I hope you enjoyed reading First Mothers. I thoroughly enjoyed myself and learned so much about the presidents. Here are a few questions for you to think about and discuss:
1. Who was your favorite presidential mother? Why?
2. Who was your least favorite presidential mother? Why?
3. What did you think of the relationships the presidents had with their fathers? Do you think a book about the fathers would be interesting and worthwhile?
4. Do you agree with the author's conclusions that these women were "highly individualistic" and unique for the age they lived in? What similarities did most of them share?
5. Did you find any parallels that indicate how "the grounded philosophy and fighting spirit of the mother became that of the son?"
6 comments:
As I read "First Mothers" I was amazed at the many similarities between these fascinating women. Most of them were highly educated, outspoken, and individualistic. The majority of them survived extremely difficult circumstances and weathered troubled marriages. I found it intrigueing that a lot of these women were "daddy's girls" who named their favorite son after their own fathers. I also thought it was interesting that most of the presidents adored their mothers and had very few positive things to say about their fathers. Some of the family relationships appeared so dysfuntional (Roosevelt, Nixon, Johnson, and Clinton) and yet all of the mothers gave me something positive to learn from.
Although they are my least favorite presidents, I enjoyed reading about the mothers of Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter the most. I admire Dorothy Ford's courage and was delighted with Lillian Carter's individuality and spirit. My least favorite mother was Virginia Clinton Kelley, but I found the author's harsh criticism of her quite amusing.
If you liked this book, you may also enjoy "Hidden Power: Presidential Marriages That Shaped Our History" by Kati Marton.
OK, I have to admit, I only partially read 2 of the mother's stories. But our library only checks books out for 2 weeks and it happened to be the 2 weeks around my son turning 12 and we had family staying with us! I definatel want to check it out again and read more! I read about George Bush and Bill Clinton's moms. I tend to be (a lot) more on the conservative side, and I'm not a big Bill Clinton fan. The fact that he has no morals totally stemmed from his upbringing. I found that part interesting.
I think that what makes a book about their mothers so interesting is that we can see the influence that we as mothers have on our children.
Sorry I can't contribute more this month!!
Andrea
Thanks for the fun pick, Natalie. I learned a LOT of history (I'm embarrassed at my LACK of knowledge in American History) and enjoyed the writing style of Bonnie Angelo.
My favorite presidential mother was Dorothy Bush, I think. I agreed a lot with her philosophies in child rearing and admired her principles. She seemed to have the least "tragic" life of the mothers, however, I think she still overcame her circumstances, in a way. Her situation was such that she could have easily raised selfish, spoiled children, but I was impressed at the many people who said George Bush was the most unselfish, kind man they ever knew. I especially loved the story of his helping the boy who got stuck in the barrel during the race. I also admired Lillian Carter and her determination to make a difference to the end of her days. She reminds me of my own grandmother, who is always determined to stay busy and helpful, even though her age makes some things impossible for her.
I read most of the chapter about Virginia Clinton with my jaw dropped in disbelief. Truly, I'm surprised Bill Clinton did ANYTHING worthwhile with a childhood like he had. I guess it goes to prove that you can "rise above." But I think his life also shows that you are still a product of your upbringing, despite your successes...didn't his biological father's life just make you go "Oh....that's why Clinton has no morals!" I actually started feeling sorry for Hillary (I know...crazy, huh?) when I read about how unfaithful Bill was to her even BEFORE they were married. I, too, had to laugh at the way the author treated Mrs. Clinton...and agree with her criticisms, too.
Thanks, Nat!
This was an interesting book. I only got around to reading the chapters about FDR, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. I know I would have gotten into it more had I been more of a history or politics buff. But, I’m not. So, several of the historical references blew by me. But, I did enjoy the parts I read.
I thought it was particularly interesting to read about President Clinton’s upbringing, which I’d never heard much about. It gave me a little more understanding about why he was the type of person that he was. It is pretty admirable, actually, that he was so successful after such a troubled childhood.
I do think, Natalie, that it would be interesting to read about the fathers. The author hinted in the final chapter that none of the fathers seemed to be very involved, which I thought was strange. I can’t come up with a reason why that trend would exist. But, I am confident that we can raise smart, successful sons WITH involved fathers, too!
I’ll share a quote from the last chapter (since the author’s actual words always make more of an impact that my explanation!)
“If these presidents’ mothers had done nothing more than give their sons the underpinning of confidence, it was an accomplishment, for all around them were mothers whose sons did not shine, boys who did not reach beyond mediocrity, young men whose lives were not inspiring tales of success, much less the stuff of history…Knowing nothing of each other, they were of much the same mind about bringing up sons. Without child development experts like Benjamin Spock and T. Berry Brazelton ladling out child rearing advice in books and on television, they relied on common sense and maternal instincts, on God and gumption, encouraging and disciplining as they saw fit. Undergirding those natural instincts was unconditional love, the most important element in developing confidence in a child.”
So, that’s the message I’ll remember from the book. There is so much advice and criticism around about raising children, which I love to read. But, instead of letting it make us feel guilty, let’s all rely on our “maternal instincts” because we know what is best for our own children. They may not turn out to be presidents of the United States, but hopefully good citizens who share a bond with their mother who loves them unconditionally!
Thanks!
Thanks for picking this book Natalie. Okay, so I'm a month behind in my reading but I did read it from cover to cover! I love to read anything about real people. Sometimes, however, truth is more bizarre than fiction, as in the life of Bill Clinton. I agree that we have to give him some credit for rising above his upbringing in education and some other aspects of his life. I think even if we don't raise presidents, mothers are such a vital part of their children's success. I also believe in not accepting too much credit or having to accept too much blame for how our children turn out. I personally have four amazing adults that began their days in my home. I'm so proud of each of their accomplishments but honestly can't say I had much to do with it. Hopefully, I did contribute a little sense of self worth and a lot of warmth in their memories of a fun home to grow up in. I wonder as did many of you why so many of our presidents didn't seem to find much to admire in their fathers? I loved to read about the Bush's and still support our current president since I think he, like his mother Barbara has courage to stand strong on what he believes is best for our country. Fay
Thanks for your comments!
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