White House Secrets

About this book

Honorable Mention, 2026 Grateful American Book PrizeFinalist, 2026 YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young AdultsA School Library Journal Best BookChicago Public Library Best of the Best List 2025CCBC Choices 2026 Shocking, true stories of presidential medical secrets unfold in the latest riveting installment of award-winning author Gail Jarrow's acclaimed Medical Fiascoes series for readers ages 10 and up. Did you know President Woodrow Wilson suffered a paralyzing stroke that his wife and doctors concealed for months? Or that Edith Wilson assumed many of his presidential duties while the American public remained unaware of his condition? President John F. Kennedy, meanwhile, suffered from Addison's disease and relied on powerful medications for years--yet few Americans knew the full story. From James Garfield to Joe Biden, Gail Jarrow investigates more than a century of presidential illnesses, treatments, secrecy, and deception. Along the way, White House Secrets reveals how efforts to protect a president's image can raise difficult questions about honesty, the press, and the public's right to know. Fascinating, provocative, and packed with historical context, this latest Medical Fiascoes title gives young readers the tools to think critically about media literacy and presidential candor--and why those issues still matter today.