First Daughters: Letters Between U.S. Presidents and Their Daughters

by Gerard W. Gawalt (Editor), Ann G. Gawalt (Editor)

From John Adams and Thomas Jefferson through Lyndon Johnson and Bill Clinton, our presidents have taken time out of their public lives to write moving letters to their growing daughters. The best of these have been organized here into such topics as education, politics, friendship, marriage, parenting, and home life. Handsome and historic artwork and photographs throughout make it a book of beauty as well as substance.

320 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 2004

Reviews

[Linda Higbie-Gowan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book to be very interesting and enjoyed learning more about the Presidents and their families. The reason I gave it 3 stars is because it is hard to follow along. There are so many back story’s to read before each letter to understand the time and the meaning behind each letter. It didn’t read smoothly like a book and it just was hard to follow in my opinion. Other than that I thought it was very interesting.

[Joy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maybe it was the organization of the letters, but I could not finish this book. It seemed to drag. About halfway through I skimmed those of interest. It was too comprehensive and could have included fewer letters. It's organized topically. It would have been better if it was organized by President to see the ongoing correspondence and relationship with their daughers over time. Instead, jumping between time periods and presidents makes it all seem disjointed.

[Mary Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to the authors who put this compilation together. Very interesting to see the different writing styles of the different centuries included in the letters.

[BookDragon]

kinda boring... I tried to get myself to read it like 3 times but I couldn't.

[Katie | katieturnsthepage · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I have always had a love affair with anything presidential, so I enjoyed reading these letters from presidents to their daughters. It showed a personal side to these men that I found very endearing. I also liked the fact that the letters featured in the book weren't just from well-known presidents, but also the ones that aren't so well known, like William Howard Taft.

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was really interesting to read these letters.

[Leanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting to see the interchange between presidents and their daughters. Some presidents were fathers first, but some seemed to be remain presidents before fathers.

[Jodi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book alot, it wasn't a quick read, but it was very interesting!

[Lisa]

A very interesting insight into the personal, family lives of some of the most powerful, respected men in the world, and their daughters.

[Meghan Portillo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Even though it's explained why there aren't more letters from the daughters, I was disappointed at the number of letters included. But it's still an informative, interesting read.