Melania Trump’s memoir ‘Melania’: Release date and what parts of her life it will be about

Melania Trump is set to release a memoir as her husband seeks a second term as president. Over the last few weeks, the former first lady has been missing from the campaign trail, having been seen only a handful of times since the RNC convention in July.

The book will be released on October 8, and little is currently known about its contents. Ms. Trump has maintained a low public profile since being launched into the national spotlight in 2015. During Donald Trump’s tenure in the White House, Melania gave only a handful of interviews, and that trend has continued since the family left Washington. Though the presidential campaign is in full swing and the release of the self-titled Melania is an opportunity to connect with voters, very few media appearances have been announced.

The little publicity that has been done has focused on what is expected to be the more controversial contents of the book. Already, Ms. Trump has attacked the hyperfocus of the media on her nude modeling career.

The nature of political memoirs

Like many memoirs by political leaders and their family members, the book is expected to provide a lens into a person’s life story that is curated and focused on the elements they would like highlighted and remembered by the public. These types of books are often meant to be inspirational and follow a rags-to-riches framework that highlights certain skills they attribute to their success. ‘Melania’ is expected to be no different, with the publisher describing the book as a “compelling and inspirational memoir that offers a glimpse into the life of a remarkable woman who has navigated challenges with grace and determination.” The reader of this article knows that the description matches the book written by Ms. Trump, but if read without any context, it could describe many women in American public life. The author and publisher know that the reader of the book is likely to be a fan and happy to learn more about the origins of Ms. Trump. What we don’t yet know is how much the memoir will reflect Ms. Trump’s emotional state in the recent past.

Melania has often been a target of speculation, and her closed-off approach to the public makes her release of a memoir all the more fascinating. Whether one is a Trump voter or not, there is interest in how she feels about the recent past and whether the book will describe those experiences sincerely. Judging the sincerity of the stories will be up to the reader, but those hoping to pick up a copy shouldn’t be surprised if they find it to be overly polished. Vulnerability is a strength, but opening oneself up to criticism and scrutiny is difficult, and with the election a few short months away, those in her orbit may not see now as the right moment for that level of honesty.