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In This Together: My Story
When Mitt and Ann Romney met in their late teens, a great American love story began. And their life together would be blessed: five healthy sons, financial security, and a home filled with joy. Despite the typical ups and downs, they had a storybook life.
Then, in 1998, Ann was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. She couldn't believe it was real; there were no therapies or treatments to help her. Mitt told her that day that they would tackle the diagnosis as a team: They were in it together. "As long as it isn't fatal, we're fine. If you have to be in a wheelchair, I'll be right there to push it," he told her. And Ann thought, "But I'll be the one in the wheelchair." A caregiver and helper her whole life, she'd crossed a terrible invisible line. She wouldn't be able to care for her family anymore. She was the patient. Ann and Mitt would face the most frightening and humbling experience of their lives.
From reflections on her early life, her marriage, and her diagnosis and recovery, the sources of her faith, and the stories of others who overcame adversity and inspired her to keep going, In This Together is a brave and deeply honest portrait of a family facing an unexpected blow, often in the most public of circumstances.
"A lot of people talk about a transformation that happens when life throws you a curve ball, and the big one in my life was my MS diagnosis. With all the blessings I've had, MS has been my greatest teacher: It has taught me about faith, compassion, and serving others. I've met many people along the way who've shared advice and demonstrated enormous resilience in the face of challenges; their stories gave me strength. In sharing my story, I want to give others hope as I've been given hope on this journey."
Then, in 1998, Ann was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. She couldn't believe it was real; there were no therapies or treatments to help her. Mitt told her that day that they would tackle the diagnosis as a team: They were in it together. "As long as it isn't fatal, we're fine. If you have to be in a wheelchair, I'll be right there to push it," he told her. And Ann thought, "But I'll be the one in the wheelchair." A caregiver and helper her whole life, she'd crossed a terrible invisible line. She wouldn't be able to care for her family anymore. She was the patient. Ann and Mitt would face the most frightening and humbling experience of their lives.
From reflections on her early life, her marriage, and her diagnosis and recovery, the sources of her faith, and the stories of others who overcame adversity and inspired her to keep going, In This Together is a brave and deeply honest portrait of a family facing an unexpected blow, often in the most public of circumstances.
"A lot of people talk about a transformation that happens when life throws you a curve ball, and the big one in my life was my MS diagnosis. With all the blessings I've had, MS has been my greatest teacher: It has taught me about faith, compassion, and serving others. I've met many people along the way who've shared advice and demonstrated enormous resilience in the face of challenges; their stories gave me strength. In sharing my story, I want to give others hope as I've been given hope on this journey."
272 pages, Hardcover
First published September 29, 2015
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November 15, 2015
I decided to read this book because (a) I admire Ann Romney even though I disagree with her husband Mitt on almost every political issue and (b) I wanted to find out why she gut-punched her son Tagg that one time.
The punch story comes up on page 3. Ann and Mitt had five sons, and the boys didn't always get along, and one time Tagg (the oldest, then 16) was fighting bitterly with the second-oldest, and Ann tried to break it up, and Tagg started yelling at her, and she just lost it and punched Tagg in the stomach. Everybody was quiet for a few seconds, and then everyone except Tagg burst out laughing.
Ann uses this story to show that the Romneys have their ups and downs like every family, but to me this anecdote reveals what a sexist society we still live in. Can you imagine if a male public figure admitted that one day it all got too much and he punched his kid in the stomach? People would say he was a thug with a hair-trigger temper. They would look for patterns of aggression. But when a woman does it, it's just a funny story about a crazy thing that happened one time.
I was also disappointed by her tone-deaf comments about working moms. Of course she was upset when people said publicly that she'd never worked a day in her life. Being the mother of five boys is hard work! But she describes herself as a "full-time mother," as if moms who work outside the home completely forget about their kids while they're on the job. (I checked with my mom, who says she still considers herself a full-time mom even though I am a grown-ass woman.) And she says that during the campaign "there still was a stigma attached to putting your children before your job." Ann, most non-sociopaths consider their children more important than their jobs. Sheesh.
On a paragraph-by-paragraph level, this is a good memoir. But it's ultimately very frustrating because the structure is baffling, especially in the first few chapters. Ann ping-pongs from anecdote to anecdote and jumps around in time, which meant I had to work hard to try to figure out why I was reading about these incidents in this order. I don't think her editor served her well. Even adding chapter titles would have helped. As is, this seems like she "talked a book" -- in other words, that she recorded a bunch of anecdotes on audio, and her publisher transcribed them and gave them a light edit.
I was intrigued by her description of the Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases. The center focuses on five conditions (MS, ALS, Parkinson's, brain tumors, and Alzheimer's) and tries to figure out if treatments for one illness will work for the others. It's a great idea and one that might prevent a tremendous amount of suffering. And then she has to go and ruin it by quoting Emile Coué, the famous quack of the 1920s. Coué's results were not scientifically valid. It is not possible to cure a prolapsed uterus by saying, "Every day, in every way, I am getting better and better." I wish it were.
This book has one unintentionally hilarious double entendre: "Some of our best times together were spent in the dark."
