A First Lady I didn’t know anything about is Pat Nixon, so when I saw that my friend, Heath Hardage Lee, was writing a biography about her, I was so excited. The Mysterious Mrs. Nixon: The Life and Times of Washington’s Most Private First Lady is a must-read for First Ladies enthusiasts and taught me so much about this amazing woman!

Did you know her name wasn’t even Pat? It was Thelma! That is just one of the many interesting facts I learned about this hardy woman who overcame losing her parents at a young age to reach the heights of political power. It’s often hard to see past how the Nixon presidency ended, but before the fall, Richard and Pat were a team that was as much about her hard work as his political savvy.

Heath peels back the layers of this intensely private woman to reveal the vulnerable wife and mother who always thought of herself as just a farm girl from Artesia, California. While most remember her for standing by her husband, she was a smart, capable leader in her own right. I am so grateful that Heath brought the true Pat Nixon to life in this biography.

I felt like I was reading a history book and would have preferred more of a narrative and interesting take on Pat Nixon. I could not finish this book. However, I appreciate #netgalley of the opportunity to read and review this book.

Some first ladies have been great first ladies. Some lucky first ladies have been the subjects of great biographies. Pat Nixon was not a great first lady; and, in The Mysterious Mrs. Nixon, she has not received a great biography. Nor has she received a plain ol’ competent biography. No, unfortunately, she has received a bad biography.


Heath Hardage Lee, the author of The League of Wives and a biography of Winnie Davis, begins her life of Pat Nixon with a series of hackneyed phrases wrapped in sentences that feel a bit weak, almost vacuous. The prologue begins like this: “Spotlit under blinding camera lights and accompanied by the sound of thunderous applause, Richard and Pat Nixon….” Near the end of the prologue, when Pat Nixon says of her and her husband’s farewell to the White House staff after the Watergate scandal, “Our hearts were breaking and there we are smiling,” Heath Hardage Lee comments, “Wasn’t that so often the story of her life?” Cue the eye-rolling!


Lee indulges in more lazy writing in her book’s early chapters. A highway “snakes through swaths of desolate countryside”; young Pat Nixon “didn’t ever allow herself to fall to pieces … would never be a damsel in distress. She couldn’t afford such luxuries” (the eyes roll again!). The writing gets a bit better as the book progresses, but the cliche phrases and comments still appear much too often.


This is too bad, because the story Heath Hardage Lee has to tell could’ve at least been interesting. The Mysterious Mrs. Nixon is billed as the life of a person who “was warm, generous, and above all interested in people,” who had a rough childhood, who put “not only her brothers but also herself through college at a time when many women didn’t even think about higher education,” who had prodigious gumption, composure, and unpretentious charm. Far from being the loyal politician’s wife with so little personality of her own that she was nothing more than a political prop of her husband, Lee’s Pat Nixon is a sympathetic, individualistic person.


But Heath Hardage Lee’s portrait of Pat Nixon is not completely convincing. Lee is too prone to giving her subject the benefit of the doubt, and too often leaves the deeper questions surrounding Mrs. Nixon’s life unasked. Pat Nixon’s psychology is not examined too thoroughly, the neat composure and calmness she always appeared to have are hardly ever shown to waver. Her personality and views have a bit of nuance, but not very much. Heath Hardage Lee tries to make her Pat Nixon complex, but succeeds only in making her seem not quite like a real person.


But Lee’s portrait of Pat Nixon is so gosh darn convincing it’s practically mathematically provable when compared to her portrait of Pat’s husband.


Most biographies of a first lady will contain a large part of the male half of the equation’s biography, too. In writing about the career of Richard Nixon (whose actions Pat Nixon always publicly supported), Heath Hardage Lee fails terribly. Her Dick Nixon is a selfless public servant, a moral man in an immoral world, a crusader for simple good and an exemplar of the picturesque American Way of Life. When (notorious red-baiting) Congressman Nixon goes after suspected communist spy Alger Hiss, Lee shows Nixon’s suspicions about Hiss to be unquestioningly genuine. Lee completes her justification of Nixon by saying that the 2009 book Spies provided “indisputable evidence … that [Hiss] had indeed been an important communist operative,” though how it did is not explained, and the source for this statement is page six of Irwin Gellman’s Campaign of the Century. A look at page six of Campaign of the Century does show that Gellman claimed that Spies “provided indisputable evidence that Hiss” was a Soviet spy, though Gellman (at this point in the book, at least) does not explain why, either. So, the reader must take Lee’s word about Gellman’s word.


Such naive trust of “Tricky Dick” Nixon (and his associates) and superficial research come up time and again in The Mysterious Mrs. Nixon. The Nixons’ accomplishments are over-magnified (Lee once goes so far as to imply that President Eisenhower only won reelection in 1956 because of Vice President Nixon and his wife: “On November 6, 1956, all the Nixons’ hard work paid off….”). Mr. and Mrs. Nixon’s critics and rivals are all shown to be wretched, immoral people. The scandals of Richard Nixon’s life are largely shown to be things that happened to him, not things caused by him. President Nixon’s alcoholism is hardly mentioned. (For that matter, while rumors of Pat Nixon’s drinking problems are discussed—and debunked—the fact that, in private, she smoked like a freight train, is largely glossed over.) The rumors that Richard Nixon physically abused Pat are never even mentioned.


