Melania and Michelle: First Ladies in a New Era

By Tammy R. Vigil

At home or at the podium, the First Lady is uniquely poised to serve as advisor, confidant, and campaigner, with the power to shape American political and social conversation. At first blush, First Ladies Michelle Obama and Melania Trump appear categorically different from each other; however, as women rising from humble origins to pursue their ambitions and support their husbands, the two have more in common than one might think.

In Melania & Michelle: First Ladies in a New Era, author Tammy R. Vigil provides a compelling account of our modern first ladies, exploring how each woman has crafted her public image and used her platform to influence the country, while also serving as a paragon of fashion and American womanhood. Both women face constant scrutiny and comparison—from their degrees of political activism to their cookie recipes—and have garnered support as well as criticism. From their full lives pre-nomination to their attitudes while occupying the White House, Vigil builds careful and thoughtful portraits of Melania Trump and Michelle Obama that provide a new appreciation for how these women, and the first ladies that came before them, have shaped our country.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Indiana University Press
• Release date: Sep 1, 2019
• ISBN: 9781684350988

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Reviews for Melania and Michelle

[huberk-1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

This book does have some interesting trivia concerning the First Ladies of the United States of America's Presidents. But, there seemed to be a twist on it against the current FLOTUS, Melania Trump. I didn't care for that. Can we not have good clean journalism? I didn't think so. I didn't even get through the entire book, only made it to page 59. I consume books, continuously, but not this one.There are several pages of black and white photos of the current and past FLOTUS.Don't waste your time with this one. It's not fairly representing everyone who is mentioned in the book.