Laura Bush is the fictional 'American Wife'

0 Comments | USA TODAY, August, 2008 | by Carol Memmott

American Wife

By Curtis Sittenfeld

Random House, 555 pp., $26

In American Wife, a novel loosely inspired by the life of Laura Bush, Curtis Sittenfeld boldly imagines the inner life of a first lady.

Does she pull off a credible portrayal? Yes, unequivocally. Does she capture the heart and mind of the enigmatic Laura Bush? Only Bush can say.

The best-selling author of Prep is a liberal Democrat. She may not like the politics of the Bush White House, but she has said she admires Laura Bush. That admiration sets the tone for an intimate and daring story told in the first person by Alice Blackwell, the wife of Charlie Blackwell, a wealthy man who becomes president.

American Wife is a vicarious experience, an up-close...