First published 2020
Stephanie Winston Wolkoff chronicles her relationship with Melania Trump in this personal memoir. The former Vogue special events director first encountered Melania Knauss in 2003 when she was dating Donald Trump. Wolkoff produced nine Met Galas before witnessing Melania's evolution from Trump's girlfriend to his wife. Their bond grew through Manhattan lunches, formal events, and private moments at Trump Tower. Wolkoff observed Melania raising Barron and navigating her marriage's public challenges. When Trump became president, Wolkoff helped organize the 2016 inauguration and served as Melania's advisor. She recruited staff, planned events, drafted speeches, and developed the First Lady's programs. Their friendship shattered when Wolkoff became the target of inauguration spending investigations. Despite knowing Wolkoff's innocence, Melania abandoned her friend to protect her husband. Wolkoff addresses major controversies including the Access Hollywood recording, the Stormy Daniels scandal, Melania's relationship with Ivanka, and the controversial jacket message. She explores whether Melania enjoyed her role as First Lady and examines the inauguration's $107 million budget questions.
Genres: american, non-fiction, biography-memoir, 21st-century, current-affairs
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: betrayal, friendship, loyalty
Setting: Manhattan, Trump Tower
Period: 2003, 2016
352 pages · Hardcover · Gallery Books