Search - Spoken from the Heart

It became clear to me early on while reading this memoir that it was going to be a beautiful read. From cover to cover, Laura Bush’s personal and deeply touching story is beautifully written and a delight to read. I closed the book with a smile on my face and yet sadness that it was the end. Taking three weeks to read it (due partly to the fact that I was on business travel one of those weeks and by the time my head hit the pillow I could hardly read a single paragraph), I feel I spent enough time to soak up every word.

Laura Bush is to be admired, respected, and an example to follow. Not only has she always been (and remains to be) committed to her husband and family, she has a heart for people that stretches to the corners of the world. She used her platform as First Lady to serve others and bring attention and aid to some of the most devastating circumstances around the globe.

Spoken from the Heart discusses painful topics for the former First Lady, from the tragic accident that took a friend’s life and the grief-stricken years to follow, to the challenging decisions her husband was faced with every single day and her admiration for him to persevere in tough times. She does a marvelous job “humanizing” the former First Family. The Bush family respected each other and remained committed despite all the negative circumstance and attention surrounding them. They stayed true to themselves and served our country with honor and integrity.

Something that came to mind frequently while reading Spoken from the Heart was a quote from the Book of Esther. When Esther is called to be Queen, her uncle tells her she was called, “…for such a time as this.” I truly believe President Bush was called for his time. He brought with him a beautiful family and a strong, caring, loving and gracious wife.

Laura Bush is a genuine soul who continues work for many of the initiatives she began in the White House. As a fellow lover of books and literacy, she has inspired me to consider where I can lend my hand and support. To share books with others, to encourage education and literacy, to meet authors and enrich our understandings, all of this is a gift to be shared.

What more can I say other than I respect, admire, and appreciate Laura Bush. I thank her for opening up to the world and writing a memoir, despite her preference for privacy. I thank her for her efforts and her faith in the human people to help one another. And I recommend this memoir to anyone who admires the Bush family, enjoys autobiographies and memoirs, or just wants to be inspired to make a difference in their world.

The most lasting impression I have of Laura Bush after reading this book is that she is a lady in the truest sense of the word. She does not waste her time dwelling on lurid gossip about petty squabbles or political infighting, although it's clear that she is well aware of these things. Instead, she details the long and grueling days of tightly packed schedules that must be followed with grace and a smile despite constant public scrutiny. She is confident, savvy, smart, compassionate, and funny, often finding humor in her own admitted shortcomings. She has an eye for detail that enlivens her descriptions of her life at the White House and the people, famous and not-so, that she encountered there. A very good read.

I enjoyed this book, it gave some interesting behind the scenes accounts of her life and the life of her husband. It was straight forward and written very well. It does not including "dirt" of the White House Years, so i that is wat you are looking for, look elsewhere!

She truly does 'speak from the heart' from beginning to end. It is filled with glimpses of events in her life and insights into so many aspects of her life as a daughter, wife, mother and First Lady of the United States. Scattered throughout the book are references to books she has read and their influences on her. By book's end, I had a new respect for her - and a long list of books I now want to explore.

i really enjoyed this. went into alot of depth about the first family. They told the book like all the events happened at the time. great book!