Richard Nixon wrote of his wife in his memoirs: “She had been a dignified, compassionate First Lady. She had given so much to the nation and so much to the world. Now [after Watergate had forced Richard Nixon to resign from the presidency] she would have to share my exile. She deserved so much more.” Well, if she did, she certainly didn’t get it in The Mysterious Mrs. Nixon. This book may be a panegyric, but it would make for a pretty pitiful monument.

“The Mysterious Mrs. Nixon” is an excellent biography of our 37th First Lady. It offers readers the opportunity to get to know Pat Nixon, a strong, courageous, and caring woman deeply committed to her family and to duty to her country. It also imparts a good deal of historical information about the era (1912-1931) through which she lived.

Author Heath Hardage Lee begins with Ms. Nixon’s childhood, teenage, and young adult years, a time made difficult and filled with hard work due to the death of her parents and the Great Depression. While running the family home, she worked numerous jobs to put food on the table and to get herself and her siblings the best education possible. After graduating from USC in 1937, she became a teacher in Whittier, CA, where she met Richard Nixon. The hard work did not stop with their marriage but intensified as RN left to serve in the Navy during WWII, and she became a career woman, employed as an economic analyst for the OPA.

Upon RN’s return from the Pacific and decision to enter politics, Pat became his “campaign partner,” deeply involving herself in his runs for the House (1946, 1948), the Senate (1950), Vice President (1952, 1956), and President (1960, 1968, 1972). She was a tremendous asset to him, and the country, as he served in those offices. This, even though she would never have chosen politics for herself and found it often distasteful, even hurtful. While she may have been very private and preferred to live the “quiet life” of a lawyer’s wife, she committed herself to serving RN’s political career and the nation's interests. Her courage, her intrepidity, her poise, her humor, and, most of all, her charm—her interest in and warmth towards people—often made a difference in tough political and diplomatic situations.

“The Mysterious Mrs. Nixon” is not a gossipy tell-all. Readers seeking a Kitty Kelly-type expose may be disappointed. As might those seeking a biography filled with “Nixon-bashing.” Author Lee admires Mrs. Nixon and, on balance, seems to think well of RN and the Nixon daughters. Her examination of the Nixons centers more on their family life and how they reacted to events than it does on politics. Ms. Lee’s descriptions of Mr. and Mrs. Nixon’s courtship evoke a more innocent time and she portrays a sweetness and a caring throughout their relationship that some may find surprising.

In addition, Ms. Lee covers a number of historical events, including: The Great Depression, WWII, the Alger Hiss case, the “Checkers speech,” the “Kitchen Debate,” the 1958 attack on the Nixon motorcade in Venezuela, the Nixons’ relationship with the John F. and Jacqueline Kennedy, Nixon’s presidential campaigns, the White House years, the frosty relationship between Mrs. Nixon’s East Wing and Haldeman’s/Ehrlichman’s West Wing, and the post-White House years, just to mention a few. She includes many interesting anecdotes, including my personal favorite: the exchange between Mrs. Nixon and Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai (a/k/a Chou En-lai) that resulted in the gifting of two pandas to our National Zoo.

My thanks to NetGalley, author Heath Hardage Lee, and publisher St. Martin’s Press for providing me with a complimentary ARC. All of the foregoing is my independent opinion.

The president’s wives are not elected but are expected to play an important political role. They are not paid for their work. They don’t get to choose where they live and must obtain approval and funds to make changes to their home. They come under public scrutiny and have to consider their every word, their appearance, and actions. They often don’t know who to trust and therefore can be hard to know.

Thelma Catherine Ryan was nicknamed Pat and she adopted the name Patricia in her college days–the name appears on her marriage licence to Dick Nixon.

Grace under fire was fast becoming Pat’s specialty. from The Mysterious Mrs Nixon

Her father was an alcoholic. Watching the fights between her parents, she determined to avoid such scenes in her own life. Her mother was a Christian Scientist and died a horrendous death from liver cancer and Bright’s disease. Pat had to become the housekeeper and cook for her father and brothers while in high school.

She was a brilliant student who was advanced two grades. She worked at a bank while attending junior college. An opportunity took her to New York City. She enjoyed a life of work and dating before returning to college with a research scholarship. After graduation, she moved to a small, Quaker founded California town to teach.

“Miss Ryan was quite a dish, a sweater girl, with beautiful auburn hair.” from The Mysterious Mrs Nixon

Pat enjoyed her freedom and life. Then, she met Dick Nixon. He decided she was the woman for him, and persistently wooed her with flowers and letters and poetry.

