Rodham by Curtis Sittenfeld
‘Awfully opinionated for a girl’ is what they call Hillary as she grows up in her Chicago suburb.
Smart, diligent, and a bit plain, that’s the general consensus. Then Hillary goes to college, and her star rises. At Yale Law School, she continues to be a leader― and catches the eye of driven, handsome and charismatic Bill. But when he asks her to marry him, Hillary gives him a firm No.
How might things have turned out for them, for America, for the world itself, if Hillary Rodham had really turned down Bill Clinton?
With her sharp but always compassionate eye, Sittenfeld explores the loneliness, moral ambivalence and iron determination that characterise the quest for high office, as well as the painful compromises demanded of female ambition in a world ruled by men.
Author Bio
In addition to Rodham, Curtis Sittenfeld is the author of the Sunday Times bestseller American Wife, in which she painted a picture of an ordinary American girl – a thinly-disguised Laura Bush - who found herself married to a President. It was longlisted for the Orange Prize, as was her debut novel Prep.
Her other books are Man of My Dreams, Sisterland (a Richard & Judy Book Club pick), Eligible, and the acclaimed short story collection You Think It, I’ll Say It. Her books are translated into 30 languages. She lives with her family in the American
Review
Imagine if Hilary Clinton didn’t marry Bill Clinton. What would the world look like? Would Hilary have won the 2016 election? Would she have become America’s first female President? It’s questions like these that this book proposes and fictionalises. Sittenfeld does this so well that whilst reading ‘Rodham’ you might start to accept this alternate world.
I wasn’t quite sure what to expect with this book as I don’t think I have ever read something quite like it before. To write a book about people who most of the world at least know about, if not judge or have well defined feelings for, must be strange. I know more about Hilary Clinton from the Obama years where she formed part of his administration and then from when she was campaigning to be President. I knew nothing about her early years or her relationship with Bill Clinton during college. Due to this I found it was quite difficult to be able to determine what was indeed fact or what was fiction? But this is what made the book captivating, if a bit disorientating.
The book was split into three sections for me. College, the joy of meeting Bill Clinton and moving to Arkansas, and the coming realisations that Bill was not the upstanding character she thought he was. The middle section covered Hilary’s middle years - her career, her lack of love life and being surrounded by peers who had married and had children. The final section covers her move into the public sphere. Toward the end there are some WTF moments.
What I think did come through in this book was the authors attempt to show that people are a combination of so many things and people never get a true representation of others. Bill Clinton has that Southern charm, he had that electability in real life. But in private in this book there is a vulnerability which is shown by always needing that reassurance of having Hilary there. Certainly, there is adultery both in real life and in ‘Rodham’ and he is a prick to so many people because of this. It shows a lack of will, a hunger to make everyone like him. Maybe because he didn’t like himself.
For Hilary I’m guessing the first section is very autobiographical since this is the one which sticks to the truth the most. I think I learnt a lot about her but I won’t know until a read either an autobiography or a biography of her. Something which I really do want to do now. I think the author shows in this novel an appreciation of the real Hilary Clinton. You couldn’t write or maybe even read this book if you didn’t like her. I think ‘Rodham’ attempts to humanise the character, show real behind the facade feelings and events. The one bit I love was when describing her ‘nest’ in the evenings and the Wordsworth quote;
emotion recollected in tranquility
I believe that this shows something about this Hilary. She gives so much to people during the day that she needs that space to redefine her and redraw her lines. Everyone has that need to escape and just be themselves. I’m currently doing it now!
I loved this book. It has made me want to learn more and for me that’s the sign of a a great story! It’s realistic, full of raw emotion, speculation and alternative worlds. I enjoyed every minute of this book.
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’A lot of fun. A wonderful sad dream of what might have happened’ GUARDIAN”
