The Today Show calls this "Downton Abbey for White House staff." From the publisher: "A remarkable history with elements of both In the President's Secret Service and The Butler, The Residence offers an intimate account of the service staff of the White House, from the Kennedys to the Obamas."

Reviews use words like "juicy" and "touching," and "friendships and feuds." Presidential biographer Douglas Brinkley says this is "one of those rare books that is both elegant portraiture and highly readable." From the publisher: "The true modern power brokers of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue: the first ladies, from Jackie Kennedy to Michelle Obama, hold one of the most underestimated and challenging positions in the world: an inspiring leader with a forward-thinking agenda of her own, a savvy politician navigating the treacherous rapids of Washington, a wife and mother operating under constant scrutiny, and an able CEO running the private side of the White House. First ladies make up the world's most elite sorority, with members—revealed in letters never published before."