American Wife: A Novel

I recently finished reading American Wife: A Novel by Curtis Sittenfeld which was recommended to me by my coworker, Sarah. The book itself is a fictionalized characterization loosely based on Laura Bush. To pretend otherwise is just ludicrous as many of the obstacles that Alice, the main character, face mirror those that have happened in Mrs. Bush’s own life. From a car accident that killed a high school friend to her husband’s presidency being scrutinized for engaging in a war that could have been avoided.

The actual courtship between Alice (Laura) and her future husband, Charlie (George) was especially difficult for me. I found his character to be endearing and honest at times and it was increasingly hard for me to detach my hatred towards the real Mr. Bush and succumb to this new creature that was sweeping Alice up. After marrying him only a few months after meeting, I wasn’t the least bit surprised to learn about his ignorance, bad boy ways, DWI charge, and her eventual trial separation from him. It was also difficult for me to accept the way that she went back to him after he “found God”. It was almost as if you could feel her resignation about her marriage. It wasn’t that she thought she couldn’t do better… It wasn’t that she thought she was wrong and should move on… It was that she had made a promise to this man to be his wife forever and she was going to fulfill that promise no matter what.

At times, it wasn’t easy distinguishing between fact or fiction throughout the book. I’d like to think that her feelings at the end of the story are real… the resignation of realizing you can never really have what you want… understanding that your husband isn’t exactly what you thought he would be but not having the energy to do anything about it… but also recognizing that morally you have done the best you could with what you had to work with… A little sad but not disappointing.