I remember Mrs. Nixon quietly supporting her husband as he slowly became one of the most unpopular presidents in American history. I never gave much thought to her as a person. This book woke me up. Pat Nixon was an amazing lady, a strong-willed, independent woman who was ahead of her time. The author goes through extensive research, backs up her facts with references, and speaks without judgment. I cringe at how politicians are vilified today, but am shocked to read that during Pat Nixon’s reign in politics, she endured much worse, even being spit upon. I wish Americans had taken the time to know her better.
No matter your political belief, the First Ladies have always been someone’s daughter, someone’s mother, so much more than the shadow standing behind the president. This would be an excellent study for those of us who have trouble remembering that simple truth.
Thanks so much to St. Martin’s Press for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The publishing date is August 6, 2024.

Fascinating. I’m not gonna lie I didn’t know much about Nixon in general besides Watergate but to learn more about his life and wife and how big of a part she played in every aspect of his life was amazing. She sounds like an amazing human who didn’t deserve all of the media hate she got during her husband’s political career

The mystery has been solved! Heath Lee once again does a fabulous job unveiling the story behind the lesser known characters in our history. Before reading this I l knew very little of Pat Nixon other than who she was married to. Lee did the research to provide lesser known details about Mrs. Nixon’s bringing her to life for the reader. Showing the softer, giving side of Pat provides a look into a life as a servant leader. This was immensely both enjoyable and educational!

I finished this book, but it was a slog. The beginning was all about Pat, but once she met Richard Nixon, the rest of the book revolved around him. I felt like Pat was a side character in her own story. I understand that hers and Nixon's lives were intrinsically entwined, but I felt like I was reading more about him and his political career than Pat's life and her volunteerism, women's rights, and her contribution to the country and her family. It just seemed that she got lost in the mix.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an eARC and a physical ARC for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.

The fascinating Nixons. This is my first book concerning Mrs. Nixon. Enjoyed this read & first by this author.

I really enjoyed this. I don't often read books from this time period so getting to read not only about this amazing woman but about what it was like to live during this time in our country was very intriguing.

I was first drawn to this book by the interesting title. Then there was my opinion of Richard Nixon: raised in a yellow-dog Democrat family, I was a young adult during Nixon’s presidency. My generation was the one fighting in Vietnam. Morning newspapers and evening news continued to barrage the American public with the horrors of that war. And then there was Watergate.
What I remembered about Richard Nixon was not flattering. And I knew nothing about the very private Mrs. Nixon. This book portrays Nixon as a family man, deeply in love with his wife, and highly influenced and supported by her. She worked tirelessly behind the scenes during his entire career—though the highs and the lows. According to Lee, her accomplishments included her support of women, her posture on the world stage, and her quiet behind-the-scenes management of the White House.
As the Watergate scandal deepened, Nixon withdrew, keeping his family in the dark. Lee presents Nixon in a sympathetic light. This is an era that many readers lived through. They may be enlightened by some of the details in this book.
Much of this book is based on extensive interviews with Julie and David Eisenhour, Pat Nixon’s staff, and friends of the Nixon’s. I don’t know how unbiased this account is, but I did enjoy the book.

I had high hopes for this book after reading the Prologue. That Prologue led me to believe that this biography would be a cut above others I had read. That there would be more than a dry recitation of the facts of the events in the person's life. Sadly, that turned out not to be the case.

Way back in the day I used to read a lot of biographies and plays. Well, my tastes have certainly devolved, and I prefer a good romantic-suspense to just about anything else. I guess I was looking for a good romantic narrative about a couple who had it all and lost it all. I wanted the romance, drama and political intrigue that the story of Pat and Richard Nixon played out to be.

What I got was a not much more than rehash of facts filed with quotes of people who knew them, with the author's own opinions thrown in along the way. This book is absolutely well researched, and fact based with hundreds of footnotes and that is great, if that is what you look for in a biography. I guess what I wanted was a living, breathing, passionate portrayal of a woman who lived one of the most turmoilous times in American history. This book isn't that.