Dick’s Quaker upbringing included respect for women as equal partners and his support of women was evident throughout his career. If Pat was hard to know, keeping up boundaries although always warm, Dick was an open book who showed his emotions. They shared ambition, a love of travel, and experiencing different cultures. Pat understood that Dick had ambitions, and early expressed to a friend that she dreaded the idea of living in Washington, D. C.

During WWII, while Dick was in the service, Pat had a chance to again experience freedom and meaningful work. After the war, they moved several times for Dick’s work, then Dick was elected to Congress. Pat made two demands on her husband: she would never give a political speech, and she wanted to keep his work out of their home.

Pat volunteered at her husband’s campaign offices. Her idealism was shattered by the underhanded tricks of politics: she had personally financed the printing of campaign brochures, and discovered the opposition was taking them and destroying them, plus the office was broken into and more were stolen!

In Congress, Dick and Jack Kennedy became friends. Dick toured post-war Europe, which convinced of the threat of communism. Consequently, Dick became involved with the investigation into Alger Hiss, an American government offical accused of being a communist operative.

But underneath Pat’s apple=pie perfection was a core of steel. From The Mysterious Mrs. Nixon

During Dick’s next campaign, journalists stereotyped Pat as robotic and her husband as Tricky Dick.

They purchased a newly built house, but learning it was redlined, sold it and moved. They grew up with, and believed in, diversity.

When Ike Eisenhower picked Dick as his V.P., Pat was again fodder for the press. Her neighbors knit her a wardrobe for campaigning in, yet she was accused of using a secret campaign fund for personal benefit. Dick’s comment that Pat didn’t have a mink coat, just “a good Republican cloth coat,” became famous. As did his Checkers speech, proclaiming that the one gift he was keeping was a cocker spaniel that the girls adored.

Pat was horribly embarrassed by this intrusive episode.

Pat gave 100% to everything, as a mother and wife and political spouse. She was her husband’s helpmeet and his biggest asset wherever they traveled. She knew how to connect with people, hugged children, and never lost her cool. She made friends with Mamie Eisenhower. J. Edgar Hoover and his partner were often at their home. The couple had a liberal side, as Dick supported civil rights and equal education.

Pat made lifelong friends across the world. During a visit to Lima, Peru, their travelcade was attacked. It was Pat kept her head and comforted the foreign minister’s wife.

When President Eisenhower suffered a stroke and a heart attack, the couple became acting president and First Lady. The pressure and relentless schedule wore on Pat, but she never flagged in her duty.

Dick lost the presidential election to Jack Kennedy. Jack offered him a cabinet post, bu Dick turned it down, saying he should remain the ‘loyal opposition.” After he lost a bid for California governor it appeared that his political career was over. Having always worked, Pat worked at Dick’s law office as ‘Miss Ryan’. But Dick didn’t thrive in legal work.

During his 1968 campaign for president, Pat’s influence on her husband was usurped by the new Madison Avenue ad men he hired–Bob and John Ehrlichman. They saw the candidate as a commodity to sell. Pat didn’t like that approach. The pair pushed out Nixon’s old team and sidelined Pat; they didn’t understand that she was Dick’s best asset.

Dick won the election with his Republican platform of ending the way and restoring law and order in response to homefront political turmoil.

Needing to take on a First Lady cause, Pat choose volunteerism.

Pat was the first First Lady to visit a combat zone and the first to speak to a foreign parliament. Visiting China with Dick, she became a sensation her red coat. She impressed people across China. When she told Premier Chou En-lai how cute pandas where, he sent a pair to the National Zoo as a thank you to the Nixons.

She rebranded the presidential mansion as the people’s house, and initiated candlelight tours and tours for the blind and disabled.

She adopted wearing pantsuits. She held a show for artist Andrew Wyeth’s painting at the White house.

And she continued the renovation begun by Jackie Kennedy, seeking period appropriate historical furnishings for the reception rooms and Oval Office.

Always frugal, Pat paid for their long distance calls made from the White House.

She expressed the need for a woman on the Supreme Court. Sadly, Dick’s promoting of a black woman for the court was blocked by the ABA Committee on Federal Judiciary.

“This visit by Mrs. Nixon has done more to improve relations with our country than anything the United States has done in a hundred years.” Peruvian general, quoted in The Mysterious Mrs Nixon

Pat’s personal connection to people was a gift. She had remarkable sensitivity and understanding. She arranged for Jackie Kennedy and her children to privately and secretly come to the White House to see the official portraits of Jack and Jackie.

Meanwhile, her husband made strides in American-Soviet detente.

Pat commented that although she didn’t agree with abortion on demand, she supported a woman’s choice when Roe v. Wade was passed.

Then came Watergate. Dick’s political career was over. He later commented, “Pat’s devotion kept me alive.” He died just ten months after Pat’s death from cancer.

The author interviewed people from the White House staff, friends, and Nixon family. The book dismantled the false narratives about Pat. She was not a drinker. She was never a recluse. She worked from dawn to late at night.

