The First Lady Next Door: A Memoir of Iceland, Identity, and Unexpected Adventure

In early 2016, Eliza Reid's life centered on manageable goals: managing her household with four children, juggling writing clients, and developing a writers' retreat she was building. That changed when her husband, a history professor, ran for president of Iceland and won seven weeks later. Suddenly, the Canadian-born Reid became first lady of her adopted country, thrust into public scrutiny. Without formal guidance, Reid approached her new role on her own terms, learning as she went—including how to curtsey before meeting the Queen of Denmark. The First Lady Next Door chronicles Reid's journey from rural Ontario through experiences in Timbuktu, the White House, and Buckingham Palace. The memoir explores how resilience, humor, and boldness transformed unexpected challenges into opportunities, and how embracing authenticity, despite its messiness, became her greatest strength when the world expected polished perfection.