My thanks to the Publisher and the Author for providing a complimentary digital Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this novel via NetGalley. This is my fair, honest and personal review. All opinions are mine alone and were not biased in any way.

An intriguing look at the former first lady. The author does an excellent job of explaining her life beyond the years in the White House. What was amazing to learn about her, was that although she led a very private; life as the first lady, she was an outstanding example of a strong woman, one that others should emulate. A great read.

Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Absolutely fantastic!!

I never really gave much thought to Pat Nixon [shame on me; lesson learned] beyond how sad I was for her that she was married to Richard Nixon [someone else I have also done a huge disservice to and will seek to correct that when possible] and that she had to deal with the scandal seemingly alone. Beyond that, she was just someone in history; how much I have missed in ignoring this amazing woman and her truly amazing, interesting, DEVOTED life [it was so interesting to see just how much she loved Richard and how she realized he was only human and how easy it was to stand by him and support him and love him throughout it all]. Never have I been so glad to have gotten the opportunity to read a book that has taught me [once again] how wrong it is to assume ANYTHING about ANYONE and how much there is to learn about the people we THINK we know.

Told from Pat's childhood on, this is a deeply researched [the acknowledgements at the end show just how much went into the research [the people this author got to speak to is nothing short of amazing] and writing of this book - I am still very much in awe], extremely detailed deep-dice into what was Pat Ryan Nixon's life and it quite the ride. I was never bored, never distracted, and always sad when it was time to move on to another book [this happens when you read 4 books at once LOL]. Mrs. Nixon's life was so rich in experiences and life lessons and I was amazed over and over again by what I learned about her and her life before *AND* after the White House [the work that she did IN the White House is an eye-opening part of the book and I was constantly in awe of all the amazing things she accomplished and established; there were things I thought had always been in place and learned that it was truly Mrs. Nixon's work instead].

I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a good biography [you'll be in luck because this is a GREAT biography] or history, or just love learning about amazing, strong women and their place in our rich history.

Jane Oppenheimer is a new-to-me narrator, but I certainly hope this isn't the last time I get to listen to her narration. She does an excellent job narrating this book and made a brilliant read even more enjoyable. I highly recommend listening to this book!

Thank you to NetGalley, Heath Hardage Lee, Jane Oppenheimer - Narrator, St. Martin's Press, and Macmillan Audio for providing both the eBook and audiobook ARC's in exchange for an honest review.

BOOK REPORT
Received a complimentary copy of The Mysterious Mrs. Nixon: The Life and Times of Washington’s Most Private First Lady, by Heath Hardage Lee, from St. Martin’s Press/NetGalley, for which I am appreciative, in exchange for a fair and honest review. Scroll past the BOOK REPORT section for a cut-and-paste of the DESCRIPTION of it from them if you want to read my thoughts on the book in the context of that summary.

When I was a little girl at West Elementary School in the early 1970s, our librarian—my beloved Miss Mayo—turned me on to biographies. I read them indiscriminately; it did not matter the era the person was from, nor whether they were male or female (or a female disguised as a male). I think my favorite was probably that of Annie Oakley.

To this day I love a good biography, particularly about a public figure about whom I don’t think I know enough. That’s why I was happy to get to read The Mysterious Mrs. Nixon. As I told my husband, I have been known to get her confused with Betty Ford, I guess because of their similar hairstyles and the fact they both came into my consciousness at about the same time (early elementary school, again).

Sadly, this book quite literally bored me to sleep each of the three times I tried to get into it. It was a combination of the choppy style (the incessant footnoting and quote marks were so distracting!) and the repeated usage of “may have.” I just cannot stand that. Yeah, she may or might have thought or done whatever, but I’m not reading for someone else to hypothesize. Just maddening.

Also, the subject matter was, well, just plain dull.

I tried, I really did. I made it to p106 of 475 of the electronic version before finally admitting to myself that I was fighting a losing battle with this particular history book.

If you think you might want to read it, permit me to suggest that before starting you read this actual proper book review by one Richard D. Propes:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Description
A new, revolutionary look into the brilliant life of Pat Nixon.

