Spoken from the Heart
After I finished reading Laura Bush's memoir, Spoken from the Heart, I saw in USA Today that some reviewers were disappointed that there was not a lot in the book about politics and controversies during her years as First Lady. Anyone looking for gossip, vituperative barbs, name-calling, or complaints won't like this book.
Mrs. Bush writes about her life growing up as an only child in the new town of Midland, Texas. She tells of working in an inner-city school, and deciding to go back to graduate school to become a librarian. She shows how those early adult years as teacher and librarian shaped her interests and her desire to promote education and reading when her husband became the President of the United States.
She focusses always on the positive and her tone throughout the book is one of gratitude and joy for the events and people in her life. She makes it clear that she loves and honors her parents, loves and respects her husband, is devoted to her daughters, and has deep fondness for all of her in-laws.
I found this book a pleasure to read.
Labels: books
posted by Laura at
3:54 PM
7 Comments:
I greatly enjoyed reading Barbara Bush's memoir several years ago and am looking forward to reading this one. Do you own your copy? If so, would you mind if I borrow it, after it makes its way through the family, of course. No rush, I'm still savoring Jane Brockett's book as I slowly read through it.
I enjoyed Barbara Bush's memoirs, too. I *did* have my own copy, but then I donated it to the library after I finished reading it so that more people could enjoy it. But I'd be more than happy to check it out from our library and loan it to you to read. Our library doesn't charge fines when books are overdue!
I've always liked Barbara Bush so much. Thanks for the recommendation.
I think I'd enjoy this book, since I grew up in West Texas and became a librarian, too.
By the way, it's "Midland", not "Midlands". :) I know because we played Midland High School in football, and as everyone knows football is the most memorable part of a West Texas high school experience.
Thanks for the correction, Sherry! I edited to make it right ;)!
We briefly lived in Texas a few years ago and I liked reading about her life all over the state in El Paso, Dallas, Houston, etc. She included a good bibliography at the end of the book and listed there was a history of Texas I started to read back when we lived there (I had to return it to the library before I finished it because we moved) - Lone Star: A History of Texas and the Texans by T. R. Fehrenbach. I think I'd like to find that book and read it now.
Did she clarify her views on abortion and gay marriage?
I had thought that I might read this, but think that she's more liberal than I would like, and so, have delayed.
I think she is sooo lovely and dont want to tarnish that preception :-\
I think she is more liberal than I would like, too, Dana, but I also think she does not say tell everything that she might think.
I don't remember anything on gay marriage, and about abortion, I do remember her saying that what a woman does should be a matter of privacy between her and her doctor, but she also promotes adoption and writes of how much she wanted children and of her siblings that died soon after birth.
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