terms with the big questions rather than just business as usual and just going backwards which is what much of this is and doesn't go very well. [applause] >> you are watching booktv, television for serious readersism you can watch any program you see here online at booktv.org. jenna and barbara bush have a new book coming out. that's called sisters first. why does the title quest >> we are sisters first but we have been so lucky in our lives which meant we always have a partner in everything we are doing so whether it was growing up in texas because they're there was someone with us to

make it more magical we had someone that was also going through the same experiences that understood what life was like but we started off together. >> your sister used the word ordinary. was your life ordinary? >> people will come up to us and say you are so normal on tv and it's kind of a strange thing to hear because we want to think of ourselves as exceptional as we are normal and we write a little bit about what made us who we are. my grandfather was a homebuilder

homebuilder. they were just as much a part of our lives and in fact favor of this cornerstone so i think we have a sort of juxtaposition i don't think people realize and i don't think we have been through things on the outside but then there's also personal joys and struggles that we will share in the book that will surprise people. >> in your upcoming book right up until this day that we walk into a room or a restaurant or almost any public space be here it's the bush twins. when did you understand you lost the public narrative? >> i think that when he was running for president and i'm told i'm we

were living in texas and went to a big public high school bears cheerleaders and jobs and that whole thing and then when we were 18 and our dad started running for president all of a sudden i think we became more aware that other people have narratives of us that need or may not be true. there was a time but that for us there wasn't a lot of social media we couldn't own our narrative because we didn't want to in many ways. we wanted to be college kids and

experience the world and focus on not how people perceive us. but also what is interesting is anybody can relate with the fact that when you are part of a group somehow you get kind of characterized so many times people say you're the loud one but really if people knew us, she commutes into those that know her see it but then you wonder do you call other under stereotypes or play into that more because that is what people think of you and it's been fun to explore that and we see our grandfather and father stereotype.

it's the way that we kind of simplified public figures. >> one of the things you did it it is easier to simplify people. i think we see this with cable news and c-span '2 we love you but really people are complicated and we are complicated and we have been characterized as one way and i think it is fun to share or story and tell who we really are. on purpose so you wouldn't be together is that true? we are

a >> personally, i couldn't get into yale. we are very different and i think think that ms. barber a mistake and one or two problems on her sats and i missed several more. we were always really celebrated for who we were. i love to write and perform and my parents applauded about and never made me feel like i was plus or. i was curious to go to other places and meet new people. the beauty is we got double the friends because i could come friendsconference with all of her friends at the university of texas and it was a real kind of blessing and it. >> there were all these

stereotypes in the college years. that, my friend, is not true. twinkle. >> you wrote about it. but as a first grader i did take my own kidnapping. twinkle was my secret service code name. i don't know if we had code names when my grandpa was president we only had secret service for a short period. we should investigate that. it was based on our eyes. they said i had a twinkle in my

eye, i think that had to do with mistress and barbara has these beautiful turquoise eyes. it was what you see and read. >> my mom is unbelievably calm. she can shut us down with one lock. she is the so-called but wasn't happy to be honest. so you said that they were inaccurate because there was a story about you and cars. it's not that good of a story. by the way, this is how the world was back then. i don't even know the story. i was with friends from yale. i was in a car that had the toll pass, so we went through and secret service -- >> [inaudible] >> you have to include this. we lost them. but then someone wrote about it

and it became this whole thing. i think it was in the national enquirer. >> maybe i should read "the new york times" a little bit more. i'm tired of being only --. my dad's dad and these unbelievable stories of him and things he said to me. that's easy to write because it meant so much to me. i would say our parents said we cried. that was sort of naive on all of our parts to have a college experience. so when we got in trouble, everybody thinks based on tv and stereotypes my parents were furious and i'm sure they were disappointed but more than that they were saturday promised a normalcy that was not depend upon. i'm so happy that i had parents

that allow us to make mistakes. imagine if we were perfect life would be boring. it would be too much pressure. but now as a mother with two little girls to make mistakes and also to learn about empathy and carrying the world to bring life to it. it would be one particular thing thing. >> speaking of mothers you write with laura bush was the families closet hippy. >> she was. little known fact. growing up we always had music playing. a number of other memories i was just thinking about when i was nine. everyone was getting new kids on the block. she wouldn't say this because she was so demure and wasn't

controlling but wanted us to have good music taste. i'm working for the today show and it's really fun. i literally ran for days. mom, they told me not to go, she literally said that. i literally sprinted in the opposite direction on the steps of the white house we spent all these years trying to hide from the media and now i work for them which is ironic but awesome because it shows life is unexpected and if you are still rigid about what you want your life to be then you can never experience the beauty of growing and changing. and i think it also shows you can't judge people. i had these stereotypes of

people i worked with. savanna guthrie is one of my best friends and is here today with a children's book, princesses wear pants. she's one of my next-door neighbors and best friend. i thought of her as someone different than she is and i think that is what we are trying to talk about ourselves that people are more complicated than we think. >> this isn't the first book that you co-authored. >> that is true. i've also written two children's books with my mom who is a very vivacious editor and a little more complicated to work with. don't tell her i said that. >> why did you hide from the media? >> i don't know that i have hidden from the media. you mean when we were younger.

