Laura Bush biography sets no hearts racing

It seems an autobiography by Laura Bush (pictured) is likely to be so anaemic as to be barely publishable. According to a report in the New Yorker, a group of excited publishing executives who went to see her at the White House recently to discuss bidding for the rights, came away far from enthused.

"She was not forthcoming about anything that I would consider controversial," said a publisher who preferred to remain anonymous. "We questioned her rigorously but it was one-word answers. I considered it the worst, or the most frustrating, meeting of its sort that I've ever had".

Even more damning was the same publisher's response when he was asked whether there was a chance Laura might prove to be a closet Democrat, which would bring a certain frisson to her White House memories. He sighed: "You got the sense she's just like him."

Mrs Bush let the word be known back in November that a memoir was on offer, since when she has raised her media profile considerably. "I think she has a story to tell," said Tim Duggan, executive editor at HarperCollins. "It's not a surprise that she's going to be the first one out of the gate."

Her memoirs would be expected to fetch in the region of $2m - but the publisher who spoke with the New Yorker made it clear his company would not be bidding.

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