Retro Friday Review: The President’s Daughter by Ellen Emerson White

Retro Friday is a weekly meme hosted at Angieville and focuses on reviewing books from the past. This can be an old favorite, an under-the-radar book you think deserves more attention, something woefully out of print, etc.

Meghan Powers doesn’t know what it’s like to have a normal mother. At least one she sees on a regular basis or whose current location is predictable.  As a senator, Katharine Vaughn Powers spends much of her time in D.C., travels a lot making speeches and attending events, and is completely exhausted when she is home. At least Meg has her dad, works at a local law firm and is currently on good terms with her mother. There’s also Trudy, their housekeeper and her two younger brothers Steven and Neal, who appear to be well-adjusted for children of a working mother. She is lucky to live in Massachusetts rather than Washington, and she has lots of friends. Maybe her mother isn’t around and maybe she resents that, but she still thinks her mother is just about perfect. Well, until Senator Powers goes ahead and decides to run for president, and her chances to win happen to be good. And while she may be able to live with her mother at The White House, Meg will be forced to leave almost her entire life behind.

Where to start, where to start. This is one of those books that despite my good intentions I’d thought I’d never get around to.  This was mostly because of its premise and age. Frankly there were always newer, more exciting sounding books that were urgently calling my name. But, still. It doesn’t make sense if you consider how much I liked Ellen Emerson White’s The Road Home, with its writing, characters, and storyline of the finest kind or how instantly smitten I was with the art history-inspired reissued covers. I’m not one to pick up a book by its cover alone, but admittedly in this case they were the main driving force for me actually reading them someday. I simply could not get these covers out of my mind. If possible they grew on me more and more until this fantastic deal made the question of not buying the entire series then and there no contest.  I justified an already justifiable purchase with the logic that if they fell flat for me at least it wouldn’t be a failed investment and I’d own the clever, art reference book covers if only for eye candy’s sake. Pretty shallow, I know. Admittedly my actions were completely silly and I’m not sure why I waited so long. With recommendations from the likes of go-to “real life” friends and bloggers Michelle and Angie, really, what was I waiting for?

From the first page it was a comfort to fall back with ease into the clear and intelligent prose of Ellen Emerson White. Meg’s extreme sarcasm and young maturity made her immediately real and likable. I connected to her angst-y teenage dilemmas. As someone who is described as “quiet and bookish” by the press Meg would never choose to put her life even more in the spotlight as a female presidential nominee’s only daughter. But Meg is smarter than meets the eye and can be savvy and strategic when she needs to be. She is also in a very closeted way interested in politics herself and keeps updated on all political news.  While the imminent presidential victory is inherent in the book and series titles, the suspense was still there as the whirlwind campaign meant a whirlwind of changes for Meg, and that’s frankly the real strength and heart of Ms. White’s novels. There may be few plot twists or major reveals but that doesn’t matter. It’s the endearing, get-under-your-skin characters and their deftly-handled development that draw you in and make you fans for life.

That said what overall made The President’s Daughter for me were not the always fully-baked characters or Meg’s realistic family dynamic but the incredibly complicated relationship between Meg and her mother treated in a deservedly and equally nuanced way. I lived for their witty exchanges, heated arguments,and the emotive glimpses of two women who love each other in spite of their flaws and faults. An early exchange between Meg and her mother:

Meg stiffened. “Am I in trouble?”

Her mother shook her head. “No, of course not.”

That still didn’t sound good. “I wasn’t limping before,” Meg said. “I just tripped.” Which was actually true.

“I know. I just want to talk to you,” her mother said.

Meg relaxed. “It it’s about sex, I already know,” she said, sitting back in her chair.

“Since we went over it about six years ago, I should hope it’s sunk in by now. At any rate,” her mother went on, “your father and I have been discussing this at length, and-“

“What,” Meg said, “sex?”

Her mother looked impatient. “Meg, come on, I’m being serious.”

Recognizing the irritation in her mother’s voice, Meg was quiet.

Her mother took a deep breath. “I guess I wanted to talk to you before your brothers, because—well, it’s about the next election.”

Whoa. Meg sat up straighter. “You mean you’re not running?

“I’m not running for Senate,” her mother conceded.

How completely excellent. “You mean, you’ll like, live at home all the time?” Meg could almost feel her eyes lighting up, or whatever it was that eyes did.

“Meg, I want to run for President,” her mother said.

Meg choked, losing half her mouthful of soda on the table. She shoved her napkin onto the liquid, still coughing. “Are you kidding?”

Her mother shook her head.

“Oh my God,” Meg said.

Meg is such a smart aleck, and that’s one of the many reasons I love her. Both the issues between Meg and her mother and the difficulties facing the first female president are compelling and timeless, especially for a book first published in 1984. Overall The President’s Daughter is a one-of-a-kind read that will please fans of strong characterization and adult and teenage readers of contemporary YA alike.

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