The wives of Woodrow Wilson were strikingly different from each
other. Ellen Axson Wilson, quiet and intellectual, died after just
a year and a half in the White House and is thought to have had
little impact on history. Edith Bolling Wilson was flamboyant and
confident but left a legacy of controversy. Yet, as Kristie Miller
shows, each played a significant role in the White House.
Miller presents a rich and complex portrait of Wilson's wives,
one that compels us to reconsider our understanding of both women.
Ellen comes into clear focus as an artist and intellectual who
dedicated her talents to an ambitious man whose success enabled her
to have a significant influence on the institution of the first
lady. Miller's assessment of Edith Wilson goes beyond previous
flattering accounts and critical assessments. She examines a woman
who overstepped her role by hiding her husband's serious illness to
allow him to remain in office. But, Miller concludes, Edith was
acting as she knew her husband would have wished.
Miller explains clearly how these women influenced Woodrow
Wilson's life and career. But she keeps her focus on the women
themselves, placing their concerns and emotions in the foreground.
She presents a balanced appraisal of each woman's strengths and
weaknesses. She argues for Ellen's influence not only on her
husband but on subsequent first ladies. She strives for an
understanding of the controversial Edith, who saw herself as
Wilson's principal advisor and, some would argue, acted as shadow
president after his stroke. Miller also helps us better appreciate
the role of Mary Allen Hulbert Peck, whose role as Wilson's
"playmate" complemented that of Ellen-but was intolerable to
Edith.
Especially because Woodrow Wilson continues to be one of the
most-studied American presidents, the task of recognizing and
understanding the influence of his wives is an important one.
Drawing extensively on the Woodrow Wilson papers and newly
available material, Miller's book answers that call with a
sensitive and compelling narrative of how private and public
emotions interacted at a pivotal moment in the history of first
ladies.
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