“A journalist explores the motivations and emotional constructs of nine political wives who chose to stay in their marriages—in some cases, only for a while—after being confronted with their husbands’ infidelities .... Skillful prose makes the dishy profiles an engaging read .... A lively political book ...." — Kirkus Reviews

Why They Stay is about the lives of politically married women who have stood by their men after sex scandals. It covers Eleanor Roosevelt, Jackie Kennedy, Hillary Clinton, Silda Wall Spitzer, Huma Abedin Weiner and more. It has won multiple national book honors, including in the categories of Women’s Issues and Current Events. Audio and e-book versions are available. CLICK HERE TO ORDER A COPY

“Marriage is a mysterious thing and political unions are even more so. In the engrossing and important Why They Stay Anne Michaud peers into the heart of some of the most famously troubled political marriages of the past 100 years in an attempt to understand why accomplished women ranging from Hillary Clinton to Silda Spitzer put up with men many others would have quickly kicked to the curb. Her  answers will no doubt influence how we think about these scandals going forward -- not to mention the ones still to come.”

--Helaine Olen, author of Pound Foolish

“It’s a story we’ve heard often: Prominent politicians suddenly find themselves ensnared in humiliatingly public sex scandals, but their wives decide to stay with them. With a prodigious amount of research and deft storytelling skill, Anne Michaud goes beyond the headlines and explores the stories of both spouses, on both sides of the Atlantic, revealing the pain, the loyalty, and the calculations behind the wives’ decisions. Every political couple should read it.”

-- Bob Keeler, author and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist

“Anne Michaud breathes life into headlines that I thought I knew so well with fresh details about well-known political spouses like Hillary Clinton, Silda Wall Spitzer and Huma Abedin. Her thorough reporting helps cast them into an entirely new light to show how their personal struggles reflect the internal struggles women have faced for centuries.”

-- Christine Haughney, former New York Times staff reporter

Eleanor Roosevelt

Eleanor was a 33-year-old mother of five when she discovered a packet of love letters in a suitcase after her husband's trip to Europe on Presidential business. The couple stayed married for another 27 years, but her broken heart launched her on her own journey of political leadership.

Marion Stein

Marion's Austrian family fled the Nazis to England, where she wed the Queen's cousin in what the press dubbed a fairy-tale match. The tale ended badly when her husband fell for another woman. Marion then married the charismatic head of the Liberal Party, who was later disgraced by a homosexual affair and attempted murder. 

Wendy Vitter

A no-nonsense county prosecutor with a steely command before juries, Wendy has demonstrated the same strong will as a political wife. She and husband David gave a single press conference about his relationship with the "D.C. Madam," and he has remained politically viable.