Hillary Rodham Clinton: A Woman Living History

After decades in the public eye, Hillary Rodham Clinton is still an enigma, as Blumenthal (Tommy: The Gun That Changed America) emphasizes in this compelling portrait of the former U.S. Senator and Secretary of State’s journey from budding activist to presidential aspirant. Ticketed from an early age for great things—her college commencement speech was covered by Life magazine—she baffled mentors by joining then-boyfriend Bill in Arkansas, rather than pursuing her own high-profile career. Blumenthal hits the highlights—becoming First Lady of Arkansas and then the nation, winning a Senate seat, joining Obama’s cabinet—and the lowlights, including Whitewater, Bill’s infidelity, and the attack on the U.S. Embassy in Benghazi. The most engrossing chapters give context to Hillary’s choice to marry her fate with Bill’s, and chronicle the tense weeks leading to the assassination of Osama bin Laden while she headed the State Department, yet the sense that Clinton still struggles with being a public figure dominates. B&w photographs and political cartoons appear throughout. Ages 12–up. (Jan.)