Betty Ford : First Lady, Women's Advocate, Survivor, Trailblazer

Betty Ford is the inspiring story of an ordinary Midwestern girl thrust onto the world stage. When her husband, Gerald Ford, became vice president after the resignation of Spiro Agnew, and then president upon the resignation of Richard Nixon, Betty Ford went from being a housewife to first lady of the United States in the span of ten months. Outspoken and surprisingly candid, Betty championed equal rights for women and openly discussed topics such as premarital sex, marijuana, and abortion. Just weeks after her husband took office, she was diagnosed with breast cancer and made the courageous decision to disclose it to the public. Later, she publicly announced her recovery from addiction to prescription drugs and alcohol following an intervention by her family-many details of which appear in this book for the very first time. After sparking a national dialogue with her story, she went on to cofound the Betty Ford Center, which revolutionized treatment for addiction and inspired the modern concept of recovery. With poignant details and rare insight sourced from interviews with family members, Lisa McCubbin brings to life the story of one of the most admired and influential women of our time. Book jacket.