And recently I did just that. A woman at an event asked in a worried tone: “Why isn’t your sister married?” I took a deep breath and responded, “She is married. To her work, Global Health Corps. You can google it. Oh, and she has a nice boyfriend too.”
Was it too extreme? Maybe. But that is what sisters do—they want what is best for each other. They always protect each other.
Not too long ago, I picked Mila up from her preschool. She smiled her wide smile and said, “Mama!” (a word I will never tire of hearing).
“Where is Poppy? I want Poppy-Lou,” she sang.
I picked her up and held her, inhaling her silky hair, smelling school on her: paste, paint, and oranges. It made me long for my sister, the way she longed for hers.
I remembered walking into new schools, meeting new kids: together. Walking into spaces where we felt out of place: hands entwined.
As I walked Mila home, I thought of my sister, now all grown up. She was in Africa. What was she doing? Preparing for bed? Was she staring into the Rwandan sky, looking at other stars that created different patterns from the ones we would soon see muted by the brilliant lights of Manhattan?
That night, I held my girls closely and listened to the patterns of their breathing until they were in sync, until they were one.
You have each other, I thought to myself. You can walk through this wild and wonderful life together. You will fight, yes. And you will adapt to each other’s quirks, but you will do it together. You will make your sister feel like she is enough. And for me, your mama, well, that is enough. More than enough. That is everything.
Photographs
Our parents loved that they each had a baby to hold—even before she could say anything, Jenna was preparing to perform.
Our mom wrote of this photo, “Barbara and Jenna were the answer to our prayers.”
Showing some leg to Reagan-Bush supporters in Midland, Texas, 1984. (George Bush Presidential Library and Museum)
Rallying all vampires and gum chewers to vote for our Gampy on Halloween in 1988. (George Bush Presidential Library and Museum)
Holding tight to the newly elected president. #firstblowout (George Bush Presidential Library and Museum)
With our much-loved Pa and Grammee in Midland, Texas.
Double Trouble from Day One. Our personalities didn’t match, but our outfits sure did. (George Bush Presidential Library and Museum)
Baseball was our family sport—we adored the Texas Rangers players so much that we named our dog Spot Fetcher after shortstop Scott Fletcher. (Courtesy of the Texas Rangers)
Knee socks and lots of rocks: family photo at Walker’s Point with Gampy, Uncle Jeb, George P., Noelle, and Jebby Jr. (George Bush Presidential Library and Museum)
On the water in Kennebunkport, where our grandfather is most at peace. We look pretty happy too. (George Bush Presidential Library and Museum)
Fine dining at the White House while Gampy was president, circa 1990.
(George Bush Presidential Library and Museum)
Original Mario Brothers, baby! Camp David, 1990. (George Bush Presidential Library and Museum)
Gampy, dressed to wage “cold war,” throwing snow at Camp David. (George Bush Presidential Library and Museum)
Reading Santa and Friends on the night before Christmas. We went to Camp David every year our grandfather was president. (George Bush Presidential Library and Museum)
Five little grandchildren under the tree. While Barbara watched the cousins, Jenna checked out the swag. (George Bush Presidential Library and Museum)
Christmas circa 1992, or as we call it, the year of the #epicfashionfail #tie. (George Bush Presidential Library and Museum)
Barbara and her beautiful Swedish roommate, Josefine, in Italy in 1998.
Dad, Jenna, Mom, and Barbara’s left ear at the 2001 inauguration. (Courtesy of the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum)
Father-daughter inaugural balling in 2001. (Courtesy of the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum)
On board Air Force One. (Courtesy of the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum)
Family portrait, inauguration morning 2001. (Courtesy of the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum)
Blushing with words of amore with former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi. (Courtesy of the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum)
With our namesakes, Jenna Welch and Barbara Bush, at Camp David in 2003. (Courtesy of the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum)
Getting wild at the White House holiday parties in 2004. (Courtesy of the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum)
Barbara, the “little mascot” of the 2008 US men’s Olympic basketball team in Beijing—and yes, that is LeBron James. (Courtesy of the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum)
Our mom giving a toast at Jenna’s rehearsal dinner. (Paul Morse Photography)
Henry joins our sisters’ “beasthood” on Jenna’s wedding day at the fishing pond on the ranch at Crawford. (Paul Morse Photography)
Jenna and Henry on Cadillac Mountain at sunrise, right after they got engaged in 2007.
