Sold – Reagan Poignantly Pleads With His Daughter For a Family Reconcilation

Patti Davis was for many years, including those during her father’s presidential administration and just after, disaffected from her family and at times did not keep her disagreements and disaffection a secret. In the early 1990s she prepared her autobiography, and it maintained that her father was an emotionally uninvolved parent and that her mother was abusive. The book, “The Way I See It”, was published in 1992. So the Reagan family had its share of strife, and much of that played out in the public sphere. Despite all, this, Ronald Reagan reached out to his daughter for a reconciliation. That reconciliation would, in fact, come; but it would wait until the former president was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and the family came together to help support each other at that time.

In 1991 Kitty Kelley published “Nancy Reagan: The Unauthorized Biography.” The book claimed that the former First Lady had engaged in multiple affairs with Frank Sinatra, that she frequently relied on astrology, that she had lied about her age, and that she had a very poor relationship with her children, even alleging that she hit her daughter, Patti. Reagan issued a statement saying the book was replete with falsehoods.

Autograph Letter Signed, on his notecard, California, May 8, 1991. “I hope you’ll understand that as an 80 year old I would like – in the time left me – to see if we might become something of a family. By this I don’t mean an invasion of your privacy. I’d appreciate it if you’d give me your phone number. My office number is area code 213 and 552-1980. Our home number is 213-478-4646. Patti between now and Sunday (if you get this in time), if not then later, I believe you should call your mother. After all Sunday is “Mother’s Day.” Your mother has been going through h–l and is really hurting over this Kitty Kelly garbage which is completely false. I’ve never seen her this low. Patti I recall happy days at Del Coronado every summer – then our vacations at Trancas. I also recall your wedding and how happy your mother was in arranging the ceremony. We won’t invade your privacy but I’ll feel better if I know you can be reached by phone. Love, Dad.” We acquired this unpublished letter and the one that follows directly from Ms. Davis.