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namsmommy09's review against another edition
3.5
I enjoyed learning about Lady Bird's participation and influence on her husband's time in office. This book details not only her time in the white house but the before, when JFK was assassinated until her eventual death. At times it felt so long, but each chapter is a part of the whole story of Lady Bird.
eelitorr's review against another edition
informative
slow-paced
4.5
Very well-written biography of an historical figure I didn't know much about. The parts detailing her beautification projects were what drew me to this book. The most engaging chapter is chapter 21 which gives so much more information and context to what happened between her and Eartha Kitt. While the book is very long and a little slow at times, I'm really glad I picked it up.
jessicajackson1798's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
3.75
erboe501's review against another edition
5.0
I wasn't familiar with LBJ's presidency much beyond the chant "hey hey LBJ, how many kids did you kill today". Looking at this point in history through the lens of a strong, usually overlooked, woman was appealing. And I found the book super engaging. There were points when my mind did stray while listening to some of the beautification segments. But I learned a lot, and have come away from the audiobook with a more complex understanding of Johnson's presidency.
It was frustrating to hear how the Johnsons remained bullheaded about the war long, long past when they should have backtracked. But they did much good for the country domestically, especially with civil rights, even if they weren't as glamorous as their immediate predecessors, the Kennedys. Lady Bird was instrumental in all of LBJ's decisions, and had to deal with a heavy dose of misogyny when she wanted to focus on her own urban renewal and highway cleanup projects. For such an accomplished, self-possessed woman to congratulate herself when she ate only toast and grapefruit in a day was disheartening. Lady Bird was a product of her times in many ways, although progressive, if sometimes covertly, in other ways.
What was especially delightful about the audiobook was listening to an actual recording from Lady Bird's audio diary. I found the narrator's imitation of Lady Bird annoying, but the actual Lady Bird had a hypnotic voice.
It was frustrating to hear how the Johnsons remained bullheaded about the war long, long past when they should have backtracked. But they did much good for the country domestically, especially with civil rights, even if they weren't as glamorous as their immediate predecessors, the Kennedys. Lady Bird was instrumental in all of LBJ's decisions, and had to deal with a heavy dose of misogyny when she wanted to focus on her own urban renewal and highway cleanup projects. For such an accomplished, self-possessed woman to congratulate herself when she ate only toast and grapefruit in a day was disheartening. Lady Bird was a product of her times in many ways, although progressive, if sometimes covertly, in other ways.
What was especially delightful about the audiobook was listening to an actual recording from Lady Bird's audio diary. I found the narrator's imitation of Lady Bird annoying, but the actual Lady Bird had a hypnotic voice.
bethechange_07's review against another edition
4.0
This book was super informative! I had known about the beautification work by Lady Bird Johnson, however, there was so much more to her life. She was an incredibly influential figure in her husband’s life. This book used her diaries to take you into the thoughts of Lady Bird. It was interesting to see the interactions between her and the Kennedy family from her perspective. I think the book did a great job of telling Lady Bird’s story. I highly recommend this book to people wanting to know more about strong, intelligent, influential women. Lady Bird’s beautification project was so very much more than a beautification project. Pick up this book to learn more!
larakai's review against another edition
3.0
Listened to the audiobook. I listened on 1.75 speed because normal felt like I was slogging through the mud. I think I am personally not well suited to audiobooks which probably is affecting my opinion of this one... It felt endless. It was interesting for sure. I didn't know much about Lady Bird or Lyndon Johnson before this, and I'm happy to have learned more about them both. The author does a good job of talking about both their strengths and weaknesses, both the things where they were ahead of their time and their blind spots. It's a good reminder that people, even powerful and famous ones, are just people... They do things well and poorly. They make the right and wrong decisions. They can't be reduced to two-dimensional characters. Anyway, I really enjoyed learning about Lady Bird's "beautification" efforts, commitment to civil rights, and empowerment of women. So while I was ready for the end of the book simply because I was tired of listening, it was interesting throughout.
deirdrelistens2books's review against another edition
5.0
I watched a piece about this book on CBS Sunday Morning, which got me interested in this book. But as I was waiting to listen to it I thought, eh, do I really care about a Lady Bird Johnson biography? The answer is yes — and “Hiding in Plain Sight” is a perfect name for this book.
Lady Bird recorded audio diaries, so the author really pulled from those diaries. She was forced into the role of First Lady after JFK’s death and its interesting to see these southern Democrats lead the way in creating lasting progress in terms of civil rights, through the voting rights act, appointing Thurgood Marshall to the Supreme Court and helping DC get a local government and improving DC with its beautification efforts — and Lady Bird Johnson had an effort in this.
Of course the Johnsons were not perfect with racial justice. There was an interesting scene in the book, where the actress Eartha Kitt takes aim directly at Lady Bird for not understanding the Black experience, and Lady Bird had an empathetic response but the Johnson administration basically investigated her and the comments made it hard for her to get work.
But, this is an interesting book and Lady Bird Johnson may have been born in the wrong era because she’s clearly a natural born politician and she was all about helping the environment before it was cool. The author has a podcast that’s a sister to this book with actual recordings of Lady Bird Johnson’s diary - I would be interested in eventually listening to that podcast.
Lady Bird recorded audio diaries, so the author really pulled from those diaries. She was forced into the role of First Lady after JFK’s death and its interesting to see these southern Democrats lead the way in creating lasting progress in terms of civil rights, through the voting rights act, appointing Thurgood Marshall to the Supreme Court and helping DC get a local government and improving DC with its beautification efforts — and Lady Bird Johnson had an effort in this.
Of course the Johnsons were not perfect with racial justice. There was an interesting scene in the book, where the actress Eartha Kitt takes aim directly at Lady Bird for not understanding the Black experience, and Lady Bird had an empathetic response but the Johnson administration basically investigated her and the comments made it hard for her to get work.
But, this is an interesting book and Lady Bird Johnson may have been born in the wrong era because she’s clearly a natural born politician and she was all about helping the environment before it was cool. The author has a podcast that’s a sister to this book with actual recordings of Lady Bird Johnson’s diary - I would be interested in eventually listening to that podcast.
chelseela's review against another edition
3.0
Great portrait of Lady Bird and her contributions to the Johnson Administration. It could have been 100 pages shorter though
k8iedid's review against another edition
5.0
At some point I read something that made me interested in this book. My library didn't have a copy, so I requested it. At some point they purchased it and the e-book landed in my inbox. Thank you, past Katie.
This book was such a fantastic look at Lady Bird's intellect, influence and personality. How lucky we are that she kept such detailed records of her participation in her husband's presidency. The details about 1968 particularly captured me, given how relevant they are to our ongoing struggles to achieve racial equity. It truly is remarkable to reflect on the amount of progressive policies LBJ got through while also fumbling Vietnam so tragically. This book offers a fantastic and unique insight into all the different things happening at once in just over one presidential term.
This book was such a fantastic look at Lady Bird's intellect, influence and personality. How lucky we are that she kept such detailed records of her participation in her husband's presidency. The details about 1968 particularly captured me, given how relevant they are to our ongoing struggles to achieve racial equity. It truly is remarkable to reflect on the amount of progressive policies LBJ got through while also fumbling Vietnam so tragically. This book offers a fantastic and unique insight into all the different things happening at once in just over one presidential term.
annap5519's review against another edition
5.0
Like Betty Ford and others, Lady Bird Johnson played an important role in history that was until now unknown. Her many contributions were unheralded and this fascinating book provides insight into her intelligence, talents, sacrifices and service.