Part I. An ambitious young couple -- "Will you think of me sometimes?" -- Going places -- Married, happily -- Love after Pearl Harbor -- Giant slayers -- The faces of America's future -- Crises on the home front -- Safeguarding the American home -- Part II. Cultural leaders and private citizens -- "Heroes" and "housewives": Dick, Ike, Pat and Mamie -- A turbulent ascent -- Enduring defeat -- Darkness -- Your turn, my turn -- Part III. White House dreams and nightmares -- Adjusting to the White House fortress -- "We had held our own" -- A private marriage in the public spotlight -- Love in the White House -- The zenith -- Falling apart -- Part IV. Affliction and recovery -- Renewal in exile -- A peaceful twilight -- Epilogue