An inspiring memoir by the Canadian-born former First Lady of Iceland that asks the question: What if the life you didn't plan is the one where you find your voice?

In early 2016, Canadian-born 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, 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 curtsy 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 and part fairy tale, The First Lady Next Door takes you from rural Ontario to Timbuktu, to the White House and Buckingham Palace. Eliza shows how embracing authenticity in all its messiness can become your greatest strength, even when the world expects polished perfection. After all, our everyday moments are what create the roadmap for making the unexpected count.

About The Author

Eliza Reid

Eliza Reid is a bestselling writer, public speaker, gender equality advocate, and cofounder of the acclaimed Iceland Writers Retreat. She was born and raised in Canada but has lived in Iceland for over twenty years. Her first book, Secrets of the Sprakkar: Iceland’s Extraordinary Women and How They Are Changing the World, was an instant bestseller in Canada and Iceland, and a New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice. Her debut mystery, Death on the Island, was an instant national bestseller in Canada, Iceland, and the United States, is the first of a series, and has been optioned for television. From 2016 to 2024, Eliza served in the unofficial role of First Lady while her husband was President of Iceland. She lives in the outskirts of Reykjavík with her husband and four children.