i am a very private person. even writing this book was a leap for me. but i'm proud because she was honest and overall and there were things i learned about her even today we rode in the site was. we were in college and we were young. so the idea of additional attention. it's ironic that she's on tv now but when we were younger, college was about going to school and to see our friends and starting our career and so much of this personal and private so i would say [inaudible] >> and we will be on tour together. >> the book is out in october. and what are you doing today? >> i run an organization that focuses on amazing young leaders

that are currently solving of care issues throughout life so it is a helpful way to wake up every day knowing that there's almost a thousand amazing young people who are passionate about serving others and making sure they can live a healthy life. she is doing awesome work. i literally ran and my dad is on a one-man campaign. using the word literally. my 4-year-old said mom, eric told me not to go. he literally said that. and i was like what did you just say? he will be furious because he noticed how it became a word. this is true. are literally ran, sprinted in

the opposite direction, from david gregory when i went for a run around the mall. we spent these years trying to hide from the media and now i work for them so that is ironic but awesome because it shows life is unexpected. if you are ridgeded on what you live to be it it it it shows you can't judge. i have a friend who has a children's book and she is my next door neighbor and one of my best friends. i think i thought of her as somebody that is different than who she is. i think that is goes for what we are trying to talk about ourselves that people are more complicated than we usually think. this is not the first book you have coauthored?

>> that is true. i have written two children's books with my mom who is a very vivacious editor and a little more complicated to work with. you are easier. >> thank you. >> don't tell her i said that. >> why did you hide from the media? >> i don't know i hid from the media. >> i thought maybe -- >> because i said i did. >> oh, you mean when we were younger? >> yeah. >> i am a very private person. even writing this book was a leap but i am because she was honest and raw. there were things i learned about her. even today i learned i wrote in silos and red her part and i was blown away -- read. i think we again were in college and we were young and so the idea of additional attention on us was uncomfortable.

it is ironic that gejenna is onv now but our life in college, and post college, was about going to school, our friends, figuring out what we wanted to do and starting our career. so much of that is personal. to me it was very private. i would say i probably guess would hide from the media still. >> she is coming -- we will be on tour together. >> yes. the book comes out in october. >> october 24th. >> barbara bush, what are you doing these days? >> i run an organization that focuses on competitively recruiting amazing young leaders who are solving the world's most pressing issues throughout their lives and our lives. it is a comfortable way to wake up knowing there is almost a 1,000 amazing young people who are passionate about serving

others and making sure they can live a healthy and dignified life. >> global health careism she is doing awesome work. final question. is there a sorority or fraternity among white house kids and do you ever talk to the johnson girls or women i should say? >> yes, we have and definitely with chelsea and malia and sasha. we felt up believablely protective of sasha and malia. we saw our little selves in them when our grand father became president and when they left the white house it was the same age we were when our dad became president. being a teenager with your dad president isn't easy but it is incredibly rewarding. we have had kind of been pen pals with them. we have heard back from them.

we penned open letters and heard back in a private way. i am just so proud to be part of this group especially of the women. there are men to but the most recent have been women. i do think we are part of a group of really awesome women who have each other's back. i think that is the whole point of the book. we are part of a group like that. >> sisters first, you mean, you are part of the clan. we are not going to leave them out but sisters first can mean more than just blood sisters. >> given your experience, what do you think is going through barren trump's mind? >> well, he is in elementary school so i hope it is just that. school, friends and playing sports or doing whatever hobbies that he is interested in because he deserves to be a kid and he is a kid.

>> we should treat him like that. i think children of the president should be off limits period. you can say what you want about his father who chose to run but he didn't make that decision. he was in elementary school. when people attack children and the president who don't, you know, who are not political and don't have a say, it makes me mad. sisters and brothers first. >> here is the cover of book. it is called sisters first; stories from our wild and wonderful life. >> do you know what that comes from? >> an oliver poem it says tell me what it is you plan to do with your one wild and precious life? >> i didn't read about that in the national enquirer. >> exactly. >> thank you so much. >> the book is out in october. thanks for being on booktv. >> thanks so much. that was fun. we had a