There was no bowling alley and there was no library in Plains, Georgia. In her book, "First Lady from Plains," Rosalynn Carter reflects on her childhood and her time at the White House. Times were tough, explained Carter, but she never knew they were poor. Carter went on numerous radio interviews in the hopes that the public would learn who her husband was.

From the book, “Everything to Gain: Making the Most of the Rest of Your Life”, in a country with such great wealth, to see so many (people) without a place to live is devastating, according to Rosalynn Carter, and President Jimmy Carter said it was embarrassing. Their backgrounds, their time in the White House, the homeless and Habitat for Humanity are some of the topics covered in the Carters’ book. At the time when the Carters started to write this book, they had been married for 40 years. Mr. Carter revealed that writing this book together was the worst experience they shared.