Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar chronicles her heartland journey, from her immigrant grandparents to her middle-class suburban upbringing to her rise in American politics.
... [Klobuchar] talks about the events and people that shaped her political beliefs, with some disarmingly funny and honest asides ... hews to a narrative about overcoming economic adversity—which speaks to her positions on reforming health care and fighting for the middle class, for instance—rather than overcoming sexism ... reflects both the gains of women in politics in recent decades, and the evolving strategies women politicians are now embracing to build on those gains ... we need more politicians like Klobuchar—who can tell their stories energetically and with humor, presenting themselves as dynamic public figures, rather than boxing themselves into 'The Woman Candidate' category.
... not a particularly exciting read, but it does serve as an apt reminder that some decency remains in American politics ... Klobuchar's stories are carefully positioned (unsurprisingly for a sitting politician) to be both accessible and carry the ring of authenticity while appealing to a broad spectrum of political affiliations. Her even-handedness could be cynically perceived as playing to the middle, but it sounds refreshingly genuine. Readers will come away feeling a bit more positive about the political system and the people working within it.
Humorous at times, honest, and meticulously detailed, occasionally to a fault, the author unveils her entire life’s history with a slow, steady pace ... Throughout the book, Klobuchar provides a wealth of daily minutiae ... These facts add quaintness to the narrative but also bog it down. Still, Klobuchar provides an informative chronicle balanced between her personal and political lives, one that reflects the stance she took early in life to overcome any obstacles thrown her way and how she has used that same drive to surmount the numerous obstructions she has faced while serving as senator ... A flawed but deeply personal recounting of one woman’s rise through the political ranks.