The punch story comes up on page 3. Ann and Mitt had five sons, and the boys didn't always get along, and one time Tagg (the oldest, then 16) was fighting bitterly with the second-oldest, and Ann tried to break it up, and Tagg started yelling at her, and she just lost it and punched Tagg in the stomach. Everybody was quiet for a few seconds, and then everyone except Tagg burst out laughing.
Ann uses this story to show that the Romneys have their ups and downs like every family, but to me this anecdote reveals what a sexist society we still live in. Can you imagine if a male public figure admitted that one day it all got too much and he punched his kid in the stomach? People would say he was a thug with a hair-trigger temper. They would look for patterns of aggression. But when a woman does it, it's just a funny story about a crazy thing that happened one time.
I was also disappointed by her tone-deaf comments about working moms. Of course she was upset when people said publicly that she'd never worked a day in her life. Being the mother of five boys is hard work! But she describes herself as a "full-time mother," as if moms who work outside the home completely forget about their kids while they're on the job. (I checked with my mom, who says she still considers herself a full-time mom even though I am a grown-ass woman.) And she says that during the campaign "there still was a stigma attached to putting your children before your job." Ann, most non-sociopaths consider their children more important than their jobs. Sheesh.
On a paragraph-by-paragraph level, this is a good memoir. But it's ultimately very frustrating because the structure is baffling, especially in the first few chapters. Ann ping-pongs from anecdote to anecdote and jumps around in time, which meant I had to work hard to try to figure out why I was reading about these incidents in this order. I don't think her editor served her well. Even adding chapter titles would have helped. As is, this seems like she "talked a book" -- in other words, that she recorded a bunch of anecdotes on audio, and her publisher transcribed them and gave them a light edit.
I was intrigued by her description of the Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases. The center focuses on five conditions (MS, ALS, Parkinson's, brain tumors, and Alzheimer's) and tries to figure out if treatments for one illness will work for the others. It's a great idea and one that might prevent a tremendous amount of suffering. And then she has to go and ruin it by quoting Emile Coué, the famous quack of the 1920s. Coué's results were not scientifically valid. It is not possible to cure a prolapsed uterus by saying, "Every day, in every way, I am getting better and better." I wish it were.
This book has one unintentionally hilarious double entendre: "Some of our best times together were spent in the dark."
January 3, 2016
This book made me cry in public... I haven't done that since I was knocked over in the grocery store by one of my first spasms 10 months ago. Reading this book felt like reading my own thoughts, feelings and fears. If you or somebody you know suffers from a neurological disease then you should put all of your political bias aside and read this book. Some things in life are about more than political beliefs or religion... Sometimes people who are as different as night and day can share something in common that gives them a bond, in spite of their differences in other aspects of life. Ann Romney is doing important things in the world of MS research, and she is working hand in hand with people of all different political and religious backgrounds because there are some causes that are worth putting differences behind us.
December 31, 2015
I really enjoyed this biography. There were a few parts that I thought felt repetitious, but I read the book almost straight through, so perhaps it would have felt more like emphasis rather than repetition if I had spaced out the reading more.
Her battle with multiple sclerosis was really interesting, as was reading about the toil of politics on the family.
Excerpts.
"Somehow I had to justify the fact that while so many of my contemporaries were shattering the glass ceiling, I was home scraping Marshmallow Fluff off our boys."
"The fact that we don't fight is sometimes comical. In the late 1980s, I bought Mitt a used BMW for his fortieth birthday. That car is still in the family, and he loves it. He has always treated it with great care; it was one of those cars that he would use only when the sun was shining. Unfortunately, I drove the car one day and left the sunroof open; I forgot all about it. Naturally it rained that night; it rained a lot. In the morning I was in the kitchen with the boys when Mitt came storming in. There were about four inches of water in his car. He was so angry that smoke was coming out of his ears. 'Who did it?' he said to the boys. 'Which one of you left the sunroof open?'
The boys looked at each other, assuming one of their brothers had done it.
I said, 'Oh gosh, it was me. I'm so sorry, Mitt.'
He looked at me and said brightly, 'Oh that's okay. It'll dry out. We'll take it in and get it fixed.'"
"I pretty much recognized in Margo the same streak of personality that I have: This is what it is is; you can do it or you can't do it. You can spend all day wishing but you'll get a lot more accomplished with one minute of doing."
"Taking up riding had made a fundamental difference in my life. Instead of wishing that I would die quickly rather than be devoured piece by piece, as I had been thinking only a few months earlier, it helped me learn to live with my disease."
"I believe life is almost indiscriminate. Life happens. It hits us the way it hits us, and then we can choose to do with that reality whatever we choose. I don't see it as being part of any Grand Design. I don't think that God had a hand in this, that He reached down and decided, I'm going to make Ann sick and someday she's going to have a larger impact. But what I do believe is that we each have to play the hand we're dealt, and that life is a lot nicer for all of us if we help each other tote that heavy bag of rocks. The hope is that each of us can find a small niche in which we can make a difference."
Her battle with multiple sclerosis was really interesting, as was reading about the toil of politics on the family.
