The intimate and critically acclaimed biography of the much-admired First Lady -- now in paperback with a new post-election Afterword by the author -- The Perfect Wife tells the complete story of Laura Welch Bush. From Mrs. Bush s upbringing in West Texas to her whirlwind romance with George W. Bush to the Governor s mansion to her roles as mother Bush family member First Lady and savvy political campaigner Gerhart reveals her as never before.