An engaging read about the complex and fascinating Edith Wilson: the first lady who, due to tragedy, acted as unofficial president while her husband was dealing with the effects of his stroke. I recommend this to readers who like narrative nonfiction, or readers who are wanting to start reading more nonfiction.

The most powerful woman who was not elected to power. Edith Bolling Galt Wilson never asked for the power but when you marry the president of the United States in 1915 it is there. While she accomplished many firsts as First Lady it was her love and devotion to Woodrow Wilson during his presidency which comes into question. A marvelous book for the history and insight into the 28th president and especially Edith. A very independent woman she lived 89 years from 1872 to 1961. Her life took her from the reconstruction after the Civil War to the first space flight.
The author has done such a thorough job of presenting this influential woman, the times she lived in while presenting American history in such a way, you don't want to put the book down. Highly recommended,

In Untold Power, Rebecca Boggs Roberts explores the life of Edith Bolling Gaft Wilson, second wife of the twenty-eighth president Woodrow Wilson and his liaison with the rest of the government while he was incapacitated with a serious stroke during his second term. Often dubbed the “first female president,” Boggs Roberts follows Edith Wilson’s life as an educated young woman, the wife and widow of a prosperous businessman, and her time as wife, First Lady, and caretaker for her second husband. Edith Wilson lived a particularly active life with her society hostess roles, her background political and business roles, and in her family life with her many siblings, stepdaughters, and friends. Boggs Roberts brings Edith Wilson to life through her selections from the Wilsons’ personal papers and records from Wilson’s administration, and Boggs Roberts divides the chapters into chunks of years (childhood, first marriage, friendship and courting with Wilson, the White House years before his stroke, after his stroke, after the presidency, and widowhood), providing a comprehensive and digestible breakdown of Edith Wilson’s busy and fascinating life. Boggs Roberts also brings Wilson and their circle of close advisors, relatives, and friends to life, and the historical personalities really shine in her prose throughout the book.

While I mostly read nonfiction and historical fiction about strong women, I struggled reading this account of Edith Wilson, Woodrow Wilson’s second wife.

Edith was definitely a powerful woman and knew what she wanted and her abilities. Having grown up without financial means, Edith converted her first husband’s jewelry business into a successful enterprise. She was able to move around within Washington DC society even after the passing of her first husband.

The book was too “dry” and each page laborious. This book could have been a very interesting topic about a little know. First Lady. Unfortunately it was not.

Thank you NetGallry for an advanced copy.

While this book illuminated a part of history I knew very little about, I ultimately think this is a book that falls a little short. The writing is well done, very readable. I learned more than I imagined. However, I wanted a deeper discussion of the thought process behind hiding the illness, How was she able to hold on to power?
I know this sounds as if I do not like the book and nothing could be further from the truth. I wanted a Wilson version of Destiny of the Republic, a book I cannot praise enough - I feel like this book, while very good, does not quite reach those lofty heights.

This book was a very informative look how one woman supported her husband during a very difficult time. It also tells the story of how one woman shaped our country. A very good book on a person I did not know much about. Mrs. Wilson was a very bright, astute woman. She managed to care for her husband while ill, and still keep things looking normal. Wonderful, insightful book on a strong woman.

I would like to thank Viking and Netgalley for the uncorrected proof of this ebook.

I found the synopsis of this book intriguing. I have long been interested in the history of women written by women, but my focus has mostly been on monarchical figures. In recent months my interest in better understanding the First Ladies has increased.

Synopsis: "Untold Power" details the life of Edith Bolling Galt Wilson who entered the political scene upon her marriage to President Woodrow Wilson. Raised in a large family in the post-Civil War south, Edith forged her own path by grabbing every new opportunity for adventure with vigour. Although her decision to marry President Wilson was not a foregone conclusion the decision exalted her to the height of power during his incapacity due to a massive stroke. History and Mrs. Wilson in her own words have framed her as the devoted wife of a wartime president, but Boggs Roberts' work brings the formidable personality and legacy of Edith to the forefront.

