Today we’re starting the next book in The Bestseller Code 100 challenge, American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld for Book Beginnings on Fridays.
Book Beginnings is a fun meme hosted by Rose City Reader blog. To participate, share the first sentence or so of a novel you are reading and your thoughts about it. When you are finished, add your URL to the Book Beginnings page linked above. Hope to see you there!
American Wife* by Curtis Sittenfeld
(*Amazon Affiliate link)
Summary: When quiet school librarian Alice Lindgren meets Charlie Blackwell, the charismatic son of a powerful Republican family, she doesn’t think they have much in common. That doesn’t prevent her, however, from falling in love and marrying him. Before she knows it, he’s governor of their state and then president. As first lady, she must decide how to cope with the challenge of loving her husband, but disagreeing with many of his beliefs and actions.
According to a preface in the book,
“American Wife is a work of fiction loosely inspired by the life of an American first lady. Her husband, his parents, and certain prominent members of his administration are recognizable.
Although not identified by name, the protagonist is apparently modeled after Former First Lady Laura Bush, who was recently in the news.
First Sentence of Prologue, American Wife :
June 2007, the White House
Have I made terrible mistakes?
The paragraph that follows goes on to tell the reader how Alice deals with her husband’s snoring. She admits she has difficulty sleeping for other reasons, too.
First Sentence, Chapter One
In 1954, the summer before I entered third grade, my grandmother mistook Andrew Imhof for a girl.
This sentence is intriguing. It makes me wonder what this has to do with Alice’s future.
What do you think? Have you read American Wife? Would you like to read it?
I read this book a few years ago, and definitely found it enjoyable. Thanks for sharing…and thanks for visiting my blog.
Glad to hear that you enjoyed it. What I’ve read so far is well written and keeps me turning pages.
Yes, I’d read it. Sounds most interesting. I’m reading Someone by Alice McDermott this weekend.
I haven’t read this author yet, but I really want to try the P&P retelling! 🙂
I haven’t heard if this one. Sounds interesting. I’d love for you and your readers to check out mine . . . https://tinyurl.com/LisaKsBookReviews7618
It doesn’t sound like something I would normally pick up. However, “school librarian” might pull me in. This week I am spotlighting Shelved Under Murder by Victoria Gilbert. Happy reading!
A lot of wonderful mysteries and cozy mysteries on the list today. Makes me wish I was reading those instead.
I remember when this one came out and wanting to read it. Somehow I never got around to it–but I’m glad you have, and I hope you enjoy it.
I have to admit that this may not be top of my list of books to read, nor one of my favourite genres, but I do like to ‘ring the changes’ from time to time and ‘American Wife’ does sound like quite a relaxed read, albeit a little on the chunkster side, at over 500 pages! The cover is also very eye-catching.
Your mystery / murders will all still be there waiting for you when you have done with ‘American Wife’ and you might enjoy it more than you think 🙂
Yvonne
xx
I’m curious about this one. I’m not sure how I’d feel about fiction that was that closely based on real people but changed all the names. Hope you’re enjoying it!
The life of a First Lady is not easy, I’m sure. To have your whole family in the spotlight, to be followed by cameras everywhere you go… One must be tough to put up with all that. This book must contain a lot of infortmation about these challenges. I hope you enjoy it!