Nancy Reagan — The Book That Tore Her Family Apart

"Stay out of our lives!" seethed Nancy Reagan — after she got her first look at daughter Patti Davis' 1986 book about a political family! Patti, who preferred using her mother's maiden name, was desperate to exploit her lineage as Ronald Reagan's kid to become more than just the First Daughter. That included an attempted literary career with a novel called "Home Front." But her mother was outraged after the book jacket described her daughter's slanderous story as "candidly autobiographical" — igniting another one of the fiery First Lady's famously fierce feuds!

Nancy first read the book when Patti sent her a copy a few days before it was published — and sources told The National ENQUIRER that the First Lady hit the ceiling! Said a friend, "Nancy's furious with Patti because of that rancid book. She called Patti and told her, 'You don't act like the President's daughter! You act like his enemy. You've hurt both of us!' Now Nancy won't even talk to her anymore!"

There's no mistaking that "Home Front" is a self-portrait. Patti's alter ego in the book, a narrator named Beth, is the daughter of a charismatic, stubbornly conservative governor of California who later becomes President. The character representing Ronald Reagan is presented in a sympathetic manner — but the mother comes off as petty, obsessed with her appearance, and downright peculiar!

On the day of the presidential inauguration, the character clearly based on Nancy gives the White House her own personal once-over. "My mother was carrying on conversations as she ducked in and out of rooms," said the narrator, "inspecting furniture, drapes, walls. 'There's just so much history here! Imagine all the people who have been within these walls. But, good grief, I just can't wait to redecorate!'"

In another part of the book, Nancy's character sips a drink and tells her philosophy of marriage: "All I ever wanted was a husband and a family. There are many things I might have liked to do, places I'd have liked to visit or maybe even have lived in. But that all had to take a backseat to your father's work and his goals."

Pointing out how obsessed Nancy's character was with her appearance, Patti wrote: "She checked her hair for any misplaced strands, of which there were none. There never were. Her hair was always perfectly in place, framing her face in the most flattering way possible. I couldn't remember it ever looking any different."

These and other personal glimpses — including tales of tense Christmases, sneaking a boyfriend into the guest bedroom at the governor's mansion, and how Nancy's character was aghast when her daughter took her to an erotic art exhibit — absolutely infuriated Nancy, friends said. One insider whispered: "Nancy has always been very image-conscious, so she's terribly embarrassed by this!"

The First Lady considered the book a terrible slap in the face that invades the Reagans' privacy and made her look like "a fool." The ENQUIRER was told that the First Lady was quick to go to war over Patti's thinly-disguised tell-all, too! Two of Nancy's famous admirers — Joan Rivers and Merv Griffin — abruptly canceled planned interviews with Patti. The aspiring novelist blamed the First Lady, fuming to a friend: "I hate my mother! I will never, ever speak to her again for the rest of my life — she's a witch!"

Patti didn't even stay at the White House when the book tour took her to Washington, D.C.! "She didn't call her parents," said a White House insider. "And instead of staying at the White House, she stayed at a hotel. It's the worst First Family feud ever!" Patti's half-brother Michael, who had his own run-ins with Nancy, told The ENQUIRER: "Patti should have made Dad and Nancy aware of the content of the book earlier!"

Patti didn't even stay at the White House when the book tour took her to Washington, D.C.! "She didn't call her parents," said a White House insider. "And instead of staying at the White House, she stayed at a hotel. It's the worst First Family feud ever!" Patti's half-brother Michael, who had his own run-ins with Nancy, told The ENQUIRER: "Patti should have made Dad and Nancy aware of the content of the book earlier!"

The former First Daughter would continue to rebel against her family, and even appeared on the cover of Playboy magazine at the age of 41 in July 1994 — also starring in her own direct-to-video "Playboy Celebrity Centerfold", which featured her cavorting in a hot lesbian sex scene, plus footage of Patti pleasuring herself.

Patti, now 63, would reconcile with Nancy later in life — with that being one of the few feuds her mother was willing to put to rest. Patti's published statement about her mother's death on March 6 at the age of 94 was still noticeably terse. “My mother had been in poor health for quite a while, and recently had gotten markedly worse," Patti wrote on her website, "so this wasn’t a surprise."