The Residence

#1 New York Times Bestseller

The inspiration for the Netflix series streaming now!   

“A revealing look at life inside the White House. . . it’s Downton Abbey for the White House staff.” — The Today Show

A remarkable work of presidential 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.

America’s First Families are unknowable in many ways. No one has insight into their true character like the people who serve their meals and make their beds every day. In her runaway bestseller, former White House correspondent Kate Andersen Brower pulls back the curtain for a behind-the-scenes look at the world’s most famous address. Full of stories and details by turns dramatic, humorous, and heartwarming, The Residence reveals daily life in the White House as it is really lived through the voices of the maids, butlers, cooks, florists, doormen, engineers, and others who tend to the needs of the President and First Family.

These dedicated professionals maintain the six-floor mansion’s 132 rooms, 35 bathrooms, 28 fireplaces, three elevators, and eight staircases, and prepare everything from hors d’oeuvres for intimate gatherings to meals served at elaborate state dinners. Over the course of the day, they gather in the lower level’s basement kitchen to share stories, trade secrets, forge lifelong friendships, and sometimes even fall in love.

Combining incredible first-person anecdotes and untold stories from extensive interviews with scores of White House staff members—many speaking for the first time—with archival research, this biographical nonfiction tells their story. She reveals the intimacy between the First Family and the people who serve them, as well as tension that has shaken the staff over the decades. From the housekeeper and engineer who fell in love while serving President Reagan to Jackie Kennedy’s private moment of grief with a beloved staffer after her husband’s assassination to the tumultuous days surrounding President Nixon’s resignation and President Clinton’s impeachment battle, The Residence is full of surprising and moving details that illuminate day-to-day life at the White House.

This intimate work of White House history reveals:

• A Backstairs Perspective: Discover the untold stories of the maids, butlers, and cooks who have served every First Family from the Kennedys to the Obamas, witnessing their most private and public moments.
• Moments of National Crises: Witness history through the eyes of the staff, from Jackie Kennedy’s private moment of grief after the assassination to the tense, tumultuous days of Nixon’s resignation and Clinton’s impeachment battle.
• The Human Side of History: Go beyond politics to see the friendships, feuds, and even romances that blossomed among the staff in the private corridors of the world’s most famous home.
• American History Up Close: Based on extensive interviews and archival research, this intimate account reveals the tension and loyalty that defined the relationship between the First Families and the dedicated people who served them.