Pat emerges from these pages as a remarkable woman. Her husband’s idealism and faith and love will shock those of us used to the conventional images of him. The Watergate break in occurred the same day I was married. I watched the hearings on television. This portrait was quite a surprise.

Thanks to the publisher for a free book through NetGalley.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the digital ARC of this book, and MacMillan Audio for the digital audiobook. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I knew nothing about Pat Nixon going into this book, other than the rather strained look on her face I’ve always seen in clips about her husband, Richard Nixon. Since so little was written about her in regards to her husband, little is known about her to my and subsequent generations. I was just a toddler when Nixon left office in disgrace, and Pat Nixon did not make public appearances after that.

I learned a bit about Mrs. Nixon: she was a child of The West, a Hollywood starlet, a woman so sure of herself when Richard Nixon came along, she made him drive her to her dates with other men! She was a good political wife, yet as the years passed, she wasn’t afraid to speak up about issues facing women. She supported the ERA movement, pushed her husband to put a woman on the Supreme Court, and was pro-choice. What does the modern Republican party think of that?

For all I gleaned about Pat Nixon in the book, I still feel a bit like she is still somewhat of a mystery. I applaud the author’s efforts to peel back the layers. The book is strongest in the beginning, and when Richard Nixon’s political career takes off, Pat’s story is a bit lost in the weeds. There are occasional nuggets of information sprinkled throughout Tricky Dick’s time in and out of office that still make the read/listen worthwhile.

Heath Lee’s luminous biography of Pat Nixon came as a total surprise to me. I was one of the baby-boom generation who came of age with the Nixon presidency. But, I never gave A thought to Pat Nixon. Not then, not later. It was always Dick Nixon.

This biography readjusted my thinking regarding her as a First Lady, and I can appreciate the author positioning her as a trail-blazer . This portrait of Pat Nixon presents her as a startlingly “ modern” woman, despite her often subservient position in the Nixon political world. Even taking in to account that this might be an exceptionally sympathetic and flattering portrait of Pat Nixon, I am now an admirer.

The woman had true grit.
The woman had heart.
She was fiercely loyal to her husband, and
she was devoted to her family and friends.

But, what moved me the most was how drawn she was to “ ordinary people.” She seemed truly unfazed by power and position, and interested in children and families in every city they visited. She seemed to have a n incredibly solid moral compass and I thoroughly enjoyed reading about her life.

The Mysterious Mrs. Nixon: The Life and Times of Washington's Most Private First Lady by Heath Hardage Lee provides a groundbreaking exploration into the fascinating life of Pat Nixon. Through in-depth interviews with family members, former White House staff, close friends, and historians, Lee presents a revealing portrait of this enigmatic and elusive woman. Lee's meticulous research sheds new light on the life and legacy of Pat Nixon, offering readers a fresh perspective on this often overlooked First Lady. It is a fascinating read full of rich history.

It must be interesting to be married to a man known as "Tricky Dick". I always value having access to both the audio and print version of a title. This is the second biography about Mrs. Nixon that I have read. Lee wrote this book with much more research than previous books. There was not any particular bit of information that was completely groundbreaking. Lee detailed other aspects and had more firsthand interviews with former classmates and colleagues. I am always grateful to learn about a person with an updated lense with the contemporary perspective.

***Thank you to the Publisher, NetGalley, and Libro.FM to both print and audio galleys for preview for an honest review.***

This was an interesting read. I didn’t know much about the Nixons except what Nixon did as a president, but from what I read about them in this book, was that they had a great love for each other. And while she was a very private person I wouldn’t say she was “mysterious” per se.

First and foremost, a large thank you to NetGalley, Heath Hardage Lee, and St. Martin’s Press for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.

Heath Hardage Lee presents a great look at one of the most misunderstood First Ladies in US history. While many know Pat Nixon as the wife of disgraced former US President Richard Nixon, few likely know the impact she had on America or the role of First Lady. Hardage Lee offers up a great biography that checks all the boxes to provide the reader with a well-rounded look at the woman and many of her accomplishments over the period she was in the public spotlight, a place she never wanted to be. Pat Nixon helped not only America, but the role of women and pioneered many of the advancements that are commonplace today. A great piece that was entertaining while also being informative, this book left me wanting to know more about the elusive Pat Nixon.

Born Thelma Catherine ‘Buddy’ Ryan, the woman who would eventually change her name to Pat grew up in a strict household, though it was always full of love. A small Nevada town helped shape her and she pushed to attain high grades, while being as useful to her family as possible. The pull of an education always drove ‘Buddy’ to become the best she could, which was exemplified when she was offered a spot in a college as soon as she finished her studies, something she had to decline for a time due to the family’s financial situation. However, when given the chance, Buddy headed to California and strove to make a difference, earning a degree before securing a post as a teacher.

