"To begin with I was in love and I am in love so that's not hard," Barbara Bush told her granddaughter Ellie LeBlond Sosa on her porch in Kennebunkport, Maine. Sosa had asked for the secret to her and President George H.W. Bush's77-year love affair that withstood World War II separation, a leap of faithinto the oil fields of West Texas, the painful loss of a child, a political climb to the highest office, and after the White House, the transition back to a "normal" life. Through a lifetime's worth of letters, photographs, and stories, Sosa and coauthor Kelly Anne Chase paint the portrait of the enduring relationship of George and Barbara Bush. Sharing intimate interviews with the Bushes and family friends, this is a never-before-seen look into the private life of a very public couple.
About the Author
President and Mrs. Bush’s granddaughter, Ellie LeBlond Sosa, is based in Boston, Massachusetts, where she works for a healthcare nonprofit. Her passion though lies in health and wellness. She earned her certificate as a holistic health counselor in 2013 and teaches fitness in Boston as well as on retreats for women around the world. Ellie met her husband of four years at her grandparent’s home in Kennebunkport, Maine, and was married there in 2014. Her grandparent’s love story is one that she looks up to and strives to emulate in her own life. Kelly Anne Chase is a New England-based writer and magazine editor. She earned her bachelor’s in history from American University and her master’s in publishing and writing from Emerson College. She lives with her husband on the South Shore of Massachusetts.
CONTENTS FOREWORD ACKNOWLEDGMENTS INTRODUCTION AUTHORS’ NOTE They Meet 1. Poppy 2. Courting 3. Phillips Academy 4. Bar 5. “I’m Going In.†6. Secret’s Safe 7. Secret’s Out 8. Halfway Across the World 9. Word from Home 10. A Time for Celebration 11. Then There Were Three 12. Promises of West Texas 13. Friends, Faith, and Family 14. Off They Go! 15. Diving Head-First into the World of Politics 16. Distance, It’s Good for the Heart 17. Back in the Races 18. First Couple 19. FLFW & FFLFW 20. Anchor to Windward SOURCES ABOUT THE AUTHORS