Excerpts.
"Somehow I had to justify the fact that while so many of my contemporaries were shattering the glass ceiling, I was home scraping Marshmallow Fluff off our boys."
"The fact that we don't fight is sometimes comical. In the late 1980s, I bought Mitt a used BMW for his fortieth birthday. That car is still in the family, and he loves it. He has always treated it with great care; it was one of those cars that he would use only when the sun was shining. Unfortunately, I drove the car one day and left the sunroof open; I forgot all about it. Naturally it rained that night; it rained a lot. In the morning I was in the kitchen with the boys when Mitt came storming in. There were about four inches of water in his car. He was so angry that smoke was coming out of his ears. 'Who did it?' he said to the boys. 'Which one of you left the sunroof open?'
The boys looked at each other, assuming one of their brothers had done it.
I said, 'Oh gosh, it was me. I'm so sorry, Mitt.'
He looked at me and said brightly, 'Oh that's okay. It'll dry out. We'll take it in and get it fixed.'"
"I pretty much recognized in Margo the same streak of personality that I have: This is what it is is; you can do it or you can't do it. You can spend all day wishing but you'll get a lot more accomplished with one minute of doing."
"Taking up riding had made a fundamental difference in my life. Instead of wishing that I would die quickly rather than be devoured piece by piece, as I had been thinking only a few months earlier, it helped me learn to live with my disease."
"I believe life is almost indiscriminate. Life happens. It hits us the way it hits us, and then we can choose to do with that reality whatever we choose. I don't see it as being part of any Grand Design. I don't think that God had a hand in this, that He reached down and decided, I'm going to make Ann sick and someday she's going to have a larger impact. But what I do believe is that we each have to play the hand we're dealt, and that life is a lot nicer for all of us if we help each other tote that heavy bag of rocks. The hope is that each of us can find a small niche in which we can make a difference."
January 2, 2016
This book was between a 3 and 4 for me. I found it really informative about MS and hopeful for new treatments. I have a lovely new friend who has MS and so hope that something can be done to stop the progression of the disease for her. I have so much respect for Ann Romney. She's not the greatest writer and sometimes I didn't quite get where she was going with some of her thoughts. But I found her story compelling. She's a tough lady.
Near the end it delves into lots of political stuff that I had a hard time wading through. Also, it gets more technical at the end with terminology and the intricate process of fundraising and research and establishing her center for Neuro Diseases in Boston. I like the personal stories better. But over all it's a good book.
Near the end it delves into lots of political stuff that I had a hard time wading through. Also, it gets more technical at the end with terminology and the intricate process of fundraising and research and establishing her center for Neuro Diseases in Boston. I like the personal stories better. But over all it's a good book.
November 17, 2015
Stunningly smug, shallow and clueless, this is supposed to be an inspirational autobiography about a woman whose big thing in life is dressage. I read it because I am interested in neurodegenerative diseases, but Romney attributes her relatively happy experience in having mostly-in-remission MS to dressage and her "faith." She and her husband are on another planet, a rich, Mormon one which bears no relationship to the one we "little people" experience.
March 13, 2018
This felt like such an honest portrayal of Ann's life. We have dealt with several life changing events in our life and so much of what she said rings true. And it doesn't matter who we are or what our station in life, we all will have challenges. How we deal with them is what makes us who we are. I appreciated her comments about her faith and beliefs. She did not shy away from that, but she didn't spend a lot of time dwelling on it either. She is a strong woman, one who deserves a lot of respect for who she is, not because of the good man she married. I respect the relationship she has with her husband and the fact that they work so well together. It's nice to know there are still wonderful leaders out there who have values and integrity.
October 13, 2015
Above average for political memoirs. She comes across mostly approachable and humble. I'm not aligned with her politically or religiously, but I didn't find myself bothered much by that in this book. About half of the book focuses on her struggles with MS, which is something that does affect people in my life, and I found that part well-written. She's open about being happy about being a mom and not interested in the economy or foreign affairs, and I respect that she seems to know who she is and what she cares about. Her relationship with Mitt is really pretty adorable.
February 1, 2017
I just happened upon this book as I was walking in the library. I really enjoyed getting to know Ann Romney and learning about how she dealt with her MS. Having been diagnosed with fibromyalgia in my 20s I related a lot to her process of dealing with her illness, the depression, discouragement, fear, and finally finding answers and hope. Her illness is the center theme of the book, but she also goes back and weaves her life story throughout it. It's not amazing writing, but pretty remarkable considering she didn't have a ghost writer. I loved her vulnerability, authenticity and optomism.
March 1, 2016
Loved this book! We lived in Boston and were aquatinted with the Romney's. Such real great people. The way she has battled MS is incredible. Good read for anyone!
November 17, 2015
“By nature, I’m quite shy.” Well, actually not that shy. Growing up maybe. Growing up, Ann Romney may have been “always the shyest girl in (her) class." But, not now. Not after giving birth to five sons, becoming the grandmother of twenty-three and a former First Lady of Massachusetts. Add to that resume “author.”
