"The President's Wife," by Tracey Enerson Wood follows the story of Edith Wilson, the second wife of President Woodrow Wilson through their courtship in his first term and subsequently during the "Great war" and peace process.

Overall, the book was not arduous to read and remained historically accurate. However, it feels like a simple recounting of of the trials and tribulations experienced during Wilson's administration and only slowly meanders to the important role that Edith Wilson played. Even then, the telling of her influence felt cursory, racing over important decisions in which Edith was more heavily involved. As a result, I was left wanting more information about Edith Wilson's role in influencing important historical events, including female suffrage.

Thank you Netgalley and and Sourcebooks for the ARC.

I received an ARC of this title from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Well, with all due respect, I flipped to the end of this book around page 151. I enjoy historical fiction and how you get a story interwoven with history. After reading the Epilogue, I understand the author’s intentions and reason for focusing on Edith and Woodrow Wilson. Their’s was a time of war and the fight for women’s suffrage. The author wants to use the history of Woodrow’s presidency and the role of his second wife, Edith, as a point to open a conversation about several contemporary issues. However, it was just painfully slow and the fiction portion of the novel could do with an enhanced pace.

The President's Wife is a look into the lives of Woodrow and Edith Wilson. Readers learn of the romantic relationship of the couple as well as the global politics at the turn of the twentieth century. We are led to a clearer picture of why the Wilsons were pacifists and their efforts to keep the United States from playing an active role in World War I. We learn a great deal about the development and formation of the League of Nations. Finally, we see into the inner circle of those who surrounded Wilson after a devastating stroke and the effects of their decisions not only on immediate events but those in the future. Interesting and well-researched, this story is worth the read.

When Woodrow Wilson suffered a debilitating stroke about halfway in to his second term as President, Edith, his second wife, became a sort of shadow president, keeping his true condition a secret to all but a handful of trusted advisors, and making decisions on his behalf. It's a remarkable story, and very well researched and told. Historical fiction lovers will really appreciate this.

“The President’s Wife” is a historical fiction book by Tracey Enerson Wood. I’m a little bit familiar with President Woodrow Wilson - from being NJ’s governor, to President of Princeton University, and - of course - being infamous for his re-election campaign slogan “He Kept Us Out of War.” I didn’t know much about his second wife, Edith Galt, so I thought reading this book, where Edith was the main character, would be good for rounding out my knowledge of Mr. Wilson. I have mixed feelings about this book. On one hand, President Wilson is a rather interesting character (like him or not). He is known for forming the League of Nations (forerunner to the UN), but also, under his term, the 19th amendment was ratified (though Wilson seemed to support its passing as a way to gain votes not for equal rights). Wilson managed to both praise and also separate himself from the movie “Birth of a Nation,” which required some nice tap dancing. However, that’s all background to Edith Galt Wilson - his second wife. I felt at times that their courtship was both incredibly slow (it takes up over 25% of the book) yet also rather quick (they met, he was smitten with her, she resisted marrying him, yet also felt a spark). Wilson was known for his love letters - in fact there are online articles about his letters to Mary Peck. I think where my expectations weren’t met was that this books is really more about Edith Galt becoming President Wilson’s wife - from courtship to becoming his partner and after his presidency. I thought the book would focus a lot more on the months of her “stewardship” but it wasn’t. I think for those who don’t know a lot about this time period, this book would be an interesting read, but for me it missed the mark as it wasn’t quite what I was expecting. 3.5 stars.

This is sure to be an appealing book for lovers of history, as well as historical fiction and all things presidential. I enjoyed learning about Edith and Woodrow Wilson and their time in our country's history from this story and I even ended up researching a little more about them on my own.

The story gives us a glimpse into the sanguine, yet sometimes turbulent, lives of Edith and Woodrow Wilson, from the time they first met in 1915, when he was a newly widowed President, until they left the White House in 1921. It encompasses many historical events, such as the sinking of the Lusitania, the U.S. entry into WWI, the formation of the League of Nations after the war, and the fight for women's right to vote. Edith became very involved in what was taking place during her husband's presidency.

Like all First Ladies, Edith was a role model, an idol, and often a target of ridicule. She was devoted to her husband and her country, even when protecting one was quite possibly detrimental to the other. Her choices and actions following her husband's stroke were interesting to read about, because there is so much discussion in today's political arena about our current President's mental stability. Also, the story reveals how it was possible for unelected individuals to have an impact on critical issues affecting the nation. I wish that my history classes in school had been this fascinating.

My sincere thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for giving me the opportunity to read and review an ARC of this book.

