Jarrow, Gail. White House Secrets: Medical Lies and Cover-Ups. Calkins Creek, 2025. 978-1-662-68103-5. 283 p. $24.99. Grades 7-12.

White House Secrets: Medical Lies and Cover-Ups tells the stories of presidents who hid a medical crisis from the American public, often with the help of aides, family, doctors, and even the press. After the Civil War, the influence of the president grew along with the expansion of the federal government. News began to travel faster through media such as newspapers, radio, television, and (eventually) the internet. As interest in the presidents and their fitness for office increased, so did lies about presidential ailments. Author Gail Jarrow reveals the medical conditions of nine presidents and how information about their health was – and wasn’t – shared with the public. James Garfield’s ultimately fatal gunshot wound infection was concealed behind upbeat reports from his doctors. Franklin Roosevelt’s public appearances and photographs were carefully manipulated to hide his paralysis. John Kennedy’s medical team went to great lengths to hide his Addison’s Disease diagnosis. Ronald Reagan’s recovery from an assassination attempt was far more perilous than the public was led to believe. Each chapter includes some presidential trivia: Warren Harding was the first president to have his voice broadcast over the radio, in May of 1922! Jarrow also includes a sidebar chapter, “The Next in Line,” which focuses on the Presidential Succession Acts and the Twenty-Fifth Amendment to the Constitution. Plenty of photographs, editorial cartoons, headlines, and useful captions add helpful details throughout the book. Finally, Jarrow poses questions about the White House and its history of medical secrets; for example, “Is the president’s right to privacy more important than the public’s right to know medical details?” 

THOUGHTS: White House Secrets is an absolutely fascinating take on presidential history through the lens of the president’s ability to execute his duties and the public’s right to access accurate information about their elected leader.

973 American History