Ten Letters, Eli Saslow
Ten Letters, Eli Saslow
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Ten Letters
The Stories Americans Tell Their President

Author: Eli Saslow

Narrator: Robertson Dean

Unabridged: 9 hr 36 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 10/11/2011


Synopsis

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.

About The Author

ELI SASLOW is a staff writer at the Washington Post, where he covered the 2008 presidential cam­paign and has chronicled the president’s life inside the White House. Previously a sportswriter for the Post, he has won multiple awards for news and feature writing. Two of his stories have also appeared in Best American Sports Writing.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Hank

Eli is a colleague of mine at The Washington Post (he works for the National desk; I'm downstairs in the Style section). This is an extremely even-handed, empathetic look at how Americans are feeling in the Obama Age, told through the voluminous amount of letters and e-mails that come addressed to t......more

Goodreads review by Kyle

It's quite amazing to learn during 8 years in office, President Obama read nearly 30,000 letters from Americans across all walks of life and personally responded to thousands. Yet, this fact (while impressive) actually only equals 1/2 of 1% of the letters (hard copy/online) that the White House rece......more

Goodreads review by Kathi

A good read whether you are a fan of President Obama or not.......more


Quotes

Two-time Winner of the Pulitzer Prize

Ten Letters is a luminous book. Eli Saslow, one of the great young journalists in America, has found his way around the cynicism and superficiality of Washington politics to show the profound real-life connections between the White House and the people.”
-- David Maraniss

"In this testament to the power of the written word, the country's most vexing challenges, from immigration to education, healthcare to housing, are seen through the eyes of both persons directly affected by them and one person uniquely positioned to do something about them."
--Booklist