
The Matriarch
Barbara Bush and the Making of an American Dynasty
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
$0.99/mo for the first 3 months

Buy for $21.83
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Kate Levy
-
By:
-
Susan Page
About this listen
A vivid biography of former first lady Barbara Bush, one of the most influential and underappreciated women in American political history.
Barbara Pierce Bush was one of the country's most popular and powerful figures, yet her full story has never been told.
The Matriarch tells the riveting tale of a woman who helped define two American presidencies and an entire political era. Written by USA Today's Washington Bureau Chief Susan Page, this biography is informed by more than 100 interviews with Bush friends and family members, hours of conversation with Mrs. Bush herself in the final six months of her life, and access to her diaries that spanned decades. The Matriarch examines not only her public persona, but also less well-known aspects of her remarkable life.
As a girl in Rye, New York, Barbara Bush weathered criticism of her weight from her mother, barbs that left lifelong scars. As a young wife, she coped with the death of her three-year-old daughter from leukemia, a loss that changed her forever. In middle age, she grappled with depression so serious that she contemplated suicide. And as first the wife and then the mother of American presidents, she made history as the only woman to see - and advise - both her husband and son in the Oval Office.
As with many women of her era, Barbara Bush was routinely underestimated, her contributions often neither recognized nor acknowledged. But she became an astute and trusted political campaign strategist and a beloved first lady. She invested herself deeply in expanding literacy programs in America, played a critical role in the end of the Cold War, and led the way in demonstrating love and compassion to those with HIV/AIDS. With her cooperation, this audiobook offers Barbara Bush's last words for history - on the evolution of her party, on the role of women, on Donald Trump, and on her family's legacy.
Barbara Bush's accomplishments, struggles, and contributions are many. Now, Susan Page explores them all in The Matriarch, a groundbreaking audiobook certain to cement Barbara Bush as one of the most unique and influential women in American history.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.
©2019 Susan Page (P)2019 Hachette AudioListeners also enjoyed...
-
Enough
- By: Cassidy Hutchinson
- Narrated by: Cassidy Hutchinson
- Length: 11 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Ever since a childhood visit to Washington, DC, Cassidy Hutchinson aspired to serve her country in government. Raised in a working-class family with a military background, she was the first in her immediate family to graduate from college. Despite having no ties to Washington, Hutchinson landed a vital position at the center of the Trump White House.
-
-
Painful
- By Melissa C. on 09-28-23
-
Madam Speaker
- Nancy Pelosi and the Lessons of Power
- By: Susan Page
- Narrated by: Susan Page
- Length: 13 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The definitive biography of Nancy Pelosi, the most powerful woman in American political history, written by New York Times best-selling author and USA Today Washington bureau chief Susan Page. Featuring more than 150 exclusive interviews with those who know her best - and a series of in-depth, news-making interviews with Pelosi herself - Madam Speaker is unprecedented in the scope of its exploration of Nancy Pelosi’s remarkable life and of her indelible impact on American politics.
-
-
Nancy Pelosi, “A True Powerhouse!”
- By Maria on 05-04-21
By: Susan Page
-
Spoken from the Heart
- By: Laura Bush
- Narrated by: Laura Bush
- Length: 9 hrs and 2 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this brave, beautiful, and deeply personal memoir, Laura Bush, one of our most beloved and private first ladies, tells her own extraordinary story. She writes openly about the White House during wartime, the withering and relentless media spotlight, and the transformation of her role as she began to understand the power of the first lady.
-
-
Disappointed in Del Mar
- By Pris on 06-02-10
By: Laura Bush
-
First Women
- The Grace and Power of America's Modern First Ladies
- By: Kate Andersen Brower
- Narrated by: Karen White
- Length: 12 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In one of the most underestimated - and challenging - positions in the world, the first lady of the United States must be many things: an inspiring leader with a forward-thinking agenda of her own; a savvy politician, skilled at navigating the treacherous rapids of Washington; a wife and mother operating under constant scrutiny; and an able CEO responsible for the smooth operation of countless services and special events at the White House.
-
-
Who is missing?
