Book Review- American Wife

I just finished the book American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld.

From the back cover:

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 live lived, as she believes, "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 hometow. Alice candidly describes her modest upbringing and the tragedy that shaped her identity; she recalls her early adulthood as a librarian, and her surprising courtship with the man who swept her off her feet; she tells of the crisis that almost ended their marriage; and she confides the privileges and difficulties of being first lady, a role that is uniquely cloistered yet public, secretive yet exposed.

As her husband's presidency enters its second term, Alice finds herself increasingly conflicted. Ultimately she must confront contradictions years in the making and face questions nearly impossible to answer.

I enjoyed this book. It was a nice break from all of the paranormal books that I have been reading. It really kept my attention and flowed well. Several time, after reading for a while, I would have to stop and remind myself that this is a fiction book. I kept thinking that maybe this book was about Barbara Bush because there are so many similarities, but I knew that it wasn't true.

And as it says on Barnesandnoble.com, " A word of advice before reading American Wife: put Laura Bush firmly out of your mind. While bestselling author Curtis Sittenfeld has waxed rhapsodic about her admiration for the first lady, she insists that in this novel, her most ambitious work to date, protagonist Alice Blackwell is most certainly not Laura Bush. Sittenfeld has conceded that she drew on some major events in Mrs. Bush's life, such as the horrific car accident that killed a fellow student in high school and her marriage to a man who is eventually elected president and steers the country into a controversial war. The rest, she says, she invented within the framework of that reality."

So I know its not just me that was thinking about the similarities. The way the story was written really made me connect with the main character and there was one part where I gasped out loud!

I gave this book a rating of 3/5.

This book fullfills requirements for the following challenges:

Chick-Lit Challenge 2: 3) Read a new to you author

What's In A Name? Challenge: Relative

Read Your Name Challenge: A

Chick-Lit Challenge: 1