Holding one of the most underestimated and challenging positions in the world, the first lady of the United States must be many things: an inspiring leader with a forward-thinking agenda of her own, a savvy politician skilled at navigating the treacherous rapids of Washington, a wife and mother operating under constant scrutiny, and an able CEO running the private side of the White House. Drawing on a wide array of untapped, candid sources, Kate Andersen Brower, the New York Times bestselling author who covered President Barack Obama’s first term, now tells the stories of the ten remarkable women who have defined the role for more than a half century.

First ladies make up the world’s most elite sorority, with members including Jacqueline Kennedy, Lady Bird Johnson, Pat Nixon, Betty Ford, Rosalynn Carter, Nancy Reagan, Barbara Bush, Hillary Clinton, Laura Bush, and Michelle Obama. With stories ranging from the heartwarming to the shocking and tragic, Brower discusses the first ladies’ rivalries and friendships with one another-revealed in letters never published before-and explores everything from their political causes to their public and private relationships with their husbands. She also offers insight as to what Melania Trump might hope to accomplish as First Lady.

This first group biography of the modern first ladies provides an inside look at life upstairs and downstairs at the world’s most powerful address.