The Invisibles

Author: Jesse J. Holland
Genre: Non-fiction
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2017 (reprint)
Pages: 240
Rating: Do Not Recommend

Synopsis: Slavery Inside The White House and How It Helped Shape America is the first book to tell the story of the executive mansion’s most unexpected residents, the African American slaves who lived with the U.S. presidents who owned them. Interest in African Americans and the White House are at an all-time high due to the historic presidency of Barack Obama, and the soon-to-be-opened Smithsonian National Museum of African American Culture and History.

The Invisibles chronicles the African American presence inside the White House from its beginnings in 1782 until 1862, when President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation that granted slaves their freedom. During these years, slaves were the only African Americans to whom the most powerful men in the United States were exposed on a daily, and familiar, basis.

By reading about these relationships, readers will better understand some of the views that various presidents held about class and race in American society, and how these slaves contributed not only to the life and comforts of the presidents they served, but to America as a whole.

Review: This was not so much about the slaves building or living in The White House, but rather, which Presidents owned slaves, and their attitudes and feelings about slavery in general. It wasn't a bad read and there were chapters that were informative and interesting, but it wasn't what I was expecting. 

I gave this a Do Not Recommend rating because the synopsis is misleading, and The Residence was better reading.

The Residence

Author: Kate Andersen Brower
Genre: Non-fiction
Publisher: HarperCollins Publisher, 2016
Pages: 336
Rating: Recommend

Synopsis: A remarkable history with elements of both In the President’s Secret Service and The Butler, The Residence offers an intimate account of the service staff of the White House, from the Kennedys to the Obamas.

America’s First Families are unknowable in many ways. No one has insight into their true character like the people who serve their meals and make their beds every day. Full of stories and details by turns dramatic, humorous, and heartwarming, The Residence reveals daily life in the White House as it is really lived through the voices of the maids, butlers, cooks, florists, doormen, engineers, and others who tend to the needs of the President and First Family.

These dedicated professionals maintain the six-floor mansion’s 132 rooms, 35 bathrooms, 28 fireplaces, three elevators, and eight staircases, and prepare everything from hors d’oeuvres for intimate gatherings to meals served at elaborate state dinners. Over the course of the day, they gather in the lower level’s basement kitchen to share stories, trade secrets, forge lifelong friendships, and sometimes even fall in love.

Combining incredible first-person anecdotes from extensive interviews with scores of White House staff members—many speaking for the first time—with archival research, Kate Andersen Brower tells their story. She reveals the intimacy between the First Family and the people who serve them, as well as tension that has shaken the staff over the decades. From the housekeeper and engineer who fell in love while serving President Reagan to Jackie Kennedy’s private moment of grief with a beloved staffer after her husband’s assassination to the tumultuous days surrounding President Nixon’s resignation and President Clinton’s impeachment battle, The Residence is full of surprising and moving details that illuminate day-to-day life at the White House.

Review: For a journalist, I expected better writing or at least better organized writing, but the tales and insight into what goes on behind the scenes was thoroughly fascinating. 

Day-to-day operations at The White House sound rather Downton Abbey, which my husband and I have recently binge-watched.

I loved this book, and what a fun way to end another great year of reading.

The Happiest Mommy You Know

Author: Genevieve Shaw Brown

Genre: Non-fiction

Publisher: Touchstone, 2017

Pages: 240

Rating: Recommend

Synopsis: ABC News reporter (and mom to three) Genevieve Shaw Brown reveals the deceptively simple golden rule for maternal happiness and how today’s busy moms can live better, healthier lives.

ABC News reporter Genevieve Shaw Brown was hell-bent on raising her kids to like vegetables and eat more than chicken nuggets for dinner. She woke up at five a.m. every morning to prepare perfectly portioned meals of turkey meatballs along with veggies, couscous, mashed cauliflower, and sliced fruit for her small children.

While eating lukewarm mac-n-cheese out of a brown paper box and feeling sluggish and tired most of the time, she realized that she had never considered eating what she made for her kids. After that, Brown put herself on the “Baby Diet”: she ate the healthy food her kids ate, minimized snacking, and created a more regimented meal plan. She felt better, lost those stubborn pounds, and prepared a short segment on her new diet for Good Morning America that went viral.

After that, she began thinking further: what happens when you treat yourself the way you instinctively treat your children? From sleep training to exercising to making time for friends, Brown shares her own stories, expert advice, and innovative hacks to address the common issues mothers face while teaching women how to care for themselves with the same love and attention they give their children and families every day. The Happiest Mommy You Know is the life-changing and incredibly positive approach to the challenges of modern parenting—and gives parents permission to finally treat themselves better.

Review: This book didn't have any earth-shattering messages. In fact, it's a lot of things I've figured out over 10 years of parenting. It was worth the validation though.

Sometimes moms have to be a little selfish to maintain our own sanity and that's okay.I particularly liked the chapter about family and couple vacations. Travel is a huge part of our life and something both Sal and I value, and even our 2 year old has been in 18 different states and has toured the White House.