Whether they’re writing memoirs, digging into a novel, or promoting literacy, reading has been a big part of many First Ladies’ lives. Join us for a discussion of a different first lady inspired book each season. We’ll explore fiction and non-fiction and examine some of the historical connections and issues highlighted in each book. We'll meet on Zoom for this discussion based, live program. This interactive program will not be recorded. Zoom info, questions, and pertinent links will be sent out to participants before the meeting.

About the Book:

In this fascinating study, Lewis L. Gould has brought a shadowy First Lady into the light and restored her to a rightful place as a patron of music. Helen Herron Taft came to the White House intent on establishing Washington, D.C., as the nation's cultural capital. A stroke in May 1909 made her a semi-invalid, impaired her speech, and disrupted her agenda. Historians have written her off as a shrewish figure who pushed her portly husband into the presidency.

Gould challenges this outdated narrative with new information on Helen “Nellie” Taft's campaign to bring the best of classical music to the White House during her four years there. He draws on prodigious research about the musicians who performed at our nation’s first home —including violinist Fritz Kreisler, pianist Fannie Bloomfield-Zeisler, and contralto Ernestine Schumann-Heink. He reveals for the first time how Nellie Taft enlisted a diverse array of top-notch artists for her musicales, recitals, and social events. The result is a major contribution to a better understanding of the White House as a cultural center at the turn of the last century.

Gould's path-breaking study of Helen Taft is a significant addition to the literature on First Ladies and a tribute to a complex and brave woman who overcame illness and adversity to leave her own special imprint on the history of the White House.

Please note that this is a staff-led program, not an author talk.