Brown Books Publishing Group
Featuring: Ashley Taylor
253 pages ISBN: 1612541135 EAN: 9781612541136 Kindle: B00EVXMSN4 Hardcover / e-Book Add to Wish List
Have you ever regretted not having taken a speed-reading
course? Michael and Ashley Taylor, both in their mid-40s,
have been married for 24 years, and they have 21 year-old
twins, Jeremy and Juliette. Ashley is the director of a
prestigious art museum in Manhattan and was never interested
in politics, even though husband Michael has been involved
in politics most of his life, and decides to run for the
presidency. Ashley is adamant she will not quit her career,
even for a few years, to play the role of First Lady, while
Michael is convinced he can eventually change her mind. Even
after he's elected President of the United States, Ashley
will not bend. Since I agreed with the character's decision,
I was very much interested in seeing how a seemingly trivial
matter, that became an issue of epic political proportions,
would be dealt with.
Ms. Ellick is a tremendously gifted writer, as she managed
to turn the story of a woman fighting for her independence
and defy traditions into an almost- thriller. I found it a
bit puzzling that THE RELUCTANT FIRST LADY is billed as
Women's Fiction. Although it obviously deals with women's
issues, it read like a romantic suspense, and I could not
read fast enough to see what would happen next.
Besides the First Couple, there is a wonderful cast of
secondary characters, going so far as having real-life TV
personalities playing parts in this fictional world and
sounding absolutely true to life. The author demonstrates a
keen eye for both the political and art worlds, as well as
modern family life, and writes top-notch dialogue. I
especially enjoyed that it was their son, Jeremy who was the
one who was most supportive of Ashley's decision. And most
of all, I loved the ending. THE RELUCTANT FIRST LADY is a
book I highly recommend for its intelligence and fine writing.
Ashley Taylor has been straightforward with her husband, the
president-elect of the United States. She supported his
candidacy, but she has no intention of assuming the
traditional role of First Lady—a position she describes as
“First Hostess.” Instead, she will resume her own career as
head of one of the largest art museums in New York. The
aftermath of her decision triggers reactions from the
public, news commentators, late night comedians, and other
political factions.
While Ashley and Michael wrestle with saving their marriage
and preserving their professional lives, the country debates
whether the role of First Lady is a necessity, how the media
influences the lives of public figures, and how much a woman
should sacrifice for the person she loves.
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