Under Fire: Reporting from the Frontlines of the Trump White House

This revealing memoir from veteran White House reporter Ryan relates “the backstory of some of the major news events of 2017 and 2018.” The narrative ping-pongs between the Trump administration’s jarring policy shifts on issues like healthcare and the episodes, both serious and ludicrous, in which Ryan has faced off with a revolving cast of press secretaries and the 45th president himself about such topics as whether he’s a racist and whether she could help line up a chat with the Congressional Black Caucus. These encounters made her a media sensation—and a target of the right wing. The book takes a sober turn as Omarosa Manigault—the president’s onetime friend, aide, and unofficial black spokesperson (and former contestant on The Apprentice)—attempts to block Ryan’s access to the press secretary, among other things. Although plagued by self-doubt, insults, death threats, dismissals by male journalists, and the president’s characterizations of the media as the enemy of the people, Ryan champions her craft and perseveres amid the chaos. She clearly portrays the unrelenting stress of being one of the few black reporters on the prestigious White House beat, pulling back the curtain on the “emotional taxes” that African-American people endure daily in the workplace. This account will be an inspiration to those who have to fight similar battles. [em](Sept.) [/em]