If one were to compare Pat Nixon to the current Republican party, confusion would likely set in. A surprisingly progressive woman who supported the ERA, was pro-choice, and who actively supported her husband's efforts to elevate a woman to the U.S. Supreme Court, Nixon was an enigmatic presence who valued her privacy and yet fiercely supported her husband's political journey.

"The Mysterious Mrs. Nixon: The Life and Times of Washington's Most Private First Lady" by Heath Hardage Lee finds most of its narrative focus in Nixon's life after marrying Richard Nixon in 1940. The political rise for Richard Nixon came in short order, though there were certainly long before his final setbacks that would lead to impeachment and his resignation. Pat Nixon served as Second Lady from 1953-1961 and First Lady from 1969-1974.

Painstakingly resourced, somewhat distractingly so, "The Mysterious Mrs. Nixon" paints a loving portrait of Nixon - voted the "Most Admired Woman in the World" in 1972 and in the Gallup Poll's Top Ten List of Most Admired Women fourteen times. Even after the Watergate scandal that would end her husband's presidency, Pat Nixon's popularity largely survived.

"The Mysterious Mrs. Nixon" is less a biography of Nixon than a precise journey through Nixon's political life alongside her husband and, at times, surprisingly independently. Nixon never ran for office herself, however, she did help to redefine what it meant to be a truly engaged First Lady.

It doesn't take long to also realize that "The Mysterious Mrs. Nixon" is very much a celebration of Nixon. At times reading more like fanfic than an actual biography of any sort, "The Mysterious Mrs. Nixon" presents with uncompromising adoration for Nixon and interprets the Nixon presidency largely through rose-colored glasses.

I can deal with this. I really can. Because, in the end, what really bothered me most about "The Mysterious Mrs. Nixon" is that by the time the 400+ page book was winding down (NOTE: Over 1/3 of those pages are source documentation) I didn't feel like Pat Nixon was any less of a mystery.

"The Mysterious Mrs. Nixon" is divided into three sections: A Farmer's Daughter, Washington Wife, and Leading Lady. A Farmer's Daughter comes the closest to feeling like an actual biography, an exploration of the foundation from which Nixon came. The final two sections, comprising the majority of the book, delve more fully into the woman behind the political facade to attempt to dig a little deeper into Nixon's attempt to bring humanity into her role as a political wife.

Indeed, it may very well have been Nixon who best humanized her husband. She was a connector, someone who intentionally shook hands with people and refused to rush them through the line. Her greatest political claim to fame may very well have been the deep humanity she brought to disaster response following a natural disaster in Peru where she showed up in person with an entire plane filled with aid for Peruvians.

While "The Mysterious Mrs. Nixon" gives us these glimpses of the Pat Nixon we seldom saw the press portray, more often than not it also feels like sound byte documentation more concerned with documenting resources than creating a narrative arc. It's as if, at times, the author is so concerned with documenting the justification for praising so extensively that it feels as if we're getting an extended press release instead of effective storytelling. There were times when "The Mysterious Mrs. Nixon" would open up a certain subject about Mrs. Nixon where I found myself wanting more, however, it would quickly divert to another topic entirely. There was very little that truly immersed me in the world of Pat Nixon.

You're likely saying to yourself "Oh, you're just a Democrat!" In the current world of divided politics, it seems like any such negative comments are met with name-calling and or just plain derision.

To that, I say hogwash.

Growing up, I was known as the kid who had a papier mache' of Richard Nixon on my bedroom dresser (possibly a less fashionable Alex P. Keaton). I had a fascination with Nixon, a deep intrigue with some of his choices and a curiosity about both his strengths and weaknesses as a political leader who rose very quickly and was on the cusp of a change in American politics where we began to move away from the President as a powerful human being to the political machinery around the President actually retaining the power. To this day, this is where I'd say we are now.

We do get interesting glimpses into the political machine, including an interesting glimpse into Pat Nixon's conviction that Nixon's 1960 election was actually stolen - an argument we certainly hear a lot these days. However, even these moments are glimpses that never really go deeper.