During those teaching years, she was able to shape the minds of young people and instil a feeling of usefulness. She loved her time with students, but was also highly interested in seeing the world around her, especially after her move to California. These adventures might have helped fuel her passion to see the world, which is exemplified in the latter part of the book. It was at this time that she also began dating and experiencing the thrill of being sought after, though she could not have known that there was one young lawyer, Dick Nixon, whose eye was captivated by her.

Hardage Lee explores the courting and bashful relationship that Buddy (now going by Pat) and Dick had, which led to really getting t know one another, as well as the likes they both have. Their marriage and early years together helped forge a bond, which was further cemented when Dick took up a political posting as a lawyer. They travelled across the US and did whatever they could to help Dick expand his base, which would prove helpful in the future. Adding two daughters to their family also helped both Pat and Dick become more loving and compassionate, though it was always the political ambitions that fuelled Dick and Pat quietly agreed to support him as best she could.

Hardage Lee describes the rise to prominence of Dick Nixon through a few strong chapters in the middle of the book. Pat was always by his side, campaigning and doing whatever she could to advance his ambitions, though she privately did not like the spotlight. She knew that her husband’s roles were important to him, though she also knew that she would be able to use his prominence to help push her own agendas, albeit not in an inculcating way. Women’s rights and freedoms were always at the top of her list, something that Pat Nixon never shied away from starting throughout her time with Dick in the political spotlight.

Pat Nixon was there for all the highs and lows as well, which were plentiful. As Hardage Lee presents, the rise to US vice-president was full of greatness and some diminution of authority, something both Nixons had to take in stride. It did, however, allow them both to explore their love of the country and its people, as well as diplomacy with various groups. Pat Nixon was able to lay the groundwork for some of her most important decisions through her time as Second Lady of the US. This also turned into being a means of communicating across the aisle, something that is always hard to do in partisan Washington. Still, Pat Nixon did not allow herself to get in the mud with many people, while also supporting her husband through thick and thin. Even when the end was nigh (an apparent prophecy in 1962 when Nixon lost the California gubernatorial race), she stuck by him and consoled a devastated Richard.

Hardage Lee explores a number of moments when Pat Nixon had to again enter the spotlight, very much reluctantly, when Richard won the presidency in 1968. She had wanted to live a quiet life, but was thrust into the middle of much drama. She used her skill and the platform once more to push for women’s rights and equality, going so far as to insist her presence on foreign trips break the norms set by host countries, all to ensure that women were not forgotten or treated life wallflowers. Pat Nixon was a trailblazer and never stepped back from this role, no matter the issue before her. This would surely be some of her most remembered aspects, though many who were not around (such as me) would not know this without some thorough research.

When things got tough and Nixon’s presidency disintegrated before him, Pat wad there to help console her husband and transition out of the White House, head held high. While there is little mentioned about her own personal sentiments on the issue (diverging from her husband’s at least), Hardage Lee presents a woman who kept her dignity while the fires destroyed her husband’s legacy. Focussed on a life outside of Washington, Pat Nixon used those post-presidential years to help lick the wounds the jobs and country put upon her and Richard, while holding her head high throughout it all. Until the very end, when Pat died of terminal lung cancer in 1993, she stood by and supported the man she loved. Hardage Lee does not leave a stone unturned in this stunning biography.

While I have read many political biographies, I can admit that this one piqued my interest more than most. Many of the figures whose lives I have learned about have had many who lauded and criticised them, allowing me to have a good foundation when I go into a read. However, when I was asked to read this book, Heath Hardage Lee had me learning from the opening pages. I knew little about Pat Nixon, though always presumed she would have been a sycophant for her husband, praising him even when he pushed the limits of his power. I discovered a new side to both Nixons and an admiration for Pat Nixon in her views and projects. She sought not only to support her husband, but to carve out a place for women in the US and around the world. Breaking protocols, Pat Nixon sought to make a difference for herself and women, never bowing to the pressures set upon her by the past. Hardage Lee makes this known throughout and piqued my interest with her many stories. This helped me see a difference side and hunger for more about the woman whose life is so mysterious to me. That is the sign of a great biography.

Hardage Lee offers up the Pat Nixon story in such a way that it is less a delivery and more a story the reader can find themselves enjoying from inside. She paints a stellar portrait of the woman through short-ish chapters that are full of information and true dedication to the larger theme of the rights of all. The story flows through these chapters, which are organised well and chronologically. There are moments that things seem to leap, taking in large portions of time in a single paragraph, but that might be for brevity’s sake. While I might have liked a more thorough approach on some things, this serves as a stellar primer for those who want to know more. Hardage Lee does not skimp on referencing the other books, papers, and publications that could pave the way for deeper learning, offering them up without hesitation. While I could not have asked for anything more, I am now eager to look deeper into the life and times of Pat Nixon, as well as some of the other projects she undertook that shaped America (and the world )during her time in the spotlight. Pat Nixon may not have liked the notoriety, but she sure did a great deal to push things forward for all while being humble about it. I highly recommend this biography to anyone with a passion for politics and seeing those who are not pulling the levers of power, but certainly know how to point them out!