Thoughts: This was a well-written and well-researched book. I did not want to put it down because Boggs Roberts' writing was so captivating. I knew very little about Edith Wilson before reading this book and I found this book to be a great introduction to her as a historical figure. I really appreciated how Boggs Roberts showed the full picture of Edith, not hiding the fact that she was a racist and anti-feminist. I feel often in biographies of historical figures authors tend to stay away from less flattering facts about their subjects, but because the author did not do that I as the reader was given a more complete picture of Edith. In many ways, this approach confirmed the "complex legacy" component of this book's title.

I do not like Edith Wilson as a person and I am almost certain that we would not have gotten along if in some alternate, bizarre reality we were to meet. However, the narrative that Boggs Roberts was able to weave throughout this book highlights both Edith as a person and the way in which she helped establish aspects of the role of First Lady were enthralling. The many firsts that Edith did as First Lady simply because she and Woodrow were so close (I might even argue they were codependent in some ways, or at the very least Woodrow was entirely dependent on Edith) were fascinating as she held the role only a century ago.

I also really enjoyed the inclusion of "side characters" throughout the book such as the friends that Edith travelled with, members of the Wilson administration, and political opponents. Their inclusion is good from the standpoint that no woman is an island, but it also helped highlight things that reminded me as a reader that Edith was three-dimensional. Some of the grudges that Edith held and opinions on her contemporaries that she voiced were enlightening of her as a person. For instance, the way in which it may have played a role in the diplomacy between the United States and the United Kingdom during Woodrow's convalescence was insane to read.

Another thing that I really enjoyed was the use of quotes from Edith's own biography. Often quotes I find can feel a bit clunky if used a great deal in non-fiction, but Boggs Roberts used them to really highlight events and individuals' thoughts in a way that felt seamless with the history she was trying to tell. It was also wild to read a direct quote from Edith and have Boggs Roberts use the historical record to refute what Edith had written/said. It actually made me want to read Edith's memoir (even knowing how historically inaccurate it is) and made me desperate to learn more about Alice Roosevelt Longworth (a very minor character, but the author's use of her thoughts was so intriguing).

After reading the book the only thing that I wish it had more of was a greater analysis and comparison between the first Mrs. Wilson, Ellen, and Edith. Boggs Roberts hints at their differences several times when she addresses the growing relationship between Woodrow and Edith, but I find it so interesting that Woodrow would have selected two seemingly different women. Perhaps that is another book in and of itself.

If you are a lover of history, women in history, or United States Political history I highly recommend this book. Boogs Roberts did an excellent job revealing her subject and made me interested in learning more about the women who have held the role of First Lady.

Daughter, sister, friend, independent businesswoman, widow, First Lady - all identify First Lady Edith Wilson and yet barely scrape the surface. In Rebecca Boggs Roberts's newest book, Untold Power, the author looks at a woman seldom recognized for her many achievements. Leading from the shadows as acting president while her husband was incapacitated, Wilson was a formidable and complicated force for change. From her lasting influence on White House politics and redefinition of the role of a First Lady, Edith Wilson cemented her spot in history. A well-written and fascinating read, this is a book worth studying regarding the role of women in leadership and the future of the United States for women everywhere.

This was a really great tremendous biography of a complicated woman. First Lady biographies are sadly few and far between, and this is a much needed addition. Roberts does a fantastic job humanizing Wilson, discussing her background and interests long before she met her presidential husband. Edith Wilson is a difficult person and Roberts does not shy away from that, being very upfront about the flaws in her personality, her casual racism and her much more calculated but still devastating misogyny. Roberts also calls this complicated woman to task for perpetrating a massive medical fraud on the American people. All in all, a nuanced portrait of a strong character and a needed addition to the canon of First Lady biographies.