Truthfully, I had high hopes for "The Mysterious Mrs. Nixon" and for the most part found it to be a middling experience that will likely please readers of political history and those particularly curious about the Nixons. I expect that to be many, however, for me "The Mysterious Mrs. Nixon" could been a far more effective experience if it had relaxed a bit with the journalistic approach and moved into more patient storytelling about a fascinating family, an enigmatic woman, and a unique time in American political history that I would argue continues to have its influence ripple to this very day.

The Mysterious Mrs. Nixon by Heath Hardage Lee is a sympathetic portrait of a woman who was nothing like the “Plastic Pat” persona that the media pushed. The Pat Nixon who emerges in this book was a strong, intelligent, independent, feminist who was a full partner in her marriage to Richard Nixon. Extensively researched, this biography is also presents a more human face on the struggles her husband experienced once he obtained the Presidency. This reader watched a great deal of this story play out on television and was grateful to have a more accurate picture than what the press reported. I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book from NetGalley. Most highly recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC.

I would love to give this a 5-star ... BUT ...

WHY OH WHY did the author choose such a corny title for such a gracious lady???!!!???

Yes, Mrs. Nixon didn't divulge her innermost secrets to the public (as SOOOOO MANY people do today) ... nor did she require constant adulation from the public (as SOOO MANY people do today) ... instead she had her priorities of which her family came first. "Mysterious?" NO ..."Private?" YES ...

Although I normally don't comment on typographical and grammar errors in an ARC , this book had too many to ignore. Hopefully, they will be corrected prior to publication.

And, wow, it was most distracting with the thousands of footnotes ... I understand the author wanted to cite references, but it was very distracting, format-wise, to have space gaps between lines to account for the citation ... at least in the ebook format. I don't know if it will be better in a hard printed book.

And, why no photographs? During her public life, we saw many, many photos of Mrs. Nixon. I can still picture her in her red coat standing at the wall in China ... and many photos of her embracing children on her world trips. Surely one photograph is worth a thousand words!

Now, content -- nothing drastically new, just maybe a bit more emphasis on her distaste for the Haldeman crowd. More revealing to me was the total admiration and love Richard Nixon had for her at the beginning of their relationship and continued throughout their lives as referenced by the many letters and poems he sent to her.

All in all, this is a good book for those who were not living during Mrs. Nixon's life ... she may have been private about her personal life and family, but she was open to the world and a role model for young women.*

The promotion of "The Mysterious Mrs. Nixon" described the book as an enjoyable historical reexamination of America's least-known and most misunderstood First Lady. After reading, I agree. Heath Hardage Lee’s love letter to Pat Nixon offered heavily researched insight into the First Lady’s feelings and motivations on being an exceptionally private person in an extremely public world. I enjoyed learning how she was at the forefront of women’s rights long before the movement was even called that and how President Nixon would probably have never secured the highest office in the land without her. Definitely worth the read.

I'm most grateful for the opportunity to read this book - if only for 48 hours. But no worries - if you sit down and really relish the book (and you will), it will still take you little time to read because you turn page after page to view her beautiful soul.
I graduated from high school in 1969 so I don't remember the Checkers speech - but I remember very well Nixon's final ascendency to the Presidency. And I remember very well the Watergate scandal. Nixon's farewell speech followed and I remember thinking - poor Mrs. Nixon. She's done everything for her husband and she is included in this mud slide - and Mr. Nixon doesn't seem to see her or mention her. Skip forward a good number of years and I saw him with uncontrollable anguish at his wife's funeral.
So this book filled in a lot of blanks for me. And I hate I didn't know these at the time. Mrs. Nixon was way ahead of her time - She made a lot of her own clothes because in the beginning the Nixons were poor. She was later accused of spending tax payer money on a lavish mink coat (where do these stupid lies start?) but she continued wearing her cloth coat. As first lady, she began tours for the handicapped and blind. She invited POWs to the White House for a dinner and they were allowed to roam over the building. At one point in her life she visited lepers and, much to the public's horror, touched them. And she was a big advocate for women.
Apparently she was good at touching people, hugging children, and putting her best face on in the worst of times. Whatever you thought about her before, you'll change your mind (even if you thought she was pretty amazing).

Perfect title for the way I thought about Pat Nixon private distant who suffered being the wife of Richard Nixon.I really enjoyed getting to know the real Pat Nixon who was a down to earth woman who enjoyed contact with real people.This was a really interesting informative read.#netgalley #st.martinsbooks