Elizabeth Edwards
Elizabeth Edwards (Mary Elizabeth Anania Edwards) was born on July 3rd, 1949. Elizabeth passed away December 7th, 2010 at 61 years old. Elizabeth Edwards was born in Jacksonville, Florida, USA. Edwards attended the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill where she received a Bachelor of Arts degree and a Juris Doctor degree. She also attended the University of Mary Washington.
Elizabeth Edwards was an American attorney, health care activist, and author. She was the wife of John Edwards, a former vice-presidential nominee and a North Carolina senator.
In 2006, she published her debut book
Saving Graces which explores the different ways communities have come through for her during the trials of her life from the death of her son, her struggles with breast cancer and her itinerant military childhood. Her second book
Resilience, published in 2009, explores the return of her illness, the death of her son and her father and the effects those events had on her marriage. She also explores her husband’s infidelity as well as the state of American healthcare. The two books were bestsellers.
Elizabeth wrote
Saving Graces in 2006, two years after being diagnosed with cancer. It was also during this time when her husband began his affair with Rielle Hunter, which he only admitted to publicly in 2008. The timeline of events in the book is a bit confusing because Elizabeth starts her story at the same point in her life where the book ends. As a very family-focused person, it’s unclear when during her struggle she was unknowingly being betrayed by her husband, as there is no hint of the affair in the book.
The memoir also focuses on some very personal details of her life. It covers her struggles with the death of her son Wade and her cancer treatment up to 2006. Most of the facts and rumors highlighted here are available online.
The first half of the book is hard to read. It deals with the raw grief Elizabeth felt after her son’s sudden death in a car accident. The pain was still very fresh for her even though time had passed when she wrote it. While Elizabeth worked as a lawyer, author, and speaker, being a mother was her most important role. She felt like she lost a part of herself after her son died.
Elizabeth viewed her cancer diagnosis as something she could fight. In her own words, the diagnosis wasn’t “the worst news” she had received, since her son’s death was far worse. While Elizabeth believed her husband, John, genuinely wanted to help people, his later actions painted a different picture. As the second half of the book unfolds, it becomes apparent that Elizabeth’s family was about to fall apart because of her husband's affair, despite her praise of him on the campaign trail.
Elizabeth Edwards later wrote
Resilience, which is a continuation of her story of the cancer return and her husband’s affair. The book is a worthy read for anyone interested in learning more about Elizabeth’s turbulent life through her own perspective.
Elizabeth Edwards: Lists & Other Mentions
- Resilience: The New Afterword was a New York Times: #1 Nonfiction Best Seller in 2009.
Related Authors
Fans of Elizabeth Edwards also enjoy these authors:
- Charles Dickens, author of: A Christmas Carol.
- John Connolly, author of the Charlie Parker Series.
- Karin Slaughter, author of the Will Trent Series.
- Jussi Adler-Olsen, author of the Department Q Series.
- Diana Gabaldon, author of the Outlander Series.
Elizabeth Edwards: F.A.Q
When was Elizabeth Edwards Born?
Elizabeth Edwards was born on July 3rd, 1949.
When did Elizabeth Edwards die?
Elizabeth Edwards died on December 7th, 2010 at 61 years old.
Where was Elizabeth Edwards Born?
Elizabeth Edwards was born in Jacksonville, Florida, USA.
What was the first book Elizabeth Edwards wrote?
The first book written by Elizabeth Edwards was Saving Graces , published in 2006.
What was the most recent book Elizabeth Edwards wrote?
Her most recently released work was Resilience: The New Afterword on May 8th, 2009.
How many books has Elizabeth Edwards written?
Elizabeth Edwards has written 2 books. All of her books are Non-Fiction Books.