American Wife

American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld examines the life of Alice Blackwell, whose husband has just been declared the President of the United States. Alice is a complex woman who never expected to fall for the boorish Charlie Blackwell, but something about him proved to be irresistible to her. Throughout the course of the novel, Alice reflects on her choice to marry Charlie, thereby entering into the Blackwell family, and the way their lives have unfolded together.

Alice began her life in the small town of Riley, Wisconsin. She grew up with her mother, father, and grandmother, Emilie, who encouraged Alice’s love of reading. Alice developed a crush on her childhood friend, Andrew Imhof, whom Emilie took for a girl on their first meeting because of his long, thick eyelashes. Alice and Andrew never had the chance to see how their romance might play out as Andrew was killed in a car accident in their senior year of high school. It is later found out that Alice caused the accident after failing to stop at a stop sign.

Alice is overcome with guilt for her actions, and in an attempt to make up for what she has done and assuage some of her guilt, she visits Andrew’s brother, Pete. He is understandably upset, so Alice allows him to have sex with her as a form of comfort. Soon after their encounter, Alice finds out that she is pregnant. Unsure what to do, she confides in her grandmother, who arranges for her to have an abortion.



After her high school graduation, Alice decides to go off to college someplace far away where she can forget about the car accident and move on with her life. After finishing college and landing a job as a school librarian, Alice meets Charlie Blackwell. After their first encounter, Alice hardly gives Charlie a second thought. She considers herself a serious, intellectual type, while he is most certainly the class clown.

Additionally, from a wealthy family, Charlie is staunchly Republican; Alice is a Democrat. Though the two have vastly different political views, Alice is surprised to find that she is attracted to Charlie and is able to look past their ideological and socioeconomic differences. Alice agrees to marry Charlie, realizing that this will mean suppressing her own beliefs in favor of her husband’s, as he runs for political office.

Over time, Alice comes to accept her role within the Blackwell family. She becomes well-versed in the ways she is expected to behave, their strange customs, and the life of those who frequent country clubs and summer estates. Still, she is uncomfortable in this world of lavish wealth, feeling like an eternal outsider.



Ten years into their marriage, Charlie develops an addiction to alcohol. Obsessed with his role in sustaining his family’s legacy, it becomes clear that his relationship with Alice is not a priority in his life. The breaking point in their relationship comes after a class reunion at Princeton, when Charlie admits to using cocaine. Deciding she has had enough, Alice suggests that she and Charlie begin a trial separation so that she can take time to figure out what it is she truly wants.

Alice hopes that their separation might encourage Charlie to get a handle on his life and his substance abuse, but things get worse before they get better. Charlie gets a DUI after being caught driving drunk. After getting the DUI, Charlie is introduced to Reverend Randy, a man who helps Charlie to see the error of his ways and to find his faith. Charlie accepts god and religion into his life, and this changes him. When Alice notices the changes in Charlie, she decides that it is possible for them to reconcile to try to save their marriage. She describes the years that follow as the happiest their family had ever had together. Charlie is subsequently elected as governor of Wisconsin and goes on to become President of the United States.

The last section of the novel takes an in-depth look at a single day in Alice’s life, now First Lady of the United States. Alice is being blackmailed by the doctor who performed her abortion. The doctor threatens to release the information if Alice does not publicly adopt a pro-choice stance. In an attempt to dissuade the doctor, Alice pays her a visit, and at the same time sees Pete.



Alice is reminded of where she came from, and this reminder prompts her to speak out against the war, siding with an old army colonel who has been camping on the White House grounds in an attempt to speak with the President. When Alice tells Charlie that she agrees with the man, Charlie is furious. Some reporters have gotten a hold of the story and he is concerned that this will tarnish his public image. Although Alice and Charlie’s marriage is much better than it has ever been, it is moments like this that make Alice question whether she is a good First Lady.