The First Lady Next Door

By: Eliza Reid

Published by Sourcebooks, 2026-05-05

A witty, behind-the-scenes memoir of life as Iceland's First Lady, national bestselling author Eliza Reid's story reveals how resilience, humor, and boldness can turn unexpected challenges into extraordinary opportunities. What if finding your voice matters most when you feel out of place? In early 2016, Eliza Reid's biggest daily goals were modest but meaningful: showering without one of her four kids bursting into the bathroom, juggling clients without dropping a deadline, and growing the writers' retreat she was building from scratch. What wasn't on her bingo card? That her husband--a bookish, cardigan-wearing history professor -- would run for president of Iceland ... and seven weeks later, actually win. Suddenly, Canadian-born Eliza was catapulted into a new life as First Lady of her adopted country, with the eyes of a nation watching her every move--as someone's wife. Absent an instruction manual (she Googled how to curtsey before meeting the Queen of Denmark), she decided to do what she'd always done: figure it out on her own terms. Part fish out-of-water story and part fairy tale, The First Lady Next Door takes readers from rural Ontario to Timbuktu, and from the White House to Buckingham Palace. Eliza shows how embracing authenticity in all its messiness can become our greatest strength, even when the world expects polished perfection. After all, our everyday moments are what create the roadmap for making the unexpected count.