Comments on: American Wife – Book Review

By: A Pretty Mess » Blog Archive » Sittenfield’s "American Wife": Will You Be Reading It?

Sat, 06 Sep 2008 14:01:16 +0000

[...] Devourer of Books said American Wife was one of the best books she read this year. I cannot remember the last time I so identified with a character, the last time someone in a book (even in a biography or memoir) felt so authentic. No matter how you feel about the Bush family, do not let politics get in the way of reading this remarkable novel. [...]

By: Jeane

Jeane — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 17:38:09 +0000

That makes sense now. For some reason when I read your post, I thought Blackwell was a real person. Silly me.

By: Anna

Anna — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 14:39:25 +0000

I’ve got this book on hold at the library. I didn’t know too much about it before reading your review, but now I hope it hurries up and gets here already!!

By: Karen Harrington

Karen Harrington — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 21:59:07 +0000

I’m intrigued!

By: devourerofbooks

devourerofbooks — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 20:02:13 +0000

Well said, Lorin, thank you for the explanation.

By: Lorin

Lorin — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 20:00:17 +0000

Jeane, Not to spoil the book too much, but its clear that there is more than just the characters' names that were changed, so it would be too false just to use their real names. For example, (again, not to give too much away) multiple real people have been consolidated into one character. What I liked was how, even though some facts were changed, the spirit of the real people seemed to come through. Then again, that could just be good writing, since who knows what the real George or Laura thinks about. For the rest of my opinions about the book, please visit my blog.

By: devourerofbooks

devourerofbooks — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 18:21:53 +0000

Jeane – Well, if she didn’t change their names and wrote something that was totally false, she could possibly be sued, I would imagine. She didn’t change their names to another real person, I think perhaps I was unclear on the Charlie Blackwell part. She turned George Bush into Charlie Blackwell and made him from Wisconsin and heir to a meat fortune. I doubt there is a real Charlie Blackwell and Blackwell meat fortune.

By: Jeane

Jeane — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 17:33:17 +0000

I don’t understand why the author changed the names if it’s so obvious who they are. And why change the name to another real person’s? Or am I missing something?

By: Natasha @ Maw Books

Natasha @ Maw Books — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 16:21:22 +0000

A fictionalized account of Laura Bush? I wonder how she feels about that. I must confess, I know little about our first lady. Sounds interesting.

By: Charley

Charley — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 16:13:06 +0000

It could be a while before I get around to reading this one, but it does sound compelling.