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Title details for Ten Letters by Eli Saslow - Available

Ten Letters

The Stories Americans Tell Their President

by Eli Saslow
Robertson Dean
Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
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1 of 1 copy available
Every day, President Obama reads ten representative letters among the thousands he receives from citizens across the land. The letters come from people of all ages, walks of life, and political points of view. Some are heart­breaking, some angry, some hopeful. Indeed, Obama reads as many letters addressed “Dear Jackass” as “Dear Mr. President.” Eli Saslow, a young and rising star at the Washington Post, became fascinated by the power of these letters and set out to find the stories behind them.

Through the lens of ten letters to which Obama responded personally, this exceptionally relevant and poignant book explores those individual stories, taking an in-depth look at the misfortunes, needs, opinions, and, yes, anger over the current state of the country that inspired ten people to put pen to paper. Surprisingly, what also emerges from these affecting personal narratives is a story about the astounding endurance and optimism of the American people.

Ten Letters is an inspiring and important book about ordi­nary people and the issues they face every day—the very issues that are shaping America’s future. This is not an insider Washington book by any means, but a book for the times that tells the real American stories of today.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    October 11, 2011

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9780307941114
      • File size: 276870 KB
      • Duration: 09:36:48

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Narrator Roberson Dean's strong, appealing tone gives this collection of poignant American stories the power of a documentary film. Written by a reporter, TEN LETTERS provides a sampling of the lives of contemporary Americans who are struggling with war, the economy, the environment, and immigration. Each anecdote about the written exchanges between citizens and their president is told with a mix of dramatic dialogue and narrative backstory. This balance gives the listener a reprieve from what, at times, can be a monotone delivery of current events. Dean's assortment of true-to-life character voices spans the fabric of American society, adding to the authenticity of these stories of American survival. While built around the written word, the experience of this book is heightened through the spoken word. K.C.R. (c) AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine
    • Publisher's Weekly

      August 15, 2011
      Saslow, staff writer at the Washington Post, samples the American mood by surveying the letters sent to President Obama in this disappointingly superficial survey. Every day, 20,000 Americans write the president, and the White House mail staff selects, and the president reads, 10 letters and e-mails each evening—he considers them “his most important daily reading.” The author selects 10 such letters, tracking down their writers, and reporting on their backstories in an effort to personify, if not dramatize, issues—including health care reform, failing schools, gay bullying, and immigration reform. As Saslow notes, “the unmistakable message” of these missives is that America is struggling, but while he notes that the White House mail staff picked the most representative 10 pieces daily, he neglects to reveal the basis for his own 10 selections. The president claims that he “learned more about key issues from some letters than he did from his own staff” and admits revealingly that he is often frustrated that he can’t help the letter writers on an individual basis and be their “social worker” and “advocate.” There is much that is moving in such passages, but the writers of the letters—and the issues themselves—do not emerge clearly enough to sustain our interest or really edify us on the issues at hand.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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