Ten Letters ─ The Stories Americans Tell Their President

In this inspiring and powerful look at the issues facing Americans today, reporter Eli Saslow creates vivid portraits of the lives of ten citizens who corresponded with President Obama. Their letters, and the president’s handwritten responses, tell of the personal struggles behind everything from healthcare to immigration to war. One mother writes to express her fears about the wellbeing of a son currently deployed in Afghanistan. A young girl in Kentucky shares her frustrations while attending one of the country’s worst schools, and the president relies on her story in his push for education reform. What these ten letters reveal about the relationship between a president and the people he governs is deeply affecting, and what ultimately emerges from within the stories is the incredible endurance and optimism of the American people.

Eli Saslow has been a staff writer at The Washington Post since 2004. He covered the 2008 presidential campaign, wrote profile stories about Barack Obama and then chronicled the president's life inside the White House. Saslow has won multiple awards for news and feature writing. He lives in Washington with his wife and daughter.