Women are moving up the ranks of American politics, from state offices to national offices – and in the case of Kamala Harrisholding the second highest position as vice president while campaign for the American presidency. Yet even as women advance at all levels, the political climate is increasingly polarized and public discourse about power, politics, and representation increasingly revolves around gender issues. As a result, in recent years many prominent female politicians have been encouraged to share their stories in print, sparking interest in books showcasing resilience in leadership, particularly from women who have overcame systemic barriers to access influential positions.

More recently, a new harvest of biographies and memoirs by leaders like the Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson and President of the House Nancy Pelosi pulled back the curtain not only on the political perspectives and decision-making processes of influential women, but also on their personal lives. The six recently published memoirs we have chosen to present here highlight the unique contributions of these leaders to American governance and culture while providing an insider’s perspective on crucial national events. These are not always easy reads, but they are all worth reading.

The Art of Power: My Story as the First Female Speaker of the United States House of Representatives by Nancy Pelosi

Nothing could have prepared Nancy Pelosi, 84, for the attack on her husband, Paul, in 2022 at their San Francisco home. She opens his second book-his first, Know Your Power: A Message to American Girlswas published in 2008, recounting the traumatic incident that shook his family’s sense of security. She writes that Paul, still unable to talk about it, bears the scars of that night both emotionally and physically. Pelosi’s commitment and fight for democracy began at a time when few women held political office. Since then, she has been re-elected to the House eighteen times and served as the first female Speaker of the House from 2007 to 2011 and again from 2019 to 2023. Throughout her career, she has always put children first and their future, describing them as the cornerstone of her program and the guiding objective of her political decisions, a theme that she develops in her latest book.

Something Lost, Something Gained: Thoughts on Life, Love, and Freedom by Hillary Rodham Clinton

In his latest bookFormer US First Lady and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton followed her editor’s advice: write as if she were chatting with guests at a dinner party, mixing political and personal stories. Each chapter reads like an essay, offering in-depth insight into his life beyond politics, including his close friendship with Canadian crime novelist Louise Penny, his admiration for Joni Mitchell, and the loyalty of his elementary school friends . Yet Clinton also writes about her efforts to help evacuate Afghan women to safety and describes the routine she and her husband, Bill, maintain, checking in on each other at the end of each day, wherever they are in the world. And she certainly isn’t shy about discussing her 2016 presidential election loss to Donald Trump or her continued claims that the 2020 election was stolen. “Every day, I try instead to look to the future,” she reflects.

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Melania: a memoir by Melania Trump

With the upcoming presidential election just days away, former First Lady Trump has largely stayed out of the public eye. True to form, those who hope his book which will offer insight into his politics may be disappointed – this quick read reveals little about his personal politics beyond his support for abortion rights and his opposition to the violence of the January 6 Capitol riots. In this simple memoir, she reflects on her Slovenian upbringing, her life in the spotlight, her relationship with Donald, her fashion career, the joy of motherhood and her advocacy work. She also talks about her entrepreneurial ventures, such as her jewelry line and skincare brand, and the pride she felt in building her own career without her husband, even though her ventures encountered setbacks. The publisher charged Melania TrumpThe memoir calls “an in-depth account of a woman who led a remarkable life on her own terms,” and in that regard it certainly delivers.

Oath and Honor: A Memoir and Warning by Liz Cheney

Cheney’s tightly focused book addresses his decision to be one of ten Republicans (and the third highest-ranking Republican in the House) to vote for Trump’s impeachment following the January 6, 2021, insurrection. led to her dismissal from her post as Speaker of Parliament. House Republican Conference. His appointment by Speaker Pelosi to the Special Committee to Investigate the January 6 Attack on the United States Capitol provided him with a direct avenue to share his story. The bookThe title refers to the oath taken by every elected official, including the president, pledging allegiance to the Constitution over party loyalty. Cheney clarifies the “warning” contained in his subtitle on the last page of the prologue: “We cannot make the grave mistake of returning Donald Trump – the man who provoked January 6 – to the White House, or to any other position of public trust. never again. »

Lovely One: a memoir by Ketanji Brown Jackson

When President Biden nominated Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court in 2022, it marked a historic milestone: She became the first Black woman to serve on the highest court in the United States. Jackson opens his memoirs with this pivotal scene, describing the moment she is brought into the room to take the oath, before moving on to the story of her parents’ and grandparents’ struggles against segregation. His childhood in Miami is marked by hope and more opportunity than his ancestors imagined, as his parents work tirelessly to support his success. But Ketanji is already a bright, curious, thoughtful child — qualities that will take her to Harvard, through motherhood and marriage, and ultimately to the Supreme Court. Her name, translated by her aunt, a Peace Corps volunteer in West Africa, means “lovely,” which inspired the title of the memoir.

The Joy of Politics: Surviving Cancer, a Campaign, a Pandemic, an Insurrection, and Life’s Other Unexpected Upheavals by Amy Klobuchar

Minnesota-born United States senator Amy Klobuchar gained national prominence as a Democratic candidate in the 2020 presidential race. Her journey since then has been a whirlwind, both publicly and personally: She stood alongside former Vice President Mike Pence on the night of January 6, as he certified President Biden’s victory amid the insurrection, and in her personal life, she dealt with the loss of her father to Alzheimer’s disease, the hospitalization of her husband due to COVID-19 and oxygen support, and his own cancer diagnosis. Klobuchar’s humor and strong personality shine through in his fourth bookbeginning with a light-hearted moment in the first paragraph where her husband jokes about her “long-term symptom” – her desire to avoid cleaning the basement once again – demonstrating her resilience and strength.