Here the former introvert has written sort of a 258-page manual that could be subtitled, “What to do when life hands you a bag of rocks.” That seems to be her theme here. For Romney she got her bag of rocks in November of 1997 when medical tests showed she has multiple sclerosis. As Romney explains, MS “is an autoimmune disease in which your own body is actually eating away the insulation protecting your nerves. . . . Basically, (MS) keeps (your) brain from telling your muscles what to do.” Romney eventually learned she carries a category of MS “where an attack of symptoms is followed by a remission.” The other basic category of MS, progressive MS is defined by “symptoms proceeding without interruption toward greater and greater disability.”
A steroid, cortisone, Romney reports, is “one of the drugs most commonly used to fight MS.” The downside is, “cortisone depletes your calcium, weakening your bones.” Romney also documents other so called holistic treatments or alternative medical techniques reportedly effective in some MS patients. Craniosacral therapy, reflexology, acupuncture are some of those options. What causes MS “has not yet been answered.” There is no cure, but “much has been learned about it.”
“Don’t be afraid of anything” and “make the most of every opportunity” was the advice Romney’s father, Edward Roderick Davies gave his daughter on his Stuart, Florida hospital death bed in 1992. This personal journal of Romney’s journey through the ups-and-downs of an incurable disease seems to confirm she followed that wise counsel to the letter.
Romney does make some curious statements here. For example, “I think life is almost indiscriminate. I’ve never believed that there was a master plan. I don’t think I was given this disease because I would do something good because of it. I think life hits us all and then we have to make choices.” And then there’s this: “Our faith was never tested.” Or how about that moment when the author’s husband, Mitt Romney lost the 2012 presidential election? “Other people might remind me that I had my faith for support, which remained unshaken. There is truth to that, but honestly that night it made little difference.” Little difference? Really, Mrs. Romney? Really? Consider this: “I don’t see (her disease) as being part of any Grand Design. I don’t think God had a hand in this.” Really? Well, on the other hand, earlier she does credit her belief in the doctrine of the Mormon Church with having some impact. Although she lists it towards the end: “For me, reflexology, yoga, acupuncture, meditation, horses and faith, as well as a healthy diet consisting of organic foods and little meat---with a healthy dose of vitamin D from sunlight---have made all the difference.”
Ann Romney also addresses the 900-pound gorilla in the room. “Our family’s wealth was always an issue in the media and, in many cases, for our (political) opponents. The image that often was conveyed was that we were so wealthy we were out of touch with the average American.” Ann Romney’s response to that image? “Mitt’s fifteen years as pastor of church congregations and his service as governor in providing health care for all (Massachusetts residents) was simply ignored.” Am I missing something here? How does that argument prove the Romney’s were and still are in touch with the average American?
Consider this La Jolla, California dispatch from the Boston Globe:
On a recent weekday, a half-dozen construction workers crowded onto a small plot of land in this pricey community, banging away on an 11,000-square-foot house with expansive oceanfront views that will soon replace one a fraction of the size.
There’s a large master suite, a room for all the beach gear — and a car elevator. Outside, scrawled in graffiti on a wall separating the property from the beach, was a message touting Mitt Romney for president.
Two years ago, Mitt Romney didn’t think he would run for political office again. And in the aftermath of his bitter defeat in the presidential campaign, he embarked on something of a real estate spree. He simultaneously began building two multimillion-dollar homes, one here on the Pacific Ocean and another outside Salt Lake City. He also bought a third, a slope side ski chalet in Park City, Utah.
Or, consider this dispatch from the Portland Press Herald:
In 1997, the Romney’s plunked down $3 million for a summer home situated on 11 acres of lakefront in New Hampshire. The 3-story, 6-bedroom contemporary sits along Lake Winnipesaukee in Wolfeboro, “the oldest summer resort in America.”
With a 5,400-square-foot main house and additional guest house, the estate is worth an estimated $10 million. Home to the Romney crew — children and grandchildren — each summer, some wonder if the GOP candidate’s familiarity with the state helped him clinch the New Hampshire primary.
Romney’s recent real estate purchase is the most modest on the list. In June 2010, he and Ann bought a 2-bedroom townhouse in suburban Belmont. According to property listing information, the Romney’s paid $895,000 for the 2,100-square-foot home in the new residential development The Woodlands. Since selling their Belmont mansion, this is the first property they’ve owned in the Boston area in two years.
In touch with the average American? Well, if the average American owns vacation homes in New Hampshire and Utah and residences on the east and west coast, yeah, I guess the Romney’s are in touch. In touch with the average billionaire.
Money or not, the author spends the last chapter of her medical memoir documenting the history and development of the Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases. The research center serves the needs of “more than 50 million people worldwide” affected by five diseases of the brain. Romney wraps it all up with a twelve-step survival plan not if, but when life hands you a bag of rocks. That alone is worth the price of admission.
