Description

By the Sunday Times bestselling author of ROMANTIC COMEDY and PREP

‘Honest, wonderful and smart as hell’ Guardian
‘Curtis Sittenfeld is in a league of her own’ Observer

All I did is marry him. You are the ones who gave him power.

Quiet, bookish Alice Blackwell never dreamed of being First Lady. Much less to a President whose politics she doesn’t believe in. On perhaps the most important day of her husband’s presidency, Alice looks back on the strange and unlikely path that led her to the White House, and to a decision – both treacherous and long overdue – that could jeopardise everything.

Taking inspiration from real life, AMERICAN WIFE is a remarkable portrait of a woman caught between her feelings for her husband, her country, and herself.

‘My favourite book of the century’ HADLEY FREEMAN, GUARDIAN

Publisher Review

"A quietly riveting parable... thought-provoking, entertaining and full of subtle reflections on class and marriage" * Daily Mail * "Thoroughly enjoyable. The plot is beautifully paced, the writing quick, clear, absorbing... A sweeping saga" * The Times * "A powerful, utterly compelling and strangely moving fictional account of a First Lady who bears more than a passing resemblance to Laura Bush" * Daily Mirror * "Such an accomplished work of fiction... a thoughtful and compelling examination of the mechanics of family and marriage... Knowing and knowledgeable, yet also inventive and original, American Wife is a thrilling combination of history and surprises" * Guardian * "My favourite book of the year" * Kate Atkinson *