Book Review: Christmas with the First Ladies

By Jamie Gall @50states50wines

The White House. The capitol of the United States of America. The house we look to for news, for hope, for the future.

So when the opportunity came along to take a look at how the First Ladies decorated this iconic house, I couldn’t wait to read about it.

This book was a fun read.  Starting with the era of Jacqueline Kennedy, who really began the tradition of decorating the White House for Christmas and ending with Michelle Obama.

Each First Lady brought something a little different to the home, and had different traditions they helped to incorporate into the White House.

It was great to see the President’s and the First Ladies.  Reminded me that yes, they are human too, and they have families and traditions, and Christmas is also a special time for them, as well.

And it was uncovered throughout the pages of “Christmas with the First Ladies.”

Pat Nixon displaying a State Flower Ball in front of the White House Christmas Tree

This book was written by Coleen Christian Burke, who was apart of the White House Decorating team, and was the one who dug up the history of the White House Christmas’.

At the end of each chapter there is inclusion of recipes and/or crafts that come straight from the First Ladies.

This is just the book you need to help get you into the Holiday spirit, and what a better way then learning straight from the First Ladies themselves.

For myself, I always wondered how the White House decorated for Christmas.  I was fortunate to be in Washington DC a few years ago for their 4th of July celebrations and was in amazement of their beautiful displays, so to sit down and read through this book was another enjoyment.

To learn more about the First Ladies, and how certain traditions came to be.  It was all in there, and in the end, the feeling of realizing they are very much human too.

Disclosure: I was provided a copy of this book on behalf of Insight Editions for review.