Updated ‘Remember the First Ladies’ Captures History in the Making

A ‘powerful’ portrait of Melania Trump, the demolished East Wing and new research on early presidential spouses are among the updates in a scholarly book on America’s first ladies.

From left, co-authors Diana B. Carlin, Anita B. McBride and Nancy Kegan Smith promote their book Remember the First Ladies: The Legacy of America’s History-Making Women at a book signing event. This year, an updated version of the book has been published with new information on First Lady Melania Trump, former First Lady Dr. Jill Biden, the demolished East Wing and early first ladies.

A lot has happened since the first edition of Remember the First Ladies: The Legacy of America’s History-Making Women was published in early 2024. Notably, a former first lady—Melania Trump—returned to the White House in 2025 after her husband, Donald Trump, was elected to a second, nonconsecutive term. And the White House East Wing, which houses the Office of the First Lady, was demolished, shocking the American public.

For co-authors Diana B. Carlin, Anita B. McBride and Nancy Kegan Smith, the past two years were enough to prompt an updated version of the book that shows the evolutionary role of first la…