By Cady Qiu
The Residence focused mainly on the people who make the White House work. The Residence covered presidencies from Eisenhower to Obama. No juicy gossip that we didn't already know – much is made about the discretion of the White House staffers – but old stories from different viewpoints: Jackie Kennedy arriving back at the White House in her blood-stained pink suit, panic and confusion during 9-11, the children and their mischief, etc.
Brower targeted the people who agree to the job, emphasizing that there are very few like them. They are loyal, discreet, and very hard working. Many of them stay in their jobs for decades despite long hours and erratic schedules. The book does not focus on politics, but more on the people. Brower humanizes the presidents, especially the Bushes, who, despite their decisions as Commander in Chief, appear to be the WH staff's most-liked families. There really was no organization in The Residence. Despite having categorical chapters, each story was only a snippet usually ranging from 1-5 pages; the stories told were very heartwarming and funny.
Many dedicated, florists, chefs, electricians, butlers, ushers, etc were quoted throughout the book. Although some were opinionated, Brower made sure to include views from all the sides of the spectrum to be as unbiased as possible. The book is both historical and biographical. Historical, because of the key executive decisions, flops, and scandals mentioned throughout the book. Biographical because of the different ex-white house workers who talked about their job and experiences while in the white house.
The book taught me that behind a president, there will always be a loyal white house staff. While the president handles the heavy executive decisions, the white house staff is always seen helping the president to the best of their ability. Whether it's making sure the president has all the necessities he needs on a business trip, or even giving first lady Hillary Clinton her favorite dessert when she needs it most, the white house staff is always there when needed. What you see on TV is only a fraction of how the presidents really are.
This was a fun read, and I'd recommend it to anyone who has any slight interest in presidents, present or past, and want to learn more about how they really are. After all, as someone says, "If you want to know what a man's like, look at how he treats his inferiors."
I found the premise of this non-fiction book to be really interesting. I have to be honest – I never really gave much thought to the personnel that keep the White House running. These maids, florists, chefs, electricians and others are not paid extravagantly yet they are still dedicated to the personal side of the First Family occupying the house. Many of them maintain their loyalties to all of the families they served and didn't want to talk to the author. We learn that early on in the book and it is reiterated – a lot. This was my biggest problem with the book; there was a lot of repetition. One story would appear in several different chapters woven into different narratives but how many times can you read the same facts? It was almost as if the book were a compilation of essays with minimal editing.
She used both primary and secondary sources. Brower touched upon her experiences as and her first impressions while invited to a white house dinner hosted by Michelle Obama. However, most of her sources were secondary sources from ex-employees of the White House. I think the author kept it pretty well balanced. I mean, it's a bit difficult to be biased when you're literally taking quotes from white house staff workers. Although, there were a few negative comments regarding certain families, Brower made sure to even out the playing field by adding in positive comments given by a different source. There were a couple of pictures of the staff workers scattered around the book. In the middle of the book there was a short compilation of presidents with their favorite butlers. Brower used a Formal Journalistic style of writing.
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