Summary of Lisa McCubbin's Betty Ford

By IRB Media

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Book Preview:

#1 Betty Ford’s story is one of extraordinary circumstances, as she was thrust into the world stage in 1974 as first lady. She was tough, strong, and graceful, and she fell in love with dancing as a child.

#2 Betty’s childhood was spent moving around with her family. She had two brothers, Bill and Bob, and a sister, Hortense. They would eventually settle in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

#3 The Bloomers moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan, in 1920. The city was largely Dutch and Protestant, and they became close with their cousins, the Irwins. The children made friends and spent hours at the lake, swimming, sailing, and fishing.

#4 Betty’s father was a traveling salesman, and he was gone for weeks at a time. Hortense, however, kept him apprised of what was going on in the family through daily letters. Betty loved her father, but she was determined to never marry a man who traveled.

• Language: English
• Publisher: IRB Media
• Release date: Jun 15, 2022
• ISBN: 9798822543119

IRB Media

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Insights on Lisa McCubbin's Betty Ford

Contents

Insights from Chapter 1

Insights from Chapter 2

Insights from Chapter 3

Insights from Chapter 4

Insights from Chapter 1

#1

Betty Ford’s story is one of extraordinary circumstances, as she was thrust into the world stage in 1974 as first lady. She was tough, strong, and graceful, and she fell in love with dancing as a child.

#2

Betty’s childhood was spent moving around with her family. She had two brothers, Bill and Bob, and a sister, Hortense. They would eventually settle in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

#3

The Bloomers moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan, in 1920. The city was largely Dutch and Protestant, and they became close with their cousins, the Irwins. The children made friends and spent hours at the lake, swimming, sailing, and fishing.

#4

Betty’s father was a traveling salesman, and he was gone for weeks at a time. Hortense, however, kept him apprised of what was going on in the family through daily letters. Betty loved her father, but she was determined to never marry a man who traveled.

#5

When Betty was eight, her mother enrolled her in dance lessons. She adored it, and took every class Miss Travis offered. She dreamed of becoming a dance instructor herself.

#6

Betty’s mother, Hortense, had developed a interest in dance, and she encouraged her daughter’s interest in it as well. But she also strived to teach her daughter humility and charity.

#7

As America fell into the Great Depression, the Bloomers were still more fortunate than most, as there was always food on the table and Betty was able to continue her dance lessons.

#8

Betty was a popular girl in high school, who was always up for a good time. She had many friends, and was fun to be around. She was not interested in settling down in a long relationship with any one boy.

#9

In 1934, Betty’s father died in a car accident. Her brothers would never admit what others speculated: that his wife, Hortense, had probably taken her own life. It wouldn’t be until many years later that Betty herself would acknowledge it was likely her father took his own life.

#10

After her father’s death, Betty’s relationship with her mother grew even stronger. They depended on each other and had a very open dialogue about everything, including sex. Hortense explained to Betty that sex was beautiful but that it should be experienced only after marriage.

#11

Betty’s dreams of becoming a professional dancer were cut short when her mother agreed to let her go to the Bennington School of the Dance in Vermont once she turned twenty. It was her first trip away from home.

#12

Betty went to Bennington College in Vermont to study modern dance, and she was introduced to a world of girls with the same passion. She soaked up the information