Former White House correspondent Kate Andersen Brower opens the back door of the most famous building in America so readers may see what life is like for the president and his family, as well as for the employees whose job it is to keep things running smoothly.

Every four or eight years, one family moves out and another moves into America's royal residence. It takes a huge staff of hardworking, dedicated men and women to keep things functioning well, to be able to adapt to changes in schedule or decorum at a moment's notice, and to be willing to put their jobs and tiring work schedules above their personal lives. Many heartfelt stories about former, retired and current employees are included in this well-researched book. And the residence jobs tend to stay in the family, since family and personal connections play a huge factor in who is hired.

Imagine how difficult it was for the employees to say goodbye to Camelot --- Jackie, Caroline and John-John --- after the national and personal horror that was the death of JFK. And how difficult it must have been for LBJ and his family to move into the White House under a cloud of sorrow and grief. As Lady Bird Johnson put it, "...we moved into a house that was covered with black crepe on all the chandeliers and the columns." Often she opined, "People see the living and wish for the dead."

"If walls could talk, what amazing stories they might tell. Walls cannot talk, but you, Dear Reader, are offered the next best thing: an invitation. The back door is open, so wipe your feet and quietly step inside."

The children of the First Families live in a fishbowl, albeit a very elegant one. They have a swimming pool, a movie theater and tennis courts right there anytime they care to use those facilities. There are people whose main task is to see that they are comfortable, well cared for and happy. What they rarely have are privacy and freedom. The freedom to take the car keys and drive to the mall to meet up with friends. To walk to school alone or with a sibling. The privacy to be themselves, warts and all, without having to adapt their behavior to the ever-changing circumstances that being part of the First Family entails.

Is living in the White House a privilege, a blessing, or a curse? While Jackie Kennedy spent a great deal of time and energy redecorating her temporary home, she also escaped its confines as often and for as long as she could. At these times her husband entertained "lady friends." Amy Carter roller-skated through the East Room when the public tours were over for the day. Curses echoed through the halls during the Lewinsky scandal, and the staff did its utmost to ease the First Lady's pain and humiliation. LBJ ran the plumbers’ shop ragged, insisting upon firehose-strength water pressure in his shower, like he had back home in Texas. As soon as Nixon moved in, he had the super shower dismantled. George H.W. Bush played horseshoes with the staff.

And what was it really like at the White House on September 11th? No one will ever forget where they were when they heard the horrendous news. As traumatic as it must have been for the residence staff to endure 9/11 and its aftermath, not one employee quit. Even though they realized their workplace carried a bullseye on it, they faced their fears, summoned their courage and pride, and continued on with their tasks. First Lady Laura Bush felt comforted by this and credits the residence staff for making her feel safe again about living in the White House.

If walls could talk, what amazing stories they might tell. Walls cannot talk, but you, Dear Reader, are offered the next best thing: an invitation. The back door is open, so wipe your feet and quietly step inside. Follow Kate Andersen Brower as she takes you on a most interesting tour through the past and the present at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.