Mom and Mila take Manhattan in 2015.
Barbara’s Secret Service detail chief, Steve—probably the only USSS agent with a secret Wu-Tang Clan name. (Annie Dickinson)
Jenna with the Today Show crew returning to the White House in 2015. (Samantha Okazaki/TODAY)
Welcoming Poppy Louise into the sisters fold on August 14, 2015.
Global Health Corps alumni selfie in Rwanda, 2017. (Mpindi Abaas)
Sisters first and always.
Acknowledgments
Sisters First isn’t a typical memoir, but rather a love story we wrote to each other. We always dreamed of writing a book, but the timing never seemed right. When we woke up together (Henry was out of town) on November 9, 2016, we were filled with gratitude that we had each other for comfort. Then we realized it didn’t start with just that moment. We had each other’s back through all the moments that had come before. First days of school, first heartbreaks, first jobs, campaigns, elections—we could always rely on one another for support and encouragement. That deep connection, that amazing sense of sisterhood felt so empowering and, on that day after Election Day, when the world felt so divided, we couldn’t help but think about how awesome it would be if other women throughout our country and throughout the world could recognize their sisters and the sister-like people in their lives who gave them strength. Our bookish mom always advocated the power of storytelling, so we thought we’d start there, sharing our own stories in the hope they will inspire readers to celebrate the power of sisterhood. That’s the kind of world we want Mila and Poppy to grow up in.
And so we are grateful to Lyric Winik, who gave us the confidence to write about some of our most personal memories, and to the outstanding team at Hachette: Suzanne O’Neill (who we like to call SUZZAAANNEE), Nidhi Pugalia, Andrew Duncan, Jimmy Franco, Amanda Pritzker, Anne Twomey, Carolyn Kurek, Thomas Louie, Karen Kosztolnyik, Ben Sevier, Michael Pietsch, and all those who helped us along the way.
And also great appreciation to the crew at CAA: Cait Hoyt and Kate Childs, you epitomize strong sisterhood and could take over the world if you wanted. Thanks to Christina Piasta, Caroline Floeck, and Mary Finch. Thanks to Darnell, Rachel, and Olivia for supporting this idea from the beginning. We will never forget that first meeting.
Thanks to all the early readers: Henry, Sarah B, Caroline, Elise, Mike, Savannah, Mera, Lauren, Jinxy, Stephen, Dorothy, Mama, and Popsicle. Those days spent editing the first draft meant so much.
Henry, thanks for loving our sisterhood enough to give us this time together and for being one of the sweetest parts of our stories. We both love you (one of us a little more!).
And of course the most sincere appreciation to our parents and grandparents. You taught us what it means to love, how to love each other, and always allowed us to be ourselves.
About the Authors
Jenna Bush Hager is a correspondent on NBC’s Today Show and an editor-at-large for Southern Living magazine. She is the author of the New York Times bestseller Ana’s Story: A Journey of Hope, written after she served as an intern with UNICEF in Latin America. She also co-authored the children’s books Our Great Big Backyard and Read All About It! with her mother. She lives with her husband and two daughters in New York.
Barbara Pierce Bush is the CEO and co-founder of Global Health Corps, an organization that mobilizes a global community of young leaders to build the movement for health equity. GHC has mobilized almost one thousand young leaders who believe health is a human right and who take an innovative approach to solving some of the world’s biggest global health challenges. Previously, Barbara worked at the Smithsonian’s Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum and Red Cross Children’s Hospital in South Africa, and interned with UNICEF in Botswana.
Also by Jenna Bush Hager
Our Great Big Backyard
Read All About It!
Ana’s Story: A Journey of Hope
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