In America’s collective consciousness, Pat Nixon has long been perceived as enigmatic. She was voted “Most Admired Woman in the World” in 1972 and made Gallup Poll’s top ten list of most admired women fourteen times. She survived the turmoil of the Watergate scandal with her popularity and dignity intact. The real Pat Nixon, however, bore little resemblance to the woman so often described as elusive, mysterious and “plastic” in the press. Pat married Richard Nixon in June of 1940. As the couple rose to prominence, Pat became Second Lady from 1953-1961 and then First Lady from 1969-1974, forging her own graceful path between the protocols of the strait-laced mid-century and the bra-burning Sixties and Seventies.

Pat was a highly travelled First Lady, visiting eighty-three countries during her tenure. After a devastating earthquake in Peru in 1970, she personally flew in medical supplies and food to hard-hit areas, meeting one-on-one with victims of the tragedy. The First Lady’s 1972 trips with her husband to China and to Russia were critical to the detente that resulted. Back in the US, Pat greatly expanded upon previous preservation efforts in the White House, obtaining more art and antique objects than any other First Lady. In the domestic arena, she was progressive on women’s issues, favoring the Equal Rights Amendment and backing a targeted effort to get more women into high level government jobs. Pat strongly supported nominating a woman for the Supreme Court. She was pro-choice, supporting women’s reproductive rights publicly even before the landmark Roe v. Wade case in 1973.

When asked to define her “signature” First Lady agenda, she defied being put into a box, often saying: “People are my project.” The Mysterious Mrs. Nixon, Heath Hardage Lee presents readers with the essential nature of this First Lady, an empathetic, adventurous, self-made woman who wanted no power or influence, but who connected warmly with both ordinary Americans and people from different cultures she encountered world-wide.

As a strong supporter of the historical record including roles, contributions, and experiences of women, I was drawn to The Mysterious Mrs. Nixon. Similar to most other historians and Americans, my knowledge of Pat Nixon is limited. My lack of awareness was corrected through this reading, but unfortunately this former First Lady continues to be a mystery to me even after reading Lee’s work. A central theme of this book was to dispel the notion of “Plastic Pat” and to humanize her with an understanding of the complexity of her experiences. However, despite significant research and inclusion of relevant sources, Lee was still left to speculate on Mrs. Nixon’s actual attitudes and feelings. Many references were from those close to her rather than from her own records. There were many examples of “she would have” or “she would have” and “it is likely.” Although probably due to a lack of documentation, it perpetuated the difficulty in understanding who Pat Nixon was. Additionally, the portrayal of her as a strong influence on the women’s rights movement felt contrived rather than supported by evidence. I wish I would have gotten a better glimpse of her beyond just her response to the significant political career of her husband. Overall, I would recommend this for readers interested in a “behind-the-scenes” look at the life of the entire Nixon family and those who were politically engaged in the period of the 1960s and 1970s.


I am grateful to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me with an advanced reader copy of Heath Hardage Lee’s The Mysterious Mrs. Nixon.

The life of a modern First Lady whose many accomplishments are often overlooked.