Here the former introvert has written sort of a 258-page manual that could be subtitled, “What to do when life hands you a bag of rocks.” That seems to be her theme here. For Romney she got her bag of rocks in November of 1997 when medical tests showed she has multiple sclerosis. As Romney explains, MS “is an autoimmune disease in which your own body is actually eating away the insulation protecting your nerves. . . . Basically, (MS) keeps (your) brain from telling your muscles what to do.” Romney eventually learned she carries a category of MS “where an attack of symptoms is followed by a remission.” The other basic category of MS, progressive MS is defined by “symptoms proceeding without interruption toward greater and greater disability.”
A steroid, cortisone, Romney reports, is “one of the drugs most commonly used to fight MS.” The downside is, “cortisone depletes your calcium, weakening your bones.” Romney also documents other so called holistic treatments or alternative medical techniques reportedly effective in some MS patients. Craniosacral therapy, reflexology, acupuncture are some of those options. What causes MS “has not yet been answered.” There is no cure, but “much has been learned about it.”
“Don’t be afraid of anything” and “make the most of every opportunity” was the advice Romney’s father, Edward Roderick Davies gave his daughter on his Stuart, Florida hospital death bed in 1992. This personal journal of Romney’s journey through the ups-and-downs of an incurable disease seems to confirm she followed that wise counsel to the letter.
Romney does make some curious statements here. For example, “I think life is almost indiscriminate. I’ve never believed that there was a master plan. I don’t think I was given this disease because I would do something good because of it. I think life hits us all and then we have to make choices.” And then there’s this: “Our faith was never tested.” Or how about that moment when the author’s husband, Mitt Romney lost the 2012 presidential election? “Other people might remind me that I had my faith for support, which remained unshaken. There is truth to that, but honestly that night it made little difference.” Little difference? Really, Mrs. Romney? Really? Consider this: “I don’t see (her disease) as being part of any Grand Design. I don’t think God had a hand in this.” Really? Well, on the other hand, earlier she does credit her belief in the doctrine of the Mormon Church with having some impact. Although she lists it towards the end: “For me, reflexology, yoga, acupuncture, meditation, horses and faith, as well as a healthy diet consisting of organic foods and little meat---with a healthy dose of vitamin D from sunlight---have made all the difference.”
Ann Romney also addresses the 900-pound gorilla in the room. “Our family’s wealth was always an issue in the media and, in many cases, for our (political) opponents. The image that often was conveyed was that we were so wealthy we were out of touch with the average American.” Ann Romney’s response to that image? “Mitt’s fifteen years as pastor of church congregations and his service as governor in providing health care for all (Massachusetts residents) was simply ignored.” Am I missing something here? How does that argument prove the Romney’s were and still are in touch with the average American?
Consider this La Jolla, California dispatch from the Boston Globe:
On a recent weekday, a half-dozen construction workers crowded onto a small plot of land in this pricey community, banging away on an 11,000-square-foot house with expansive oceanfront views that will soon replace one a fraction of the size.
There’s a large master suite, a room for all the beach gear — and a car elevator. Outside, scrawled in graffiti on a wall separating the property from the beach, was a message touting Mitt Romney for president.
Two years ago, Mitt Romney didn’t think he would run for political office again. And in the aftermath of his bitter defeat in the presidential campaign, he embarked on something of a real estate spree. He simultaneously began building two multimillion-dollar homes, one here on the Pacific Ocean and another outside Salt Lake City. He also bought a third, a slope side ski chalet in Park City, Utah.
Or, consider this dispatch from the Portland Press Herald:
In 1997, the Romney’s plunked down $3 million for a summer home situated on 11 acres of lakefront in New Hampshire. The 3-story, 6-bedroom contemporary sits along Lake Winnipesaukee in Wolfeboro, “the oldest summer resort in America.”
With a 5,400-square-foot main house and additional guest house, the estate is worth an estimated $10 million. Home to the Romney crew — children and grandchildren — each summer, some wonder if the GOP candidate’s familiarity with the state helped him clinch the New Hampshire primary.
Romney’s recent real estate purchase is the most modest on the list. In June 2010, he and Ann bought a 2-bedroom townhouse in suburban Belmont. According to property listing information, the Romney’s paid $895,000 for the 2,100-square-foot home in the new residential development The Woodlands. Since selling their Belmont mansion, this is the first property they’ve owned in the Boston area in two years.
In touch with the average American? Well, if the average American owns vacation homes in New Hampshire and Utah and residences on the east and west coast, yeah, I guess the Romney’s are in touch. In touch with the average billionaire.
Money or not, the author spends the last chapter of her medical memoir documenting the history and development of the Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases. The research center serves the needs of “more than 50 million people worldwide” affected by five diseases of the brain. Romney wraps it all up with a twelve-step survival plan not if, but when life hands you a bag of rocks. That alone is worth the price of admission.
October 22, 2020
I can't say it's been my most favorite autobiography ever read but still interesting. I'll always remember Ann showing up to a BYU Devotional in a hot pink dress, ha!
She really is a remarkable woman who has overcome a lot of health challenges and supported her husband in his demanding roles as a politician.
She really is a remarkable woman who has overcome a lot of health challenges and supported her husband in his demanding roles as a politician.
May 20, 2024
I really enjoyed this book!
My favorite line was.. I don’t get nervous when I’m completely confident in what I am saying.