Kudos, Madam Hardage Lee, for a stunning look into the life of Pat Nixon and teaching me so very much!

Review of The Mysterious Mrs. Nixon: The Life and Times of Washington’s Most Private First Lady, by Heath Hardage Lee

I didn’t find Pat Nixon so mysterious. She was a reluctant Second- and First-Lady who valued time with her two daughters, yet sacrificed her personal life to hit the campaign trail, again and again. Once her husband was in office, she excelled in diplomacy and making personal connections with people in other nations.

Pat Nixon was an early champion of women’s rights and worked behind the scenes to advance women to higher government positions.
“It’s complicated”, clearly applied to Pat’s relationship with Richard Nixon. They were sometimes close and often apart, requiring intermediaries to resolve differences between them.

She endured media slights, being called “plastic Pat”, and was accused of excessive drinking. She suffered the shame of her husband’s disgraceful political downfall.

Perhaps this wasn’t the mystery I was looking for, but even so, it is a thorough biography of Mrs. Nixon.

(St. Martin's Press / On Sale: August 6, 2024)

#TheMysteriousMrsNixon
#StMartinsPress

Thank you Net Galley for the opportunity to pre-read this book.
I enjoyed learning more about Mrs. Nixon and her experiences as Second and First Lady. The footnotes detracted from the story, however, and I feel there should have been a cleaner way to notate a source without constantly having a tiny number after practically every sentence. I hope that pictures are included in the final version as it was disappointing to never come across any in my reading.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for giving me a free ARC in exchange for a fair review.

I was eleven when the Nixons left office. I was a weird child who watched the Watergate hearings and read everything I could about Richard Nixon who always vaguely reminded me of my dad. I've been interested in Pat Nixon ever since I read a profile of her after she left the White House. I remember reading about how she wore pancake makeup for the first time ever on the day she and Richard Nixon left the presidency. It intrigued me. She and Richard Nixon never seemed particularly close or loving. She didn't appear to enjoy being First Lady. Why did she have to wear stage makeup on the day she left? These were the concerns of preadolescent me.

According to this book, much of what has been written about Patricia Nixon is false. She was a warm and caring woman, loving wife and mother, an ERA supporter and an able and active First Lady. There is no mention of the pancake makeup on her last day. Ms. Heath Hardage Lee does strongly repudiate depictions of Pat made by Woodward and Bernstein. Perhaps they were the writers of the pancake makeup narrative?

I found this book to be well researched and detailed. I really enjoyed reading about the early years of Richard and Pat. I live close to Whittier and I am familiar with many of the areas where they lived their early lives. Clearly, Pat had a rough childhood. She showed a great deal of resilience. She was kind to her difficult mother in law and supportive of Richard Nixon in all of his ambitions.

What bothered me about Ms. Lee's narration is how she continually portrayed Pat Nixon as a woman who had modern sensibilities in regards to gender equality when her actions didn't show it. I felt that she was trying to convince the reader that Mrs. Nixon was a trailblazer who advocated women's rights. Pat Nixon's actions often times seemed to contradict that. She did not want to be a political wife and yet did that for her husband. She was left out of key decisions that involved her personally. Initially, she reprimanded female staffers for wearing pantsuits. Her husband continually took her for granted and expected her to go along with all his desires. She was disrespected by the West Wing of the White House.

There is one story in the book that compares Mrs. Nixon's touching people with leprosy with Princess Diana's touching AIDs patients. Clearly, both ladies were compassionate with the sick. Both were given credit for that during their life times. Was the point to show Mrs. Nixon as a trailblazer in that regard? I think both Mrs. Nixon and Princess Diana cared for people but neither were trailblazers. They both did the public relation tasks given to them.

I found myself thinking that the author was characterizing Mrs. Nixon as a woman who had beliefs from the 2020's. In actuality, I believe she was a woman who was progressive for being from the 1950's. The true Pat Nixon most likely lies between the cold, distant portrayal of the 1970's media and the hip, modern take that this book gives.

Irrelevant Note: Don't nickname your child Dick. This is not going to make anyone think I'm mature but I'm pretty sure it's not just me who will notice the unfortunate placements of Dickisms in this book. Here are a few:

"Unlike Ike, who kept his distance from his Dick..."
"Ike letting Dick dangle"
"How is Dick treating you? If he's not treating you right, let me know and I'll straighten him out! "

This made for unintentionally fun reading.

It just wasn't for me. Sorry
I felt like I was watching old news. Reading old news papers and just so mundain. I realizewomen didn't have a voice but there were times I was hoping for surprises instead of predictability.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher St. Martin's Press for an advance copy of this biography about a woman who relished the freedom of being a woman who could earn her way with little fanfare, and yet in her lifetime became the second and first most important woman in American politics.