There are few who when asked would not be able to rattle off facts about Richard Nixon….Watergate, impeachment, historic trip to China, bad optics during his first televised debate with JFK, to name just a few. Yet how many could name the accomplishments of his wife, Pat Nixon? Certainly much is commonly known about the First Ladies who preceded her (Jackie Kennedy and Lady Bird Johnson) as well as her successor Betty Ford…so why, prior to reading this new biography of Mrs. Nixon did I know so little about her? I had a vague impression of a pleasant smiling woman with the typical woman-in-Washington hairstyle I refer to as “helmet hair”, but little else came to mind. So I was amazed to discover just how much this woman accomplished in her life, particularly as First Lady, for which she should (and hopefully now will) receive much more attention and appreciation. Thelma Catherine “Pat” Ryan was born in a small Nevada mining town, developing a frontier ethic there that would stay with her throughout her life….you work hard and you don’t complain. The family later moved to Artesia (now known as Cerritos), California, and bought a ranch in an area that would become a major dairy center. The community was made up of families from many different ethnicities, and children from all backgrounds easily intermingled with one another. Pat lost her mother to cancer at 13, and her father was known to come home drunk and combative at times. She then shouldered the tasks of running the household as well as working with her brothers on the regular ranch chores….not an easy childhood. She had goals and a drive to succeed; she would skip two grades in school and graduate high school at the same time as two of her brothers. It took her a lot of time, but she worked hard and was able to put herself through college, regularly balancing multiple outside jobs as she took classes. She became a high school teacher in Whittier, CA, where she would attract the attentions of young lawyer Dick Nixon. She was in no rush to marry, enjoying the independence she had worked so hard to achieve, but his persistence paid off and they would marry and have two daughters. Although politics was not the life Pat would have chosen for herself, it was what her husband wanted and she would be an active and hard working part of his many campaigns. She would experience the many highs and lows, would be wounded by the slights and attacks launched against her husband and family, and was at his side as he walked from the White House to Marine One after resigning from the highest office in the land.
Pat Nixon was branded “Plastic Pat’ and often regarded as simply a 1950’s housewife, but as I read this account of her life I discovered there was far more to her than her pleasant smile and ladylike demeanor. She travelled extensively overseas as Second and later First Lady, both with her husband and on her own. She didn’t want to be pigeon-holed with a particular “cause” as First Lady, and so chose to focus on the far-reaching promotion of volunteerism, an umbrella under which fell multiple worthy endeavors. She would travel to Peru during a major disaster there, brining relief supplies with her and traveling into dangerous territory to meet with and comfort victims of the natural disaster. She facilitated making the White House accessible to those with disabilities, worked behind the scenes to ensure more women were placed in significant roles within the administration; she is even responsible for the gift of the first two pandas from the Chinese government to the Washington National Zoo. Although Jackie Kennedy had begun the process of furnishing the White House to appropriate standards, it was Pat Nixon who ultimately secured funding for and accumulated a treasure trove of furnishings and art greater than any other administration before or since. She worked with engineers to develop an exterior lighting system so that the White House would be illuminated even at night. She did all of these things and more, all while raising two daughters against the backdrop of the Vietnam War. She was more interested in people than in politics, and was not concerned about being given credit for what she did….which is why, perhaps, her many accomplishments have not been heralded as have those of so many other women who shared her role. Author Heath Hardage Lee researched Mrs. Nixon’s life thoroughly, interviewing not only the two Nixon daughters and their husbands but people who worked in the White House (both West and East Wing), friends of the Nixon family, reporters who covered events in those days, and more. For those who are interested in women in politics, in the lives of First Ladies, or just strong women who accomplished much in a time when such endeavors were not encouraged, I strongly recommend this biography of a woman who worked hard, didn’t complain, and achieved so much for so many. Many thanks to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for allowing me early access to this fascinating look at an admirable, if underestimated, woman….and to Ms Lee for bringing Mrs. Nixon’s many achievements to light.

