By Book Club Team 
To be released on October 8, 2024, this memoir invites readers into her life, from the early years in Slovenia to those spent in the White House. The book covers some of her personal beliefs, including being pro-choice on abortion, and shares insight into her marriage with former President Donald Trump. Melania immediately began its successful tour upwards through both New York Times and Publishers Weekly lists upon its release.
Along with the memoir, Melania Trump has teamed up with Amazon Prime on a companion documentary that promises to show behind-the-scenes access to her life. The documentary, directed by Brett Ratner, began filming in December 2024 and is due for release later this year. For those interested in her perspective, Melania is available through various retailers, including Amazon.
| Author | Melania Trump |
| Publication date | October 8, 2024 |
| Goodreads Rating | 3,94 |
| Page count | 338 pages |
| Genres | Nonfiction, Memoir, Biography, Politics, Autobiography, History, Biography Memoir, American History, Historical, The United States Of America |
Melania Book Review
Reviewers mostly say the book doesn’t bring in much that is new about her life or her tenure as First Lady. To The Guardian, it is a “blame-dodging masterclass” that adroitly avoids the main subjects and contradicts some positions of the Republican Party. On its part, Vanity Fair criticizes the memoir for lack of depth: it “fails to deliver a compelling or cohesive story,” and is replete with clichés and shallow anecdotes.
New York Magazine outlines that the tone is unoriginal and contradictory on many instances, especially political stands on issues like abortion and LGBTQ+ rights. The Atlantic notices that this memoir sidesteps large controversies involving her husband to focus on more personal interests of hers, thereby giving it an “airbrushed” feeling to it.
Overall, critics say, the book gives glimpses into Melania Trump’s thoughts and experiences but largely sidesteps deep discussions of controversy for a curated look at her life.
Melania Trump’s memoir, Melania, has received various reactions from both critics and readers. Here is a summary of the pros and cons mentioned in various reviews:
Pros:
- Personal Insights: The memoir gives a glimpse into Melania’s personal beliefs, notably her pro-choice stance on abortion, which is opposite to her husband’s policies.
- Visual Merit: The book isinterspersed with personal photographs from her life, from growing up in Slovenia to becoming First Lady.
- Quality of Design: Several have commented on the aesthetic appeal of the volume, its layout and design rendering the reading much easier on the eyes.
Cons:
- Lack of Depth: Critics say that the book is lacking in substance, too often repeating information that has already been known but without really giving profound details of her personal or political life.
- Avoiding Controversies: The book tactically dodges important controversies, including her husband’s allegations of marital infidelity and legal problems, which raises a feeling of incompleteness.
- Lacked a Specific Tone: Some reviewers criticize that the writing has become generic and clichéd, without introspection or veracity that would normally be expected of a memoir.
- Irresolving Political Stand: The memoir presents unresolved contradictions, especially on political views over such topics as abortion and LGBTQ+ rights, with no discussion on the complexity supporting such a position.
- Little New Information: Those who were expecting something new coming from her will also find the contents somewhat disappointing since the memoir does not contain much substantial new information that was not publicly known already.
In summary, Melania contains some personal stories and visual elements that will most likely delight readers looking at her perspective, but it has been panned for not giving weighty coverage to significant topics and failing to delve deep into her experiences and opinions.
Melania Book Summary
She tells her story in this book, from a childhood in Slovenia to being part of the White House. She shares personal insights into such topics as pro-choice abortion-the opposite of her husband’s stance-and some of the policy disagreements during his administration. In the memoir, she also talks about how it felt during specific events, including the raid on Mar-a-Lago by the FBI and an attempt on Donald Trump’s life.
Critics have noted that while the memoir at times gives glimpses into her personal beliefs and experiences, it has conveniently dodged talking about a number of key subjects and controversies.
For interested readers, “Melania” is available via online purchase from various retailers, including Amazon.