Of all presidential families, the Reagans are one of the most scrutinized —and most misun-derstood. Patti Davis, Ronald and Nancy's daughter, has long observed all the controversy about her parents, and bridled at the myths and falsehoods. Finally, she has come to feel that it is only fair to them-and to herself-to set the record straight, telling the truth, as only she knows it, about her fabled family.
From the moment of her birth, seven months after her parents' marriage, Patricia Ann Reagan was a source of discomfort to her mother. Pretending that Patti was born pre-mature, Nancy embarked upon an increasingly stormy path as mother to a headstrong, defiant daughter. With surprising sympathy, Patti Davis, as she has called herself since her twenties, tries to understand the reasons for her mother's behaviour, which reach far back intoNancy's past. Yet Davis can never fully comprehend what happened behind closed doors at the Reagan household, and her father's denial of these shocking scenes. Indeed, she creates a portrait of the former president as a man so scarred by his own childhood in an alcoholic home that he emotionally abandoned his children. The Reagans, she reveals, were irrevocably torn apart by bitter rivalries, uncontrollable rage, and destructive impulses. Besides sharing many family secrets, Davis explores her own troubled past, including her drug use, suicidal impulses, and promiscuity. With astonishing candor, she relives her sad decision about motherhood and her fears that the rage she knew too well would be repeated. The Way I See It is not only poignant but heartbreaking. It is a portrait of a deeply troubled family hiding behind the lights of Hollywood and the presidency. And it is the story of a celebrated daughter determined to put the past in perspective.