- By Southern belle on 05-07-16
-
Barbara Bush
- A Memoir
- By: Barbara Bush
- Narrated by: Barbara Bush
- Length: 4 hrs and 31 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In her memoir, Mrs. Bush for the first time gives listeners a very private look at a life lived in the public eye for more than 25 years. She begins with a compelling portrait of her early years, including: growing up in Rye, New York, and meeting George Bush; life as a young bride and mother, moving far away from home to West Texas; and the almost unbearable pain of losing a child.
-
-
Delighted To The Bone
- By Diana Bloyd on 04-05-16
By: Barbara Bush
-
Astor
- The Rise and Fall of an American Fortune
- By: Anderson Cooper, Katherine Howe
- Narrated by: Anderson Cooper
- Length: 8 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From 1783, when German immigrant John Jacob Astor first arrived in the United States, until 2009, when Brooke Astor’s son, Anthony Marshall, was convicted of defrauding his elderly mother, the Astor name occupied a unique place in American society. The family fortune, first made by a beaver trapping business that grew into an empire, was then amplified by holdings in Manhattan real estate. Over the ensuing generations, Astors ruled Gilded Age New York society and inserted themselves into political and cultural life, but also suffered the most famous loss on the Titanic.
-
-
A family first made, then destroyed by wealth.
- By Barbara W. on 09-23-23
By: Anderson Cooper, and others
-
Enough
- By: Cassidy Hutchinson
- Narrated by: Cassidy Hutchinson
- Length: 11 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Ever since a childhood visit to Washington, DC, Cassidy Hutchinson aspired to serve her country in government. Raised in a working-class family with a military background, she was the first in her immediate family to graduate from college. Despite having no ties to Washington, Hutchinson landed a vital position at the center of the Trump White House.
-
-
Painful
- By Melissa C. on 09-28-23
-
Madam Speaker
- Nancy Pelosi and the Lessons of Power
- By: Susan Page
- Narrated by: Susan Page
- Length: 13 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The definitive biography of Nancy Pelosi, the most powerful woman in American political history, written by New York Times best-selling author and USA Today Washington bureau chief Susan Page. Featuring more than 150 exclusive interviews with those who know her best - and a series of in-depth, news-making interviews with Pelosi herself - Madam Speaker is unprecedented in the scope of its exploration of Nancy Pelosi’s remarkable life and of her indelible impact on American politics.
-
-
Nancy Pelosi, “A True Powerhouse!”
- By Maria on 05-04-21
By: Susan Page
-
Spoken from the Heart
- By: Laura Bush
- Narrated by: Laura Bush
- Length: 9 hrs and 2 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this brave, beautiful, and deeply personal memoir, Laura Bush, one of our most beloved and private first ladies, tells her own extraordinary story. She writes openly about the White House during wartime, the withering and relentless media spotlight, and the transformation of her role as she began to understand the power of the first lady.
-
-
Disappointed in Del Mar
- By Pris on 06-02-10
By: Laura Bush
-
First Women
- The Grace and Power of America's Modern First Ladies
- By: Kate Andersen Brower
- Narrated by: Karen White
- Length: 12 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In one of the most underestimated - and challenging - positions in the world, the first lady of the United States must be many things: an inspiring leader with a forward-thinking agenda of her own; a savvy politician, skilled at navigating the treacherous rapids of Washington; a wife and mother operating under constant scrutiny; and an able CEO responsible for the smooth operation of countless services and special events at the White House.
-
-
Who is missing?
- By Southern belle on 05-07-16
-
Barbara Bush
- A Memoir
- By: Barbara Bush
- Narrated by: Barbara Bush
- Length: 4 hrs and 31 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In her memoir, Mrs. Bush for the first time gives listeners a very private look at a life lived in the public eye for more than 25 years. She begins with a compelling portrait of her early years, including: growing up in Rye, New York, and meeting George Bush; life as a young bride and mother, moving far away from home to West Texas; and the almost unbearable pain of losing a child.
-
-
Delighted To The Bone
- By Diana Bloyd on 04-05-16
By: Barbara Bush
-
Astor
- The Rise and Fall of an American Fortune
- By: Anderson Cooper, Katherine Howe
- Narrated by: Anderson Cooper
- Length: 8 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From 1783, when German immigrant John Jacob Astor first arrived in the United States, until 2009, when Brooke Astor’s son, Anthony Marshall, was convicted of defrauding his elderly mother, the Astor name occupied a unique place in American society. The family fortune, first made by a beaver trapping business that grew into an empire, was then amplified by holdings in Manhattan real estate. Over the ensuing generations, Astors ruled Gilded Age New York society and inserted themselves into political and cultural life, but also suffered the most famous loss on the Titanic.
