Modern First Ladies

On the flip side, First Women dives into modern first ladies—from Jackie Kennedy through Michelle Obama—and looks at how those ten women defined the role in their unique ways. "These women's lives are shaped by history," Brower writes. "What makes them so compelling is their shared humanity, their imperfection." She draws on a wide range of sources to understand "life upstairs and downstairs at the world’s most powerful address."

The Autobiography of Eleanor Roosevelt

Eleanor Roosevelt wrote numerous books and memoirs throughout her lifetime, but this autobiography is her most definitive text. She dedicates the book to "all those who will be spared reading three volumes of my autobiography and who may find this easier and pleasanter to read." She adds, "As I look through it, I think it gives some insight into the life and times in which my husband and I lived, and anything which adds to future understanding I hope will have value." She is underselling herself: Roosevelt is a talented writer, and her insights over the course of the four terms her husband served are vital.

Becoming

Perhaps the most famous First Lady memoir in recent years is Michelle Obama's bestselling Becoming, which covered her childhood in Chicago through her time in the White House as America's first Black First Lady. Her second memoir, The Light We Carry: Overcoming in Uncertain Times, was published in fall 2022.

Read more: A Guide to All of Michelle Obama's Books

Upstairs at the White House: My Life with the First Ladies

J. B. West was the chief usher of the White House for three decades, which meant he directed the operations and maintenance of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue and coordinated the first family's daily life. In Upstairs at the White House, he shares personal anecdotes of the First Ladies during his tenure. As the publisher writes, West's book is "a rich account of a slice of American history that usually remains behind closed doors."

Where the Light Enters

Written before she became First Lady, Dr. Jill Biden's memoir focuses on her childhood, and falling in love with President Joe Biden. "This is the story of how Joe and I created our family—through traditions, through laughter, through the simple ways we found joy," she writes. "We had no road map or master plan. We faltered at times, but we never stopped working hard to keep the family strong. And we did it all together." It ends with a tribute to Beau Biden, who died in 2015.

A Perfect Union: Dolley Madison and the Creation of the American Nation

This biography of Dolley Madison—the wife of the fourth president of the U.S., James Madison—argues Dolley built a model for a modern form of politics, emphasizing cooperation between political opponents. For those looking to dive into hidden histories of First Ladies, A Perfect Union is, dare we say, a perfect place to start.

Melania and Me: The Rise and Fall of My Friendship with the First Lady

The most recently published book on this list is a look at Melania Trump, through the eyes of her friend Stephanie Winston Wolkoff—who Melania put in charge of the Presidential Inauguration. While not exactly a biography, Wolkoff does unpack Melania's time in the White House, and offers her perspective on the Trump marriage.

Betty Ford: First Lady, Women's Advocate, Survivor, Trailblazer

Based on in-depth interviews with all four of Betty Ford's children, Betty Ford is a sweeping portrait of a revolutionary first lady. It dives into how Betty spoke about equal rights for women, and addressed taboo causes like breast cancer, depression, abortion, and sexuality.

Living History

One of Hillary Clinton's earlier memoirs focuses on her life in the White House as a First Lady. She chronicles her life from her childhood in middle-class America to her position as an unconventional First Lady, involved in domestic legislation. Per the publisher, "Living History captures the essence of one of the most remarkable women of our time and the challenging process by which she came to define herself and find her own voice -- as a woman and as a formidable figure in American politics."

Lady Bird Johnson: Hiding in Plain Sight

President Lyndon B. Johnson assumed the office of the presidency following the assassination of John F. Kennedy. Quickly, he had to decide whether or not he should run in 1964. So, he turned to his wife, Lady Bird Johnson, his most trusted advisor. Lady Bird Johnson reveals "the most underestimated First Lady of the twentieth century," who Julia Sweig writes was "her husband's secret weapon."

The Triumph of Nancy Reagan

Karen Tumulty offers a definitive biography of Nancy Reagan, wife to Ronald Reagan, tracing her childhood through her role in the White House. The Washington Post columnist spent years interviewing the people who knew the Reagans best, and what results is an incisive look at a deeply influential First Lady.

My Turn: The Memoirs of Nancy Reagan

Or, if you want to hear Nancy Reagan's story from Nancy Reagan herself, check out My Turn. “During our White House years I said almost nothing about how I really felt regarding the controversies that swirled around me," she writes. "But now those years are over, and it’s my turn to describe what happened..."

Mary Todd Lincoln: A Biography

Mary Todd Lincoln was "America's most provocative First Lady," Jean Baker writes in her biography. Baker explains that her intention in writing the biography "was to move beyond traditional considerations of her service as a wife to Abraham Lincoln and, after his assassination, of her obsessive buying, subsequent insanity trial, and institutionalization in a mental asylum. I wanted to view her life from her own perspective, not one that developed from the unfavorable comments of her critics." Baker succeeds in reclaiming her story.

First Lady from Plains

Rosalynn Carter’s autobiography covers her life from her childhood in Plains, Georgia (hence First Lady from Plains) through her time as First Lady during President Jimmy Carter's tenure in office. In a new intro she wrote in 1994, Rosalynn shares, "We look back on our time in the White House with pleasure and satisfaction. It was an interesting, exciting, productive, sometimes difficult, and always challenging time for us."

Abigail Adams: A Life

In Abigail Adams, historian Woody Holton "offers a sweeping reinterpretation" of the second First Lady's life and influence. Holton shows that Abigail was more influential and crucial in the early days of the American democracy than previously understood, and paints her as a proto-feminist. It serves as a well-rounded portrait of an important American woman.

The Matriarch: Barbara Bush and the Making of an American Dynasty

Barbara Bush is the rare example of someone who served both as first lady and the mother to a president, and as author Susan Page suggests, she was "one of the more influential women in American history." Beginning with her memorial service in April 2018, the book goes back in time. The Matriarch is based on hours of interviews with Barbara herself, along with interviews with Bush friends and family members, including former president George W. Bush.

Louisa: The Extraordinary Life of Mrs. Adams

Louisa Catherine Adams was born in London to an American father and a British father, thousands of miles away from where her future husband (and sixth president) John Quincy Adams was raised. Louisa didn't arrive in America until she was 26, and Louisa, (written by Louisa Thomas), "follows Louisa from London, to Nantes, to Berlin, to the United States," and argues that while Mrs. Adams "was not a modern woman, she had kind of modern voice."

Lady First: The World of First Lady Sarah Polk

Sarah Polk's life spanned 1803 to 1891, nearly the entire nineteenth century, and Amy Greenberg's biography Lady First unpacks her role as a political spouse, and how she created the office of the First Lady. The text offers a nuanced portrait of a woman who became a blueprint for "conservative female power"—and serves as the first biography of Polk grounded in archival research. Greenberg posits that Sarah Polk is the influence for many influential conservative women in the modern day, including Phyllis Schlafly, Nancy Reagan, and Ivanka Trump.

Nellie Taft: The Unconventional First Lady of the Ragtime Era

Nellie was a progressive First Lady, who "loved to smash precedent" and "thrived on her independence." Historian Carl Sferrazza Anthony uses Nellie's diaries, love letters between the Tafts, and family correspondence to paint a portrait of a powerful woman. As he writes, "Before she had even begun to date him, Nellie had determined that she would marry a man who would someday be elected President of the United States."

First Ladies

Last but not least, First Ladies is a fascinating look into the personal life of every First Lady in history (through Michelle Obama). Based on C-SPAN's history series, First Ladies: Influence and Image, the book features interviews with more than fifty preeminent historians and biographers. A must-read for all First Lady fans.

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