First Ladies: The Life and Legacy of Hillary Clinton

*Includes pictures of important people, places, and events in Hillary's life.

*Includes a Table of Contents. 


“I suppose I could have stayed home and baked cookies and had teas, but what I decided to do was to fulfill my profession which I entered before my husband was in public life.” – Hillary Clinton


American presidents have shaped the course of global affairs for generations, but as the saying goes, behind every great man there’s a great woman. While the First Ladies often remain overshadowed by their husbands, some have carved unique niches in their time and left their own lasting legacy. Dolley Madison helped establish the role of the First Lady in the early 1800s, Eleanor Roosevelt gave voice to policy issues in a way that made her a forerunner of First Ladies like Hillary Clinton, and Jackie Kennedy created glamorous trends that made her more popular than her husband. In Charles River Editors’ First Ladies series, readers can get caught up to speed on the lives and legacies of America’s most famous First Ladies in the time it takes to finish a commute, while learning interesting facts long forgotten or never known. 


During the presidential campaign in 1992, Democratic challenger Bill Clinton announced that by voting for him, Americans would get two presidents “for the price of one.” The reference to his wife Hillary signified that she would be no ordinary First Lady, and indeed she was employed frequently by her husband in the White House to try to push legislation through Congress, most notably universal healthcare. While that proved to be one of the Clinton Administration’s greatest failures, Hillary and her staff continued to act as a political surrogate for the president during his two terms. 


Of course, describing Hillary Clinton as just a First Lady belittles all of her accomplishments. Today she is the most powerful woman in the world and one of the most recognizable, working so seamlessly with her former rival Barack Obama that her popularity has easily eclipsed his within a year of his victory over her in the Democratic primaries. In addition to the stirring Democratic primaries of 2008, Hillary was a U.S. Senator from New York for nearly 8 years before becoming Obama’s Secretary of State. Recognized as one of the sharpest minds in Washington and a complete policy wonk, Hillary has been one of the few bright spots in Obama’s Cabinet during his first term.


First Ladies: The Life and Legacy of Hillary Clinton looks at the life and career of one of America’s most influential First Ladies, but it also humanizes the woman who has overcome personal and political hurdles along the way. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events in her life, you will learn about Hillary Clinton like you never have before, in no time at all.