If you have studied the Presidents at all you have heard the stories about Edith and Woodrow Wilson. If you are not familiar with the story pick up this book. Edith was a widow enjoying the good life with her friends when she met President Wilson. She had not thought about marrying again but he won or over or wore her down. She grew into her new role as First Lady but not in the ways that maybe other First Lady's had done. She because a trusted advisor to her husband. She accompanied him to meetings. Now here is where the interesting story comes. President Wilson has some health issues that leaves him incapacitated. Did she or didn't she assume the role of President behind the scene to help the nation continue on? She didn't let his advisors have contact with him she made all contact. Rumors abound for years that he died and she was our acting president. She was a much hated and disliked woman in Washington.

I enjoyed this take on a president I knew little about and enjoyed immensely immersing myself in the history and setting of this book . It was a well crafted book.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me

Enjoyed reading this take with the Historical Fiction bend. What a fascinating time to have been alive. Was an interesting way to display the personal conflicts. Would love to continue to see what specific items were utilized to source the ideas within the writing for a stronger historical connection.

I read this as an ARC read from the publisher and Netgalley. I actually really enjoyed this novel about the affairs of Edith and Woodrow Wilson. Very interesting and a good writing style!

What an interesting insight into a very important historical time of US history! Enjoyed the well written characters and also the engrossing writing style!
Thank you Netgalley!

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy and to the Publishers.

I was excited for this book as I didn't know all that much about President Woodrow Wilson and his decision making during WW1. I wanted to like the book but I really didn't get into it as I struggled to connect and care about the characters. The first couple of chapters felt incredibly rushed. We meet Edith, a strongly independent widower who loves to travel the world and took over her late husbands' business. Then almost immediately she is introduced to President Wilson and she suddenly loses all her confidence and independence. She is worried about fitting in and not being as intelligent and well read as everyone else. She finds herself falling for Woodrow and begins to dither and act like a school girl who has never been romanced before. Then suddenly he is asking her to marry him and she panics and doesn't say yes or no and keeps the poor guy on tender hooks for ages and watches as it negatively affects his health all the while playing on his emotions with her endless letter writing. Then suddenly this uneducated in politics and statehood lady is giving the President of the United States advice on how to win the war and is writing his correspondence for him.

I didn't get much further than the first 6-7- chapters. I struggled to find any positive connection with Edith and ultimately I lost interest in her story. I hope to find the time to personally do some research about her as I would like to hope the real Edith was far more likeable than this character portrayal.

An indepth look at the love affair of Woodrow and Edith Wilson, his hopes for lasting peace and her involvement in his presidency. Wonderful!

Edith is such a strong woman. Her grit is the highlight of this book. I didn't quite like Woodrow, but he makes for some interesting scenes that advance the plot. The pace is delightfully quick, and the narrative is engaging, both of which make for a splendid read. I would love to read more of these books.

I really wanted to love this book. I was so excited to learn more about Edith Wilson’s role in history, but I found this book lacking and I did not connect to the characters. After the initial pages I kind of tuned out and just stopped caring. I ultimately did not finish this book and will not be leaving reviews outside of netgalley.

Thank you so much to the publisher for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I had recently learned of Edith Wilson’s role in politics when Woodrow Wilson suffered a debilitating stroke and was unable to carry out his presidential duties and was excited to read this story. Unfortunately it was a bit disappointing. I’d expected the main part of the book to concentrate on the post stroke time and the role Edith played in helping run the country along with a few trusted advisors. Unfortunately that was only a small part of the story. While I learned a lot about the Wilson years in the White House, I found myself bored with much of the middle of the book which felt a bit like an info dump. That part might have been true but did not advance the story and I found myself skimming through it. Overall this was an OK story but not one that I would highly recommend to others. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

After the initial pages, I found myself not connecting with the story or characters, so I decided to pass on this book. Did not finish

A great book about a period of history of which I was unfamiliar. I enjoyed the point of view of Edith Bolling Wilson. I was able to experience her struggles as the First Lady during a very tumultuous period for the United States. I learned a lot about the peace process during WWI. In addition, this story doesn't let up with the drama and suspense of the political theatre in which their lives were unfolding. In addition, this is a love story which will pull you in and tug at your heart. Thank you to Net Galley for the arc is exchange for an honest review.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for allowing me to read this book. I am always intrigued by these types of books. Edith, a very strong and independent lady who catches the eye of President Woodrow Wilson. They end up falling fast in love and get married. Edith ends up becoming part of his presidency. I enjoyed this book greatly.

As a whole, the dialogue was anachronistic which made it difficult to get through. The story was entertaining enough. I learned about Edith Woodrow which was interesting. As a whole, it's an easy historical fiction read.

Thank you NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.