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5 out of 5 stars
By
Richard
on
11-27-15
Lady Bird & btw Lyndon
This is an excellent double biography. It in no way takes the place of Robert Caro's masterpiece, but it does give us LBJ's mother's background and influence as well as his failed politician father's.
But Lady Bird's (aka Claudia) Johnson's childhood and parents are the stuff of novels. Her brothers older than she, were reared for the most part in boarding school, and to a lesser degree so was she. I think the most dramatic example I can give of her parenting as a young child is that after her Mother's death, her Dad put her on a train in Texas to visit her relatives in Alabama, her mother's wealthy ones, and his own less prosperous family. Her only companion on the trip was a sign that said please "Deliver this Child..."
Children with this background often do not do well. But Lady Bird, grew strong, smart, and charming. She dealt with her over powering father and to a degree his series of new wives.
At thirteen when there was no one to take her to school, her Dad bought her a car and she drove herself, she could balance a checking account and read accounting files before she graduated high school. And although her husband looked to be verbally abusive, she always maintained she let it flow around her, and yet she was always totally devoted to him.
This is a truly interesting look at a fascinating woman. There is not much new on LBJ, but it is well worth a look at his life in the light of his wife and daughters.
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5 of 5 people found this review helpful
5 out of 5 stars
By
Marian
on
09-02-16
Betty Boyd Caroli does it again!
Where does Lady Bird and Lyndon rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?
Near the top easily.
Who was your favorite character and why?
Lady Bird
Which character – as performed by Amanda Carlin – was your favorite?
Lady Bird
Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
Descriptions of a hard working steadfast Lady Bird unswerving in her dedication to LBJ
Any additional comments?
As a student of the first ladies I thought I knew quite a bit about Lady Bird but this book was a wealth of new information. LBJ was a classic jerk and a mama's boy but Lady Bird was either madly in love with him or a saint or both. Her story as a politician's life is not surprising but she did choose LBJ over all else - a true story. In his own way he loved her too. I don't judge but in a way envy her passion - she met the man who meant more to her than her own life. Always thought we no longer have politicians that are bigger than life - LBJ always was - this book proved it!
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1 of 1 people found this review helpful