-
-
A family first made, then destroyed by wealth.
- By Barbara W. on 09-23-23
By: Anderson Cooper, and others
-
Sisters First
- By: Jenna Bush Hager, Barbara Pierce Bush
- Narrated by: Jenna Bush Hager, Barbara Pierce Bush
- Length: 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A young girl's wish is granted when a new sister arrives. While the baby can't do much, over time the big and little siblings become inseparable, playing and dancing, imagining and laughing. By each other's sides, they are smarter, kinder, and braver than they ever thought they could be. And they are forever sisters first.
-
-
A great book
- By John A. on 03-03-22
By: Jenna Bush Hager, and others
-
Grace & Steel
- Dorothy, Barbara, Laura, and the Women of the Bush Dynasty
- By: J. Randy Taraborrelli
- Narrated by: Eliza Foss
- Length: 18 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Best-selling author J. Randy Taraborrelli reveals the unsung heroines of the inimitable Bush family dynasty: not only First Ladies Barbara and Laura, but other colorful women whose stories have been left out of history for far too long, including Barbara’s mother-in-law, the formidable Dorothy Bush; the enigmatic Columba and the controversial Sharon; and Laura’s twins, Jenna and Barbara.
-
-
such an enjoyable listen.. love the Bush family.
- By Janis c on 03-20-21
-
Upstairs at the White House
- My Life with the First Ladies
- By: J. B. West
- Narrated by: Eric Jason Martin
- Length: 13 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
J. B. West, chief usher of the White House, directed the operations and maintenance of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue - and coordinated its daily life - at the request of the president and his family. He directed state functions; planned parties, weddings, funerals, gardens, playgrounds, and extensive renovations; and with a large staff, supervised every activity in the presidential home.
-
-
A tasteful taste of history
- By Mark on 04-27-15
By: J. B. West
-
Betty Ford
- First Lady, Women's Advocate, Survivor, Trailblazer
- By: Lisa McCubbin Hill
- Narrated by: Amanda Carlin
- Length: 15 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Betty Ford: First Lady, Women’s Advocate, Survivor, Trailblazer is the inspiring story of an ordinary Midwestern girl thrust onto the world stage and into the White House under extraordinary circumstances. Setting a precedent as first lady, Betty Ford refused to be silenced by her critics as she publicly championed equal rights for women and spoke out about issues that had previously been taboo - breast cancer, depression, abortion, and sexuality.
-
-
Wonderful back story!
- By WesternCOriver on 11-24-18
-
The Residence
- Inside the Private World of the White House
- By: Kate Andersen Brower
- Narrated by: Karen White
- Length: 10 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
America's first families are unknowable in many ways. No one has insight into their true character like the people who serve their meals and make their beds every day. Full of stories and details by turns dramatic, humorous, and heartwarming, The Residence reveals daily life in the White House as it is really lived through the voices of the maids, butlers, cooks, florists, doormen, engineers, and others who tend to the needs of the president and first family.
-
-
The White House Explored & Exposed
- By Sara on 04-15-15
-
Dinners with Ruth
- A Memoir of Friendship
- By: Nina Totenberg
- Narrated by: Nina Totenberg
- Length: 9 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Four years before Nina Totenberg was hired at NPR, where she cemented her legacy as a prizewinning reporter, and nearly twenty-two years before Ruth Bader Ginsburg was appointed to the Supreme Court, Nina called Ruth. A reporter for The National Observer, Nina was curious about Ruth’s legal brief, asking the Supreme Court to do something revolutionary: declare a law that discriminated “on the basis of sex” to be unconstitutional. That call launched a remarkable, nearly fifty-year friendship.
-
-
Not quite what I expected
- By Debra Malone on 09-23-22
By: Nina Totenberg
-
Eleanor
- By: David Michaelis
- Narrated by: Gabra Zackman
- Length: 19 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the first single-volume cradle-to-grave portrait in six decades, acclaimed biographer David Michaelis delivers a stunning account of Eleanor Roosevelt’s remarkable life of transformation. An orphaned niece of President Theodore Roosevelt, she converted her Gilded Age childhood of denial and secrecy into an irreconcilable marriage with her ambitious fifth cousin Franklin. Franklin Roosevelt transformed Eleanor from a settlement house volunteer on New York’s Lower East Side into a matching partner in New York’s most important power couple in a generation.