I have a addiction that I must confess. I have very strong feelings for the 37th President of the United States, Richard M. Nixon. I have read numerous biographies, and conspiracy books. Read the books written by insiders, and even the books authored by Nixon himself. Documentaries, Graphic novels, if it has Nixon I am there. I even loved his appearance in Doctor Who. What surprised me while reading this biography was how little I knew about his wife Pat Nixon. I had read about their courtship, knew the basics of her life, but there was much I didn't know. Pat Nixon's strong stance on women in government, her love of travel, and her popularity during Richard Nixon's vice presidency and his presidency. The love Pat had for her children, and even her feelings for her husband, the good moments, the tragic moments, and the little disappointments, that came from being a wife in mid-century America. Heath Hardage Lee, historian and writer has captured all these moments and more, crafting a book about a life that was so much more about being First Lady in The Mysterious Mrs. Nixon: The Life and Times of Washington’s Most Private First Lady.

Thelma Catherine "Pat" Ryan was born in 1912 to a father who was Irish, with a roaming instinct and love for his daughter, and a mother who was a little more strict. Pat was a name she took on later in life, after the death of her parents, for she was born near St. Patrick's Day, and Pat was a nickname her father always had. Pat worked hard, and even after the loss of her parents, strived to raise her two older brothers, and putting herself through college. Graduating Pat took a job in Whittier, California, spending weekends in Los Angeles, enjoying the life of a young woman with a decent income. A rising lawyer Richard Nixon was a persistent suitor, and finally Pat agreed to be his wife, a happy time interrupted by war. After the war, Nixon entered politics, becoming a congressmen, a senator, and finally Vice President of the United States. Pat was his more than capable bride, raising their two children, traveling the world and representing the United States as best she could. A brief time in the wilderness of lost campaigns ended with the highest office in the land, the Presidency, where despite the chauvinism of the time Pat, became the Nixon White House's secret weapon, as a soft diplomat of choice. However soon a new word for political scandal would enter the dictionary, Watergate and things would change for the country, and the Nixons.

A fascinating book, that really captures a women who was of her time, and yet looked to a future where women of all kinds could be not just equal, but happy to be who they wanted to be. Far be it from me to comment on a marriage, but Richard Nixon did not deserve Pat Nixon. Pat seemed to be a person who had strong feelings and stronger ideals, where Richard was a political animal, whose demons were just too strong to fight. Heath Hardage Lee is a very good writer, capturing the time, the people and the thoughts quite well, which makes Pat in a way stand out quite a bit. The narrative rolls well, and never bogs down in explanations or political matters. There is a little bit of gloss added, a few things are not mentioned, a scandal or three, but all in all this is a very good biography about a woman who really had a hard life, and yet really seemed to enjoy and love those around her.

One wonders about Richard Nixon if he didn't have such an able partner in Pat. I don't think he would have gotten as far. One also wonders about her life, would she have traveled as much as she wanted. Recommended for people with an addiction like myself to Nixon, as hearing about Pat really fills in a lot of blanks. Also for people who love biographys on fascinating people, people who have been ignored unfairly by history.

I am a fan of history and of the President who ended the war in Vietnam. That was Richard Nixon. Pat Nixon seemed a shadowy character in what was otherwise a shadowy administration. Her place in it was a mystery to me. This book was an excellent well written biography of the first lady who stood by the side of a President who, after many successes was forced to resign from our nation's highest office. The book documents not just the life of Pat Nixon but the 20th century and a post-World War II generation of leadership. As a witness to the highest office from the Vice Presidency of Nixon during the Eisenhower administration, and the years before and after, Pat Nison saw and experienced it all. This book was one of the most appealing biographies I have read. Thanks to #NetGalley#TheMysteriousMrs.Nixon for the opportunity to read and review this book.

If one were to compare Pat Nixon to the current Republican party, confusion would likely set in. A surprisingly progressive woman who supported the ERA, was pro-choice, and who actively supported her husband's efforts to elevate a woman to the U.S. Supreme Court, Nixon was an enigmatic presence who valued her privacy and yet fiercely supported her husband's political journey.

"The Mysterious Mrs. Nixon: The Life and Times of Washington's Most Private First Lady" by Heath Hardage Lee finds most of its narrative focus in Nixon's life after marrying Richard Nixon in 1940. The political rise for Richard Nixon came in short order, though there were certainly long before his final setbacks that would lead to impeachment and his resignation. Pat Nixon served as Second Lady from 1953-1961 and First Lady from 1969-1974.

Painstakingly resourced, somewhat distractingly so, "The Mysterious Mrs. Nixon" paints a loving portrait of Nixon - voted the "Most Admired Woman in the World" in 1972 and in the Gallup Poll's Top Ten List of Most Admired Women fourteen times. Even after the Watergate scandal that would end her husband's presidency, Pat Nixon's popularity largely survived.

"The Mysterious Mrs. Nixon" is less a biography of Nixon than a precise journey through Nixon's political life alongside her husband and, at times, surprisingly independently. Nixon never ran for office herself, however, she did help to redefine what it meant to be a truly engaged First Lady.