I am going to apply this when I am teaching or speaking.
I liked her insights on her health journey. I too have an autoimmune condition. I took aways some good points.
I loved hearing her conversion/testimony of the 6 of Jesus Christ of Latterly Day Saints.
I love her and Mitt’s love story.
My favorite line was.. I don’t get nervous when I’m completely confident in what I am saying.
I am going to apply this when I am teaching or speaking.
I liked her insights on her health journey. I too have an autoimmune condition. I took aways some good points.
I loved hearing her conversion/testimony of the 6 of Jesus Christ of Latterly Day Saints.
I love her and Mitt’s love story.
March 18, 2016
Quotes:
"I believe life is almost indiscriminate. Life happens. It hits us the way it hits us, and then we can choose to do with that reality whatever we choose. I don't see it as being part of any Grand Design. I don't think that God had a hand in this, that He reached down and decided, I'm going to make Ann sick and someday she's going to have a larger impact. But what I do believe is that we each have to play the hand we're dealt, and that life is a lot nicer for all of us if we help each other tote that heavy bag of rocks. The hope is that each of us can find a small niche in which we can make a difference." (p. 218-219)
"I'm the ultimate late bloomer. I got pushed into places I didn't want to go, but because of that, I grew. It was when I got put in a very uncomfortable situation that I realized, maybe for the first time, how much strength I had." (p. 220)
May 15, 2016
I enjoyed this a lot more than I expected to. Ann Romney made me laugh, cry, and appreciate my work as a mother all over again. She's a pretty classy lady, and it was sad to hear her frustrations about how cruelly her family was portrayed as "out of touch" and cold. They do represent a more traditional kind of family than is popular these days, but we need all sorts of people in this world. And she is a strong family builder for sure. I find it frustrating that she is so vilified as a rich, spoiled woman who's out of touch with "real" problems. Give me a break, everyone in life has problems -- and the people who think those with money are somehow immune to life just strike me as the ones who are out of touch with reality. There is always something we can learn from others.
This was an easy, enjoyable read.
This was an easy, enjoyable read.
December 1, 2016
Interesting perspective, though it was obviously ghost-written, particularly in the parts where the author seemed to equate living in Park City with living in Salt Lake City, when there is a pretty big mountain range separating the two. But I quibble.
I really appreciated the family stories told and the humor. One thing that stood out to me was Ann response when asked if she thought God had sent her M.S. because of all the good she's been able to do since having it (with her foundation, etc.) and she said she doesn't think God works that way and that rather, it was just one of those things that happened to her.
I really appreciated the family stories told and the humor. One thing that stood out to me was Ann response when asked if she thought God had sent her M.S. because of all the good she's been able to do since having it (with her foundation, etc.) and she said she doesn't think God works that way and that rather, it was just one of those things that happened to her.
October 14, 2015
The story of Ann & Mitt & the way they supported each other was a 5 star book.
The information about Multiple Sclerosis, its treatments, its diagnosis and general knowledge about what is going on in research and current medication was lacking. Yes, alternative medicine is an option but there is much medical research out there that supports medications with proven outcomes & results that were hardly even mentioned. Acknowledging those medications could have been an opportunity to help many people who also struggle with treating their Multiple Sclerosis.
The information about Multiple Sclerosis, its treatments, its diagnosis and general knowledge about what is going on in research and current medication was lacking. Yes, alternative medicine is an option but there is much medical research out there that supports medications with proven outcomes & results that were hardly even mentioned. Acknowledging those medications could have been an opportunity to help many people who also struggle with treating their Multiple Sclerosis.
January 21, 2016
This book would have been 5 stars if she had left off the last chapter. I laughed and I cried but in the last chapter she over uses that ridiculous word fight as it relates to disease which really annoyed me. I am easily annoyed lately due to pain. I also own the book her doctor wrote which is MS Cured! What a lie that is as there is NO CURE FOR MS. It just about all the poisonous drugs available if you can endure them.
July 8, 2023
This book has little-to-nothing to do with politics and deals much more with Mrs. Romney's struggle with M.S. With a relative who copes with the same illness, I was grateful for her insights and for all of the work she has done to further research and awareness. Great read for anyone dealing with this disease or a comparable chronic illness.
April 11, 2016
I loved how Ann Romney really got involved in the community, and developed relationships that stretched her. Made me want to reach out and "hand my threads" to more people and be a bigger part of my communities.
January 26, 2017
I certainly admire Ann Romney for her bringing awareness to MS. While our disease in name unites us, her rather benign case differs from mine tremendously. Keep up the good work your foundation is doing!
April 7, 2016
Interesting story
A good story of Ann Romney's struggle with MS. Especially encouraging for anyone who is dealing with a life-changing illness.
A good story of Ann Romney's struggle with MS. Especially encouraging for anyone who is dealing with a life-changing illness.
August 5, 2016
I was initially interested in getting the latest information on MS, but found the author to be a warm and likeable person who faces some very unique challenges - politics aside.
April 15, 2016
Skimmed a lot of it. Did have some good info regarding neurological issues and ideas of how to deal with the symptoms on a physical and emotional level.