-
-
Stands apart from other biographies of ER
- By Debra Malone on 11-20-20
By: David Michaelis
-
Both/And
- A Life in Many Worlds
- By: Huma Abedin
- Narrated by: Huma Abedin
- Length: 21 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The daughter of Indian and Pakistani intellectuals and advocates, Abedin grew up in the United States and Saudi Arabia and traveled widely. Both/And grapples with family, legacy, identity, faith, marriage, motherhood - and work - with wisdom, sophistication, grace, and clarity.
-
-
Amazing book, absolutely recommended!
- By Prerit Pramod on 11-05-21
By: Huma Abedin
-
Destiny and Power
- The American Odyssey of George Herbert Walker Bush
- By: Jon Meacham
- Narrated by: Paul Michael
- Length: 25 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Drawing on President Bush’s personal diaries, on the diaries of his wife, Barbara, and on extraordinary access to the 41st president and his family, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jon Meacham paints an intimate and surprising portrait of an intensely private man who led the nation through tumultuous times.
-
-
Fair and insightful
- By Jean on 12-02-15
By: Jon Meacham
-
Everything Beautiful in Its Time
- Seasons of Love and Loss
- By: Jenna Bush Hager
- Narrated by: Jenna Bush Hager
- Length: 5 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Now the mother of three young children, Jenna pays homage to her grandparents in this collection of heartwarming, intimate personal essays. Filled with love, laughter, and unforgettable stories, Everything Beautiful in Its Time captures the joyous and bittersweet nature of life itself. Jenna reflects on the single year in which she and her family lost Barbara and George H. W. Bush, and Jenna Welch. Jenna reveals how they navigated this difficult period with grace, faith, and nostalgic humor, uplifted by their grandparents' sage advice and incomparable spirits.
-
-
A True Love Story
- By Unglaza on 09-12-20
By: Jenna Bush Hager
-
Dinner with the President
- By: Alex Prud'homme
- Narrated by: Pat Grimes
- Length: 16 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Some of the most significant moments in American history have occurred over meals, as U.S. presidents broke bread with friends or foe: Thomas Jefferson’s nation-building receptions in the new capital, Washington, D.C.; Ulysses S. Grant’s state dinner for the king of Hawaii; Teddy Roosevelt’s supper with Booker T. Washington. Here Alex Prud’homme invites listeners into the White House kitchen to reveal the sometimes curious tastes of 26 of America’s most influential presidents, how their meals were prepared and by whom, and the ways their choices affected food policy around the world.
-
-
Not great
- By rodney fudge ferrell on 08-16-23
By: Alex Prud'homme
-
Five Presidents
- My Extraordinary Journey with Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, and Ford
- By: Clint Hill, Lisa McCubbin Hill
- Narrated by: George Newbern
- Length: 14 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Secret Service agent Clint Hill brings history intimately and vividly to life as he reflects on his 17 years protecting the most powerful office in the nation. Hill walked alongside Presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard M. Nixon, and Gerald R. Ford, seeing them through a long, tumultuous era - the Cold War; the Cuban Missile Crisis; the assassinations of John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Robert F. Kennedy; the Vietnam War; Watergate; and the resignations of Spiro Agnew and Richard M. Nixon.
-
-
Interesting, but....
