Dear First Lady
Letters to the White House
From the collections of the Library of Congress & National
Archives
Written by Dwight Young and Margaret Johnson
This is a beautiful and fascinating book that I had a hard time putting down. The book shows a photo of an actual letter written to a first lady then gives the story surrounding the circumstances. It is really interesting to see the content of the various letters and how they reflect on the times. Each letter and story reveals interesting facts about the first ladies that I never new. This book shows history from a different perspective. My favorite letter was the one from Kermit Roosevelt to his mother, Edith, which he wrote to her while away at boarding school. He thanks her for smuggling her in a water pistol, and tells her of his exploits in great detail. There is a letter to Hillary Clinton from The Dalai Lama about which the author quips, " Who knew the Dalai Lama had his own letterhead?" There are letters from queens and from ordinary people. Some offering condolences after tragedy while others very lighthearted. I really enjoyed this book. While I found the The format a little difficult to read at times, it was only a minor annoyance, and the beauty of this book outweighs anything else.
Thanks for the tip on this book. This is right up my alley. I was sent a personal note and flowers from First Lady Barbara Bush after the birth of my son. I treasure them. Wanted to let you know you have won the little pink gingham house with white bird from creative breathing - me! If you will e-mail me your address at mermaidmom46@columbus.rr.com I will post it to you! Thank you so very much for playing! Elizabeth
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