January 31, 2025
I didn't know anything about Ann Romney but I'm always down to read a book about Mormons. I didn't know about her MS struggles and I really appreciate her explanation of alternative therapies IN CONJUNCTION with western medicine instead of. She didn't talk about her privilege though and that bothered me. She seemed surprised that the media jumped on that during the campaigns. I would have preferred that she talk about their charitable works more (maybe there aren't any?) and embrace the idea that yes, we are privileged, we recognize that and we do XYZ to help our fellow neighbors who aren't.
July 5, 2024
Uplifting. Inspiring and beautiful!
January 1, 2018
I enjoyed learning more about Ann Romney, her life and story, her faith, her trials, her unique opportunities, and how she's dealt with them. She's really quite remarkable and shares some uplifting and inspiring insights that can help anyone with whatever they're facing. I didn't know much about MS before reading this book and it sounds like it can be very different for every person, but this book gave me an appreciation for this struggle, as well as remembering that everyone has their "bag of rocks" they're carrying and we choose how we will respond. Ann is real, proactive, and positive. I appreciated her example and the work she continues to do to help others.
Here are a few quotes I liked:
"Every one of them--every single one of them--was carrying a bag of rocks. It might have been anything: a very sick parent, a child with a substance abuse problem, serious financial difficulties. Every one of us...would eventually be carrying a heavy burden, and how we dealt with it would help define our lives. I had found my own bag of rocks (p. 22)."
"It was shocking to everyone when I could barely get out of bed. There have been very few moments in my life as depressing as lying in bed listening to the subdued chatter of an active family as they each did their best not to disturb me. I tried as much as possible to fulfill my traditional role, and everyone joined me in this pretense (p. 38)."
"At my lowest, darkest hour, Mitt pulled me out of that place, saying, 'Your worth is not what you do; it's what you are.' His love for me was overwhelming, and not based on the things I did. He loved me for who I was. His love allowed me to let go of that old identity. Certainly one of the most important lessons I learned as I began to live with this disease was that I couldn't fight it alone. Nobody can. I was going to need help, and I was going to have to ask my husband and my family and my friends for it (p. 46)."
"'I know that if I call him...he will just say no. But if you're convinced, you'll be able to convince him too (p. 53).'"
"Among the things about Margo that immediately appealed to me was her bluntness. She asked a question I supposed a lot of people had wondered about but no one had asked: How did it feel to have something that money couldn't fix or make go away? I wasn't hesitant about answering that, telling her that money had never been the essential aspect of our lives. While Mitt and I appreciated what we had...the things that mattered to us really were those things money couldn't buy: our love for each other, our family, and our church. It just had never been part of our thinking that being wealthy would or should insulate us from life's challenges (p. 65)."
"Finding my passion, finding Margo, who first helped me fulfill it, proved to be extraordinarily important for me, both for getting rid of my depression and for learning how to live with this disease (p. 75)."
"I wasn't as invincible as I had hoped to be, though. Toward the end, I started getting tired. The torch was getting mighty heavy. Mitt reached over and helped me hold it up, and that's the way we finished our portion of the run together. It was so appropriate (p. 109)."
"I could see the dangers that might lie in our path. I thought, Oh Baron, if you could only see the bigger picture you would be quiet and listen to the outside rein. Then everything would be fine. Then I had this sudden realization: Oh my gosh, this must be how God looks down on us. He does see the bigger picture. He knows what's right for us. We just need to be quiet and listen to His outside rein (p. 114)."
"I think life hits us all, and then we have to make choices. And hopefully all of us will find a place where we can make a positive difference (p. 114)."
"Pray as if it's up to God and act as if its up to you (p. 125)."
"Some people reading this will understandably say that my improved health came about in part because of what I believed. I don't have a problem with that. In fact, that may be one way that God works to heal us. The brain is the greatest computer ever known; we still don't understand why things suddenly go wrong or, in many instances, what to do about it, but we also don't really understand the powers of the brain. We don't know what part hope and optimism play in the physiological as well as psychological treatment of a disease. I got my hope and my optimism from my faith.... 'Make certain that your body, mind, and soul are all working together to reach the best possible outcome (p. 128).'"
"[Chris Waddell] was an amazing athlete...he would climb Kilimanjaro's first 18,500 feet using a wheelchair that he operated himself, raising and lowering the wheels over rocks more than a foot tall. But only 840 feet from the top, he realized he couldn't make it. The terrain, the chair, the elements--it was all just too much. So he allowed members of his team to carry him to the top. It was an amazing feat, but for a time he felt like a total failure. Then he realized that accepting help is a defining aspect of living successfully in society. 'If I had done it alone...it meant I wouldn't need anyone.' That would have set him apart from others, which was precisely the thing he was determined that his wheelchair not be allowed to do (p. 131)."
"'Most of them were not as badly burned as I was, but their injuries were worse. They didn't have fingers, or a nose. I had all my fingers, all my toes, all my limbs; I had a nose, I had a mouth and I could talk, my hair was growing, I had my children and our relationship was growing back, I have my husband who loves me and stuck by me, I have a huge group of people who pray for me and offer encouragement and I have a Father in Heaven who loves me. I get to be at my little girls' weddings. I realized, I have everything. I won't let this accident define me. And at that moment I decided, that's it. I'm not going to spend any more of my life sitting here feeling sorry for myself (Stephanie Nielson, p. 136).'"
