The Best New Memoirs by Women in the U.S. Political Sphere
Women are climbing the ranks in American politics, from state positions to national offices—and in the case of Kamala Harris, holding the second-highest office as Vice President while campaigning for the U.S. presidency. Yet even as women make inroads at all levels, the political climate has grown more and more polarized, and the public discourse on power, policy and representation increasingly revolves around issues of gender. As a result, many high-profile women in politics have, in recent years, been inspired to share their stories in print, sparking an interest in books highlighting resilience in leadership, particularly from women who have overcome systemic barriers to attain influential positions.
Most recently, a new crop of biographies and memoirs by leaders like Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi have pulled back the curtain on not only powerful women’s political perspectives and decision-making processes but also their personal lives. The six recently published memoirs we’ve chosen to feature here highlight these leaders’ unique contributions to governance and American culture while offering an insider’s view of pivotal national events. They’re not always easy reads, but they’re all worth reading.
The Art of Power: My Story as America’s First Woman Speaker of the House by Nancy Pelosi
Nothing could have prepared Nancy Pelosi, 84, for the 2022 attack on her husband, Paul, at their San Francisco home. She opens her second book—her first, Know Your Power: A Message to America’s Daughters, was published in 2008—by recounting this traumatic incident that shook her family’s sense of security. She writes that Paul, still unable to speak about it, bears the scars of that night both emotionally and physically. Pelosi’s commitment to and fight for democracy began in an era 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 consistently prioritized children and their futures, describing them as the cornerstone of her platform and the guiding lens for her political decisions, a theme she expands on in her latest book.
Something Lost, Something Gained: Reflections on Life, Love and Liberty by Hillary Rodham Clinton
In her latest book, former First Lady and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton took her editor’s advice to heart: to write as though she’s chatting with guests at a dinner party, blending political and personal stories. Each chapter reads like an essay, offering deep insights into her life beyond politics, including her close friendship with Canadian mystery novelist Louise Penny, her admiration for Joni Mitchell and the loyalty of her grade-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 with each other at the end of each day no matter where they are in the world. And she definitely doesn’t shy away from addressing her 2016 presidential election loss to Donald Trump or his persistent claims that the 2020 election was stolen. “Every day, I make an effort to turn my eyes to the future instead,” she reflects.
Melania: A Memoir by Melania Trump
Melania Trump.">With just days remaining before the upcoming presidential election, former First Lady Trump has largely stayed out of the public eye. True to form, those hoping her book will offer insights into her politics may be disappointed—this quick read reveals little about her personal politics beyond her support for abortion rights and her opposition to the violence of the January 6 Capitol Riots. In this straightforward memoir, she reflects on her Slovenian upbringing, life in the spotlight, her relationship with Donald, her fashion career, the joy of motherhood and her advocacy work. She also discusses her entrepreneurial ventures, such as her jewelry line and skincare brand, and the pride she took in building her own career apart from her husband, even as her projects encountered setbacks. The publisher billed Melania Trump’s memoir as “an in-depth account of a woman who has led a remarkable life on her own terms,” and in that regard, it certainly delivers.
Oath and Honor: A Memoir and a Warning by Liz Cheney
Liz Cheney.">Cheney’s sharply focused book addresses her decision to be one of only ten Republicans (and the third-highest-ranking Republican in the House) to vote for Trump’s impeachment following the January 6 insurrection in 2021. This action led to her removal as chair of the House Republican Conference. Her appointment by Speaker Pelosi to the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol provided her with a direct avenue to share her account. The book’s title references the oath every elected official, including the President, swears, pledging allegiance to the Constitution above party loyalty. Cheney clarifies the “warning” in her subtitle on the last page of the prologue: “We cannot make the grave mistake of returning Donald Trump—the man who caused Jan. 6—to the White House, or to any position of public trust, ever again.”
Lovely One: A Memoir by Ketanji Brown Jackson
When President Biden appointed 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 her memoir with that pivotal scene, describing the moment she’s ushered into the room to take her oath, before moving into the story of her parents’ and grandparents’ struggles with segregation. Her Miami childhood is marked by hope and more opportunity than her forebears knew, as her parents work tirelessly to support her success. But Ketanji is already a bright, curious and reflective child—qualities that will carry her through Harvard, into motherhood and marriage, and ultimately to the Supreme Court. Her name, translated by her aunt, a Peace Corps volunteer in West Africa, means “lovely one,” which inspired the memoir’s title.
The Joy of Politics: Surviving Cancer, a Campaign, a Pandemic, an Insurrection, and Life’s Other Unexpected Curveballs by Amy Klobuchar
Minnesota-born U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar gained national prominence as a Democratic contender 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 amidst the insurrection, and in her personal life, she faced the loss of her father to Alzheimer’s, her husband’s COVID-19 hospitalization and oxygen support, and her own cancer diagnosis. Klobuchar’s humor and grounded personality shine through in her fourth book, starting with a lighthearted moment in the opening paragraph where her husband jokes about his “long-haul symptom”—his desire to avoid cleaning out the basement yet again—showcasing her resilience and strength.