Why JD Vance's Wife Usha Always Has A Massive Book With Her

In the lead up to the U.S. presidential election, the candidates and their families were as visible as ever. Usha Vance was often seen at husband JD Vance's side, along with their children — and a book. Usha is quite the reader, just like her young son. "[O]ur now 7-year-old [Ewan] decided in the spring that he was obsessed with mythology. He picked up a child's version of 'The Odyssey' and then 'The Iliad' and all these other things and became completely obsessed," Usha told NBC News. "So to keep up with him, I decided it was time to pick 'The Iliad' up myself." Campaigning can be quite the odyssey itself, of course, so there's no doubt Homer's works offered valuable insights for the Vance family.

Like any voracious reader, Usha always has a book by her side. How better to pass a long flight on the campaign trail than with a good page-turner? Usha is often photographed boarding planes with a book in hand. NBC News noted Usha has also been seen carrying "In the Woods" by Tana French, "North Woods" by Daniel Mason, and "Cloud Cuckoo Land" by Anthony Doerr, suggesting she enjoys ripping through a renowned bestseller just as much as anyone.

A 2022 New York Times profile mentioned Usha used to be active on Goodreads, a platform for readers to rate books and curate lists of titles they want to read. The Times listed authors Zadie Smith, Jonathan Safran Foer, Vladimir Nabokov, Nina Burleigh, and Nicholas Kristof as authors Usha read and posted about on Goodreads before her account went dormant, showing she's been a reader with a wide range of interests all along.

Though they're both devouring Greek mythology, that doesn't mean mom and son are reading the same books. "My 7-year-old immediately grabbed [The Iliad] and started reading it, and then I flipped ahead and realized that it contained a lot of content that I hadn't totally vetted for him at this point," she told NBC News. While the 800-page edition Usha Vance keeps by her side might not be age-appropriate for her son, Ewan Vance can look forward to diving into Rick Riodan's "Percy Jackson" series or George O'Connor's "Olympians" graphic novels in a couple years if his interest persists.

The Vances have largely kept their children out of the spotlight in the lead up to the 2024 election. JD and Usha Vance have three children: Ewan, Vivek, and Mirabel. "We were blessed with an early Christmas present this year," JD wrote in a since-deleted Instagram post announcing their daughter's birth in December 2021 (via E! News). His Instagram account only features posts related to his campaign and the election as the couple has sought to keep their children's lives private.

JD did share a charming message on the Senate floor earlier in 2024. He missed his son Vivek's birthday due to Senate obligations, but read Dr. Seuss's "Oh, The Places You'll Go" in honor of him, knowing it would be recorded and shared (via Forbes).