A Woman Who Succeeds in Politics Is a Feminist
The “Prologue” opens by attempting to elicit sympathy for Richard Nixon’s wife because she felt distressed as her husband was giving his resignation address on August 9, 1974. This book attempts to imagine a “Mrs. Nixon” who did not exist in “her media-constructed persona”. The idea seems to be for the narrating author to imagine that while Pat looked stoic, she was in fact feeling deep feelings. This author is going to narrate what he imagines she was feeling, and thus create a new fuzzy propagandistic ideal of Pat’s character… The blurb mentioned that she was pro-women’s rights, but proving she was a women’s rights activist would take an entirely different set of facts, from proving that she was a fuzzy, warm person. The first section takes yet another attempt at re-branding when it labels her as a “farmer’s daughter”.
I searched this book for the term “abortion”. It seems to appear for the first time in the last quarter of the book. In 1968, at a “press reception at the Nixon Chicago campaign HQ”, “Mrs. Nixon” was suddenly surprised with “queries about abortion, the Vietnam War, Watergate…” Instead of at least answering the question in favor of abortion, she “tried to field all the questions neutrally”, or avoided answering it as well as others, and briskly left (322). Then, the Roe v. Wade decision passed in 1973. Lee notes: “Though Pat did not believe in ‘abortion on demand,’ she was strongly in favor of women making their own reproductive choices and publicly supported their rights to do so. She ‘was the first First Lady to use the word ‘abortion.’” The latter was a quote from Nixon Library curator Carl Sferrazza Anthony’s article, “Pat Nixon, Stealthy Feminist?” She said these words in 1972: “I think abortion should be a personal decision” (328). While this is hardly revolutionary for any woman who personally reached a point when it would be unhealthy for her to have children; this quote is significant in the present absurd anti-abortion Republican environment. If Republican women were aware of Pat’s view on this today, they might also more heavily lean in favor of abortion. Though this quote is taken not from a media interview that was published in a mainstream newspaper, but rather in psychology professor Lester David’s The Lonely Lady of San Clemente (1978; p153). I searched David’s book for “feminism”, and found that the main association was that Pat was assisted during her husband’s campaigns by the famous feminist Gloria Steinem, who puffed Pat and her staff in a 1968 article in the New York Magazine: “In Your Heart You Know He’s Nixon.” Steinem wrote that Nixon had put in a “totally new” staff “since” his previous 1960 campaign. Though it does not seem flattering that she observed that instead of discussing “policy” in briefings, these young “top aides” discuss “programming the candidate” with a “merchandizing and sales approach”. And this was when Steinem still had “goodwill” as a member of “the women’s press”, but this will began “diminishing” by October, and in parallel “Pat’s Patience” with “their silly questions was wearing thin.” Steinem’s comments appeared in an article called “Patricia Nixon Flying”, which stressed Pat’s impatience by asking difficult questions and then reporting on Pat dodging them. Steinem commented that she interviewed Pat on Nixon’s campaign plane. Pat “had put” “other interviewers” “straight to sleep” by giving “bland answers”, though the questions were also bland having been plagiarized between prior journalists (224). In a later interview, Steinem gets Pat to give a bit of details by challenging her: “I had to work my way through college… I worked in a bank while Dick was in the service…” In another interview, Pat is offended when her factual note that some women are “bankers, presidents…, bank lawyers” was interpreted by West as meaning she is supporting “Women’s Lib”. She replies: “I wasn’t doing that for Women’s Lib. Just for accuracy.” This is pretty much as anti-feminist as a comment can be.
The interesting detail in this discussion was the note that Pat had held a job. An early chapter explains: “After her high school graduation, Pat began working for Artesia First National Bank… Her job was to post the checks each day and to help with the bookkeeping.” It was a “mostly female” staff. She was once a victim of a bank robbery, handing the robber the money in a friendly fashion, before helping to convict him in court. After “Pat was relieved of the burden of nursing” her father when he died of tuberculosis in 1930, “Pat enrolled under the name Patricia Ryan at Fullerton Junior College in fall 1931 while still working at the bank” part-time. She won the “lead role in the school play Broken Dishes” later that first year. But then, “Pat did not return to college in the fall of 1932”. Oddly, she chose to work as a private driver an elderly couple who needed somebody “to drive them from California”, apparently with only an unused bus-ticket home as payment. She found a job on the East Coast at the Seton Hospital treating “tuberculosis patients, as the head of the X-ray and pharmacy departments.” This is strange? She was head of x-rays without a degree? But then she accepted a “secretarial job” there. The author seems to have made a typo somewhere in this passage. There is a note that Pat was “even training as a radiology technician.” She violated hospital policy by “sledding with patients”, who were infectious and could have infected her, leading her to infect others. Another oddity was that Pat, as a mere clerk, was asked to represent the Hospital at “a medical conference held in New York City at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel”, where she met “President and Mrs. Franklin Roosevelt”. After working at the hospital for 2 years, she was admitted to USC on a research scholarship, which included “working twenty hours a week for a USC psychology professor” in exchange for tuition, and a living stipend. And “she took another part-time secretarial job.” She seems to have used her work experience to receive a “Special Credential”, which I believe is below a BA or a mere certificate, but the author believes was equivalent to a modern “master’s degree”. She used it to receive a teaching certificate, and to find a business teaching job at the Whittier Union High School in Whittier, California in the fall of 1937. By the end of that academic year, Pat had met Richard Nixon through one of her evening shorthand classes. While this is not exactly the trajectory of a radical feminist, it does explain why her answers regarding women’s right to find equal pay for equal work and the like were not following the standard suppressive script.
Most of this book is propaganda about what Pat was thinking, but these types of details are revelatory regarding what is behind women in politics who might not reveal their character in words to the press, but can be understood by following their resumes. Thus, if you have read through this review, and want to read more, this book is for you. If you have not got this far, it clearly is not. Libraries do need to have a copy in case the female Republicans will naturally want to read about how one becomes a Republican First Lady.
--Pennsylvania Literary Journal, Summer 2024 issue