It doesn't take long to also realize that "The Mysterious Mrs. Nixon" is very much a celebration of Nixon. At times reading more like fanfic than an actual biography of any sort, "The Mysterious Mrs. Nixon" presents with uncompromising adoration for Nixon and interprets the Nixon presidency largely through rose-colored glasses.

I can deal with this. I really can. Because, in the end, what really bothered me most about "The Mysterious Mrs. Nixon" is that by the time the 400+ page book was winding down (NOTE: Over 1/3 of those pages are source documentation) I didn't feel like Pat Nixon was any less of a mystery.

"The Mysterious Mrs. Nixon" is divided into three sections: A Farmer's Daughter, Washington Wife, and Leading Lady. A Farmer's Daughter comes the closest to feeling like an actual biography, an exploration of the foundation from which Nixon came. The final two sections, comprising the majority of the book, delve more fully into the woman behind the political facade to attempt to dig a little deeper into Nixon's attempt to bring humanity into her role as a political wife.

Indeed, it may very well have been Nixon who best humanized her husband. She was a connector, someone who intentionally shook hands with people and refused to rush them through the line. Her greatest political claim to fame may very well have been the deep humanity she brought to disaster response following a natural disaster in Peru where she showed up in person with an entire plane filled with aid for Peruvians.

While "The Mysterious Mrs. Nixon" gives us these glimpses of the Pat Nixon we seldom saw the press portray, more often than not it also feels like sound byte documentation more concerned with documenting resources than creating a narrative arc. It's as if, at times, the author is so concerned with documenting the justification for praising so extensively that it feels as if we're getting an extended press release instead of effective storytelling. There were times when "The Mysterious Mrs. Nixon" would open up a certain subject about Mrs. Nixon where I found myself wanting more, however, it would quickly divert to another topic entirely. There was very little that truly immersed me in the world of Pat Nixon.

You're likely saying to yourself "Oh, you're just a Democrat!" In the current world of divided politics, it seems like any such negative comments are met with name-calling and or just plain derision.

To that, I say hogwash.

Growing up, I was known as the kid who had a papier mache' of Richard Nixon on my bedroom dresser (possibly a less fashionable Alex P. Keaton). I had a fascination with Nixon, a deep intrigue with some of his choices and a curiosity about both his strengths and weaknesses as a political leader who rose very quickly and was on the cusp of a change in American politics where we began to move away from the President as a powerful human being to the political machinery around the President actually retaining the power. To this day, this is where I'd say we are now.

We do get interesting glimpses into the political machine, including an interesting glimpse into Pat Nixon's conviction that Nixon's 1960 election was actually stolen - an argument we certainly hear a lot these days. However, even these moments are glimpses that never really go deeper.

Truthfully, I had high hopes for "The Mysterious Mrs. Nixon" and for the most part found it to be a middling experience that will likely please readers of political history and those particularly curious about the Nixons. I expect that to be many, however, for me "The Mysterious Mrs. Nixon" could been a far more effective experience if it had relaxed a bit with the journalistic approach and moved into more patient storytelling about a fascinating family, an enigmatic woman, and a unique time in American political history that I would argue continues to have its influence ripple to this very day.

The Mysterious Mrs. Nixon by Heath Hardage Lee is a sympathetic portrait of a woman who was nothing like the “Plastic Pat” persona that the media pushed. The Pat Nixon who emerges in this book was a strong, intelligent, independent, feminist who was a full partner in her marriage to Richard Nixon. Extensively researched, this biography is also presents a more human face on the struggles her husband experienced once he obtained the Presidency. This reader watched a great deal of this story play out on television and was grateful to have a more accurate picture than what the press reported. I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book from NetGalley. Most highly recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC.

I would love to give this a 5-star ... BUT ...

WHY OH WHY did the author choose such a corny title for such a gracious lady???!!!???

Yes, Mrs. Nixon didn't divulge her innermost secrets to the public (as SOOOOO MANY people do today) ... nor did she require constant adulation from the public (as SOOO MANY people do today) ... instead she had her priorities of which her family came first. "Mysterious?" NO ..."Private?" YES ...

Although I normally don't comment on typographical and grammar errors in an ARC , this book had too many to ignore. Hopefully, they will be corrected prior to publication.

And, wow, it was most distracting with the thousands of footnotes ... I understand the author wanted to cite references, but it was very distracting, format-wise, to have space gaps between lines to account for the citation ... at least in the ebook format. I don't know if it will be better in a hard printed book.

And, why no photographs? During her public life, we saw many, many photos of Mrs. Nixon. I can still picture her in her red coat standing at the wall in China ... and many photos of her embracing children on her world trips. Surely one photograph is worth a thousand words!

Now, content -- nothing drastically new, just maybe a bit more emphasis on her distaste for the Haldeman crowd. More revealing to me was the total admiration and love Richard Nixon had for her at the beginning of their relationship and continued throughout their lives as referenced by the many letters and poems he sent to her.

All in all, this is a good book for those who were not living during Mrs. Nixon's life ... she may have been private about her personal life and family, but she was open to the world and a role model for young women.*