While Maria Shriver continues to deal with the fallout of husband Arnold Schwarzenegger’s admission of fathering a child with a long-time staffer, it’s important for her to remember that all is not lost: She can always write a memoir! In fact, she’ll join an esteemed “wronged political wife” collection of authors. Here, other political wives share what they felt like when they were in the same situation, via excerpts from their books:
Who: Dina Matos Mcgreevey
Title: “Silent Partner: A Memoir of My Marriage”
The husband’s indiscretion: Ex-husband New Jersey Gov. Jim McGreevey admitted to being a “gay American” as he left office in 2004.
Helpful excerpt:
“When love goes out the door, courtship stories may go into the attic, never to be told again. It’s no fun to recount the birth of a love that died a horrible death. My sadness and yes, my anger, cast long shadows and obscure much that was hopeful and happy.”
Who: Jenny Sanford
Title: “Staying True”
The husband’s indiscretion: South Carolina’s first lady Jenny Sanford was thrust into the national spotlight in June 2009 when her husband, Gov. Mark Sanford, admitted to traveling to Argentina to visit his lover — aka “hiking the Appalachian Trail.”
Helpful excerpt:
“What my future held was something I, the woman who always thought years ahead, now couldn’t imagine. Could I imagine a life without Mark, the man whose ambitions had been the center of all that we had done as a family for twenty years? Without him, what was our direction? And how did he feel about me now that he had seen her? Once we got through this day, both of us had life- changing decisions to make….This would all sort itself out, and at some point, I would know what to do next. I felt certain of that and that only.”
Who: Elizabeth Edwards
Title: “Resilience: Reflections on the Burdens and Gifts of Facing Life’s Adversities”
The husband’s indiscretion: Wife of former U.S. Senator John Edwards was outed by the National Enquirer for having an affair with freelance videographer Rielle Hunter in 2007; in 2010, he admitted to fathering a child with her.
Helpful excerpt:
“I felt that the ground underneath me had been pulled away. I wanted him to drop out of the race, protect our family from this woman, from his act. It would only raise questions, he said, he had just gotten in the race; the most pointed questions would come if he dropped out days after he had gotten in the race. And I knew that was right, but I was afraid of her. And now he knows I was right to be afraid, that once he had made this dreadful mistake, he should not have run. But just then he was doing, I believe, what I was trying to do: hold on to our lives despite this awful error in judgment.”
Who: Hillary Clinton
Title: “Living History”
The husband’s indiscretion: In case you’ve forgotten:, her husband Bill Clinton had an affair with intern Monica Lewinsky while President of the United States.
Helpful excerpt:
“I could hardly breathe. Gulping for air, I started crying and yelling at him, ‘What do you mean? What are you saying? Why did you lie to me?’”