Interesting story of her life, how and where she grew up and what she really wanted. I liked the parts where he persued her with letters.

Biographies are not always my genre, but this really drew me in. I didn’t really know much about Pat Nixon. This book really gave me good insight into her life not only as a First Lady but her life before that. She really did so many amazing things for the country. Mrs. Nixon also stood by her husband when he resigned.
I made many connections to Nixon’s portrayal in the press to Melania Trump. Both woman gave of themselves yet the public doesn’t really know much about them. They received bad press when the truth is so different.
Many thanks to the author, St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of the book. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

In "The Mysterious Mrs. Nixon," Heath Hardage Lee offers a compelling and nuanced portrait of Pat Nixon, shedding light on the life of a First Lady who has often been shrouded in mystery. Lee delves into Pat's remarkable journey from a California lawyer's wife to a global diplomatic presence, highlighting her significant contributions and progressive stances. The book vividly recounts her extensive travels, including her pivotal roles in diplomatic missions to China and Russia, and her hands-on humanitarian efforts, such as her response to the 1970 Peruvian earthquake. Through meticulous research, Lee reveals a woman who was far more dynamic and influential than her often elusive public image suggested.

Lee's portrayal of Pat Nixon emphasizes her progressive views, particularly her support for the Equal Rights Amendment and women's reproductive rights, which were ahead of her time. The narrative captures Pat's dedication to her "People are my project" philosophy, showcasing her genuine connections with ordinary individuals worldwide. While the book occasionally leans into admiration, it successfully balances reverence with a critical exploration of Pat's complexities. Overall, "The Mysterious Mrs. Nixon" is a fascinating read that redefines the legacy of a First Lady who navigated the challenges of her era with grace and empathy, making it a must-read for history enthusiasts and those interested in the untold stories of influential women.

A must read!

Pat Nixon was in the words of Henry Kissinger, ‘a woman totally without illusions’.

She was a private woman living a very public life, one that she may not have wanted but lived with grace and dignity. She gave one hundred percent to her family, her role as First Lady and courageously lived through her husband’s tumultuous presidency with steely determination. Pat was smart, funny and warm and her at President Nikon’s side, his best asset. She was his strength and he passed on less than one year after losing her to cancer.

Heath Hardage Lee leaves no stone unturned interviewing White House staff, members of the Nixon family and friends to reveal a multi-faceted portrait of Pat Nixon, one long overdue and well deserved.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for an RC in exchange for an honest book review.

As I read The Mysterious Mrs. Nixon, I felt like I was re-living the political history of my own life. The Kennedy-Nixon election was the first presidential election that I remember. During the era prior to around-the-clock cable news, there was much revealed in this book that I was not aware of as it was happening. I was always fascinated by Pat Nixon along with Tricia and Julie during the Nixon presidency. It was very interesting to learn all that Pat accomplished in her own quiet way and what an advocate she was for women's rights. Thank to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and the author for an advance copy to read and review.

I remember the Nixon years very well and what I remember is that Pat Nixon never made the news very often. I really enjoyed this book about Mrs. Nixon and I learned a lot about her, former President Nixon, their children and politics. I especially enjoyed learning about both of their childhoods and early adult lives. This book was very well researched, well documented and very well written.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC of this very interesting book that I thoroughly enjoyed from start to finish.