Official Review: Former First Lady by Ebony Edwards-Ellis
Posted: 05 Jun 2020, 11:29
[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Former First Lady" by Ebony Edwards-Ellis.]
Former First Lady by Ebony Edwards-Ellis is about a fiercely independent woman named Shelley who never seems to catch a break in life. When she meets Barry for the first time, she is barely keeping a roof over her head and food on the table as a writer but is proud of what she's doing. Barry, on the other hand, is from a rich family and sees no value in a career if there are no assets to show for it. Although they share common ground in wanting a family and being involved with politics, they have conflicting values that clash time and time again.
For decades Shelley manages to juggle her career, two children, nearly all the housework, and her husband's campaigns as his political career takes off. She never wanted to be a president's wife but tries to make the best of it when Barry announces he will be running with or without her approval.
What drew me in immediately was Shelley's snappy dialogue as the story begins with her breaking the news to her husband that she wants a divorce. It is clear that Barry isn't the most rational person, and Shelley is fed up with everything he has put her through. Her down to earth way of speaking is what I liked most about the book.
What I disliked the most was the demeaning way Barry treats Shelley for most of the book. It was funny and refreshing in the beginning when Shelley had a smart comeback for everything that came out of his mouth. However, watching him drag Shelley around on political campaigns she wanted no part in, brush off her concerns about the Secret Service, and belittle her writing career when arguing eventually wore me down. I have no idea why she later yearned for him as the book cover said.
I also didn't like reading about the political races that didn't involve Barry. I find these to be boring and got the impression that they were meant to be more suspenseful than they actually were. Reading about Barry's race from Shelley's point of view got me emotionally invested again because it was personal to her.
I will say that issues aside, this is a well-written novel. I think it deserves a 4 out of 4 stars. I found a few errors that didn't affect my reading experience. This is a good story, but it's not a happy one. I recommend it for anyone who wants to read about a woman who faces adversity around every corner.
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Former First Lady
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Former First Lady by Ebony Edwards-Ellis is about a fiercely independent woman named Shelley who never seems to catch a break in life. When she meets Barry for the first time, she is barely keeping a roof over her head and food on the table as a writer but is proud of what she's doing. Barry, on the other hand, is from a rich family and sees no value in a career if there are no assets to show for it. Although they share common ground in wanting a family and being involved with politics, they have conflicting values that clash time and time again.
For decades Shelley manages to juggle her career, two children, nearly all the housework, and her husband's campaigns as his political career takes off. She never wanted to be a president's wife but tries to make the best of it when Barry announces he will be running with or without her approval.
What drew me in immediately was Shelley's snappy dialogue as the story begins with her breaking the news to her husband that she wants a divorce. It is clear that Barry isn't the most rational person, and Shelley is fed up with everything he has put her through. Her down to earth way of speaking is what I liked most about the book.
What I disliked the most was the demeaning way Barry treats Shelley for most of the book. It was funny and refreshing in the beginning when Shelley had a smart comeback for everything that came out of his mouth. However, watching him drag Shelley around on political campaigns she wanted no part in, brush off her concerns about the Secret Service, and belittle her writing career when arguing eventually wore me down. I have no idea why she later yearned for him as the book cover said.
I also didn't like reading about the political races that didn't involve Barry. I find these to be boring and got the impression that they were meant to be more suspenseful than they actually were. Reading about Barry's race from Shelley's point of view got me emotionally invested again because it was personal to her.
I will say that issues aside, this is a well-written novel. I think it deserves a 4 out of 4 stars. I found a few errors that didn't affect my reading experience. This is a good story, but it's not a happy one. I recommend it for anyone who wants to read about a woman who faces adversity around every corner.
******
Former First Lady
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
