Betty Ford
First Lady, Women's Advocate, Survivor, Trailblazer
Failed to add items
Sorry, we are unable to add the item because your shopping cart is already at capacity.
Add to basket failed.
Please try again later
Add to wishlist failed.
Please try again later
Remove from wishlist failed.
Please try again later
Adding to library failed
Please try again
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Get 30 days of Premium Plus free
£8.99/month after 30-day free trial. Cancel monthly.
Buy Now for £12.99
-
Narrated by:
-
Amanda Carlin
About this listen
Raised as a Midwestern girl far from the spotlight, Betty Ford was thrust onto the world stage when her husband, Gerald Ford, unexpectedly assumed the presidency. As First Lady, Betty defied convention, speaking openly about issues that had long been considered taboo—breast cancer, depression, abortion, and sexuality—while championing the Equal Rights Amendment and women’s rights at a time when few public figures dared to do so.
Behind the scenes, Betty faced her own private crisis. After a family intervention, she confronted her addiction to alcohol and prescription drugs and made the unprecedented decision to speak publicly about recovery. Her honesty sparked a national conversation and led to the founding of the Betty Ford Center in 1982, forever changing the treatment of addiction and the cultural understanding of recovery.
Drawing on intimate interviews with her children, Susan Ford Bales and Steven Ford, as well as friends, colleagues, and family members, this deeply researched biography also illuminates Betty’s enduring love story with Gerald Ford—a partnership built on mutual respect, loyalty, and devotion that lasted a lifetime. Vivid, compassionate, and deeply human, this book captures the life of a First Lady whose courage left an indelible mark on American history.
What a woman!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.