Social media has exposed what many women knew implicitly: Broad misogyny in American society is real… especially when a woman has a platform or power. Nancy Pelosi, the first woman Speaker of the US House of Representatives, has been a target for decades. Because she comes from a progressive district in San Francisco, she’s labeled as out of touch with most Americans. Her deep, religious faith rarely receives media airing. In this memoir, she demonstrates that this caricature is overblown and that she’s secure in her political identity. She powerfully voices how her Roman Catholic roots motivate how she has transformed the world through her leadership.
My favorite parts of this memoir were the inside access to the 2008 financial collapse and her emotional account of January 6, 2021. Her decency and commitment to serving her fellow Americans – despite being one of the conservatives’ prime targets – shine throughout the entire account. She exhibits compassion, grace, and undying willingness to find common ground to benefit the American people.
With no surprise, this account shows her as a clear Democrat with a strong “us vs. them” theme in the House’s political competition. Yet she bravely sought to incorporate collaborations with the Republicans willing to work together. She highlights this theme throughout her entire time in Congress, going back to a story about Bob Dole in 1994. In her conclusion, she laments how such bipartisan civility has diminished in recent years.
As with much of misogyny, her story will have little positive impact on her detractors. They will continue to vilify her with little intellectual depth. Yet her account should inspire generations of young girls who see that they can be successful women in politics without losing their moral compass. They just need to have Nancy’s courage; thankfully, she shows us how in this book. We all – conservatives and liberals – could learn from her brave compassion that started with HIV/AIDS advocacy and continued to lead with wise steadiness through decades of American crises.
The Art of Power: My Story as America’s First Woman Speaker of the House
by Nancy Pelosi
Narrated by Nancy Pelosi
Copyright (c) 2024
Simon & Schuster
ASIN B0D1SCM4LH
Length: 10:45
Genre: Memoir, US Politics
www.amazon.com