- By Papa Charlie on 07-09-17
By: Clint Hill, and others
Critic reviews
"[A] highly readable portrait...Like the arc of her life itself, [Bush] created a bridge for first ladies that reached from traditional feminine pursuits to modern feminism. This definitive biography is a welcome contribution to our understanding of the complex role of presidential spouses."—The Washington Post
"Susan Page has given us an insightful and engaging portrait of a remarkable American. Wife to one President, mother to another, Barbara Bush was fascinating and complicated, and this absorbing biography brings the woman George H.W. Bush called 'the Silver Fox' to vivid life."—Jon Meacham, Pulitzer Prize-winning and #1 New York Times bestselling author of Destiny and Power: The American Odyssey of George Herbert Walker Bush
"Formidable and fearless, candid and sharp, Barbara Bush was among the most interesting people of our time. Susan Page's intimate biography covers both the triumphs and tribulations that made her so fascinating and beloved."—Walter Isaacson, Pulitzer Prize finalist and #1 New York Times bestselling author of Leonardo da Vinci, Steve Jobs, and Einstein
What listeners say about The Matriarch
Highly rated for:
Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Kari
- 04-08-19
Outstanding, Inspiring, Fascinating
I thought I loved and respected Barbara Bush before but this book drove home just how incredible she was and really how incredible their family was and is. The insight into the relationships she had with her family give such a rich and different light on them from what we, in the public, saw as the politicians. They are truly a family built on love and faith and are made from tough stuff. She wasn't an easy person, but man she had integrity and heart. This book honors her and in a way honors all of us who love Barbara Bush by confirming that she truly was as amazing as we've all thought all along.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
7 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Kristin V. Johnson
- 08-09-19
Organization holds it back
I enjoyed this story of Barbara Bush, but felt the way the book was written held the story back from getting top reviews. Jon Meacham's book on GHW Bush was much better and easier to follow. However, it is still well worth a listen. I always admired Bar.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Me
- 06-28-19
Amazing story of an amazing woman
As a proud democrat who respects the office of the presidency so much and those who hold it (outside of 45’s shameful term), I’ve always admired the Bush’s. Barbara was the backbone of that ‘dynasty’ and Ms. Page did a fantastic job of accounting for the amazing woman Barbara was. Ms Levy’s narration, however, was almost painful. The tone was very monotone and much to ‘historical’ - it needed more emphasis on emotion to really convey what was being told about Mrs. Bush. Her reading wasn’t bad, per se, but I wouldn’t recommend it if you’re tired and there’s a chance to fall asleep.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Anonymous User
- 11-06-19
Democrat for Barbara
I loved this book because as a life long Dem it gave me some good perspective and made me take another look at the Bush family. It was a little dry, not sure if thats the author or Babs but she was a woman who thought things through and stuck to her guns. Even if you dont agree with every view point, you have to respect that.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
5 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Patricia H. Miller
- 12-31-19
A GREAT BOOK
Susan Page has a real success here. Her book about Barbara is fantastic. ....a great read.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- backintheoc
- 08-27-20
Good but not great
I thought this biography of Barbara Bush was good. It just wasn’t great, like I expected it to be. Biography, autobiography, and historical fiction are my favorite types books, but this one fell a little flat. I found that oftentimes it didn’t keep my attention, although there were a few parts that were excellent. It was nice to learn more about her, even though I grew tired of the repeated stories and details that seemed to drone on. Maybe it was the narrator’s voice that made me space out. I’m not sure.
I liked “41: A Portrait of My Father” much better. This one is not written as well as that book, but it’s a nice perspective.
So, like my title says, it was good and worth listening to. It just wasn’t great.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- NancyF
- 05-05-19
Entertaining and Perfect for Listening
I am a big fan of Audible because of how it has tripled the number of books I get to read. Matriarch is a good example of why. Not only is it entertaining with so many new anecdotes on the Bushes, I found it an easy, pleasant way to refresh on three decades of politics having great relevance to today. I can do all this listening and learning while I drive, garden and make dinner. Combine all of this with Susan Page's excellent writing and Kate Levy's great reading, and you have a perfect listening experience.. (Neat trick: As an older reader, I like to enhance relaxation and comprehension on this and all other Audible books by reducing the speed to .75)
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Patricia Poling
- 10-22-22
Wonderful insight
What an awesome insight to the life of Barbara Bush and a back door insight to the humble woman who was the force behind Bush 41 and 43!!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- optimist22
- 03-16-20
Amazing Woman
I have finished reading the book about Barbara Bush, The Matriarch and thoroughly enjoyed it. I have always admired her, but there is a lot I didn’t know. As with all of us, she had a lot to deal with in her life complicated by the fact that she had to do most of it in the public eye. She is going to go on my list of people with whom I would like to have dinner. The writing and performance were excellent.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
4 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- BScherry
- 06-10-19
Wonderful story
Wonderful job of providing details of her life and the work that was so important to her. Magnified my respect for her!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!