Laura Bush memoir to be published in 2010

A memoir by Laura Bush, wife of U.S. President George W. Bush, will be released in 2010, publisher Scribner announced Monday.

The president's wife has signed with Scribner, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, to write about both personal and historical moments.

Terms of the deal have not been disclosed, but it is expected she will earn as much as Hillary Clinton, who was offered a reported $8 million US for her memoir Living History.

"As a rare witness to the private moments of one of our country's most consequential presidencies, and as a first lady who has maintained a notable level of discretion, her memoir will provide a candid and personal perspective, and an enduring record, of the years that have already determined the course of the 21st century," said Susan Maldow, executive vice-president and publisher of Scribner.

Bush, who trained as a teacher and worked as both a teacher and librarian before her husband became involved in politics, is known for her support for health, literacy and education causes.

Bush has written a children's book, Read All About It!, published last spring by HarperCollins.

She has been known for her discretion, saying very little about herself publicly. She also remains popular with the American people, despite the president's plunge in the polls.

Bush said in a statement that she would "tell the stories of the extraordinary events and people I've met in my life, particularly during my years in the White House."

Memoirs by U.S. presidents' wives, including Nancy Reagan's My Turn, Barbara Bush: A Memoir, Rosalind Carter's First Lady from Plains and Betty Ford's The Times of My Life, have been reliable sellers for the book industry.

President Bush is also believed to be interested in writing a memoir, but publishers have urged him to wait because of his poor approval ratings.

American Wife, by Curtis Sittenfeld, a work of fiction about a book-reading wife and mother married to a hard-partying politician who rises to the White House, is believed to be based on Laura Bush's life. It is already a bestseller.