In the realm of cheesy titles, "Spoken From the Heart" really takes the cake. The title of former First Lady Laura Bush's newly-released autobiography is so awful I can't help but cringe. And the cover don't even get me started on the cover. Laura Bush's face, caked with excessive amounts of makeup, smiles creepily out at you her Mona-Lisa-like eyes seem as if they're always looking at you. Her wandering pupils are so realistic that I found myself expecting her to start talking to me like a painting from Hogwarts as I read.
After reading "Spoken From the Heart," however, I can assure you that you shouldn't judge this book by its unfortunate cover. Despite its title, Bush's autobiography is deftly written and elegant, though not necessarily page-turning. It's the story of Laura Bush as an individual not as half of a white power couple and thus can be enjoyed by readers everywhere, regardless of their opinion of her husband.
The most enjoyable parts of the memoir are found in the sections that describe Bush's life before she met her husband. Her descriptions of her childhood and early adulthood in Texas are vivid, simple and beautiful. From her earnest prose, we come to understand Bush's deep, meaningful relationship with the hot, dry plains and the small towns of her native region.
"Spoken From the Heart" is not like "Game Change" the controversial chronicle of the 2008 presidential election that was released in January. In fact, I would even go as far as to say that "Spoken from the Heart" is not political. Readers looking for juicy political details any juicy details at all, really will definitely be disappointed by Bush's narrative.
Personally, however, I think Bush's omission of gossip is a good thing. It's incredibly refreshing to read an autobiography with such class.
Classy as she is, however, Bush is not glamorous. She's not hip or cool, and that's okay with her. "Jackie Kennedy is always going to be more stylish," she writes. "East Coast elegance was exotically enchanting but also out-of-reach for us sweater-set girls in Midland."
Throughout the novel, passages like this one reveal how incredibly normal and relatable Bush is, despite her fame and wealth. Her Texan roots truly do make for a down-to-earth woman who appreciates the simple pleasures in life, from a Texas sunset to an evening spent with a good book.
The most compelling sections of the narrative describe what Bush loves best her family and her books. In these sections, Bush's love for reading and being a mother truly radiates off the page. Perhaps the cheesiness of that statement is veering dangerously close to the cheesiness of the title but I promise I'm being completely genuine.
Episodes that recount Bush's time with her daughters, Barbara and Jenna, seem so honest and ordinary whether they are buying towels at Bed Bath & Beyond for their dorm rooms or visiting Africa for charity work. When her daughters or husband aren't by her side, Bush says she "[turns] to books for comfort." Her genuine love for reading is visible in her extensive work as first lady, participating in various literacy projects, festivals and school visits to promote the value of literature. I have always been puzzled by Bush. She radiates motherly warmth and I admire her humble, Texan nature. Admittedly, for these qualities, I love Laura I always have and I always will but I don't think her critics are unjustified in saying that she was too traditional as first lady and failed to voice her own opinions.
No doubt about it, Bush is traditional indeed, her accounts of the homemaking duties involved with living at the White House far surpass the descriptions of political happenings. She is not, however, lacking in opinions. Bush expresses her own thoughts throughout the novel actually, she makes some pretty logical, interesting points.
Bush is a far, far cry from Michelle Obama or Hillary Clinton, and you can like that or not. But "Spoken From the Heart" is a tasteful, graceful book, which should be applauded regardless of your political allegiances.
