A review by staggandie
The Residence: Inside the Private World of the White House by Kate Andersen Brower

4.0

I found myself repeating anecdotes from this book to friends and family. Readers can expect a raw, intimate view of first families by those who served them. Think Downton Abbey. A sampling: LBJ seems awful personally--crude, obsessed with shower pressure (it's never right!), and unfriendly. JBKO was sweet but sheltered, as if from another planet. JFK would cavort fairly openly in the WH with secretaries and female staff when his wife was away, which was often. I didn't realize how young the Kennedy children were or that the parents experienced infant loss during his presidency. And because I've already read Sisters First, I'm not entirely surprised that George HW and Barbara Bush come off as the favorites. Such mensches.

The section on September 11 was difficult to read.

The book covers many years and includes so many people, but it’s organized by theme. So it skips around in time and will sort of reintroduce people you’ve met because it was a while ago. So you get first and last names, title, and sometimes years of service over and over. Im not sure how it could be done differently while keeping the valuable interviews of so many.