"Through the campaigns, through our work with different organizations, Mitt and I have met so many people who have carried their bag of rocks up a hill or into the winner's circle. While their challenges have included almost everything imaginable, there are similarities in the way people have dealt with them. Inevitably, it comes down to body, mind, and spirit (p. 141)."
"After spending years worrying if I even had a future, and then being given at least the possibility of a productive one, I certainly didn't intend to waste it (p. 144)."
"'To help another person is rewarding. To help many thousands of people has been immensely rewarding (p. 162).'"
"When I pray, I never ask for anything; I simply express gratitude.... I wouldn't assume to know the will of the Lord.... This time was different. The whole family fasted for twenty-four hours. I had nothing to drink or eat for a whole day. Then I got on my knees and offered a prayer that Josh would be healed (p. 164)."
"I had learned years earlier from my mother about the will to live. Five days after my mother, Lois, was baptized, her condition deteriorated quickly. I rushed back from Boston to say good-bye... 'Ann, don't waste another tear...Everything's wonderful (p. 171).'"
"I care about people... The great comedian George Burns once said that the most important thing in life is sincerity--and if you can fake that you'll do fine. But it has been my experience that people know when you mean what you say (p. 179)."
"There isn't a college course called 'running for president.' There are very few people who have had the experience, and there isn't much advice they can give you. You just get up every day and do it. And then you do it again, and again...the biggest roller-coaster ride in the world (p. 198)."
"I suppose there are some people who might suggest that I should not have taken the loss with much difficulty. There was a time a decade earlier when I thought my life was over or that I would be spending the rest of it in a wheelchair. Instead, I was living a full and wonderful life. We were blessed with five sons, five daughters-in-law, eighteen grandchildren, and one more on the way. As had become well known in the campaign, we were financially set. The life we would return to was one full of love and laughter. All that was true, but I knew what had been possible for this country, so I knew what was lost. I cried (p. 203)."
"Dr. Farber had made a lot of progress in fighting [cancer], but at one point he realized he needed to find someone who could connect to the philanthropic community and get the attention of political leaders (p. 215)."
"'Cancer and cardiac disease are way ahead of us in terms of getting the attention that can be converted into fund-raising; the brain has been more of a black box.... Frankly the mystery surrounding the brain is one reason we haven't made more progress. And I think Ann can help us get attention (p. 216).'"
"The broad concept of the [Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases] is to have a single place where neurologic patients can get diagnoses, advice, and treatment, and if there is no treatment, they can participate in the ongoing research, as I'm doing to find one.... 'What makes this center different is our integrated approach (p. 216).'"
"As great as her doctors are, nobody, absolutely nobody, was going to pay as much attention to her getting well as she was. Take risks...get out of that comfort zone and try anything and everything. I gave her much of the same advice I had learned and lived by and passed along, but eventually it came down to one simple rule: Live your life. Don't let a diagnosis stop you from being you. Don't let your disease define you (p. 223)."
"Being a part of an army changes a person, particularly when you came to that army involuntarily. My family has noticed a change in me as I have fought my disease. I am more determined, more assertive, more inquisitive, less willing to accept excuses and delays, more dependent on God, and far more appreciative for every good thing in life an love.... No, we don't celebrate the hardship and pain, but we do recognize what it has brought out in us (p. 227)."
"This is a pretty good checklist for dealing not just with MS, but as so many others have learned, with any bag of rocks:
* Deal with your depression.
* Make and strengthen connections with others.
* Make achievable goals.
* Identify your strengths.
* Take action.
* Express gratitude.
* Use your faith or spirituality.
* Maintain hope.
* Give.
* Use humor.
* Experience the full range of emotions.
* Maintain your health (p. 251)."
Here are a few quotes I liked:
"Every one of them--every single one of them--was carrying a bag of rocks. It might have been anything: a very sick parent, a child with a substance abuse problem, serious financial difficulties. Every one of us...would eventually be carrying a heavy burden, and how we dealt with it would help define our lives. I had found my own bag of rocks (p. 22)."
"It was shocking to everyone when I could barely get out of bed. There have been very few moments in my life as depressing as lying in bed listening to the subdued chatter of an active family as they each did their best not to disturb me. I tried as much as possible to fulfill my traditional role, and everyone joined me in this pretense (p. 38)."
"At my lowest, darkest hour, Mitt pulled me out of that place, saying, 'Your worth is not what you do; it's what you are.' His love for me was overwhelming, and not based on the things I did. He loved me for who I was. His love allowed me to let go of that old identity. Certainly one of the most important lessons I learned as I began to live with this disease was that I couldn't fight it alone. Nobody can. I was going to need help, and I was going to have to ask my husband and my family and my friends for it (p. 46)."
"'I know that if I call him...he will just say no. But if you're convinced, you'll be able to convince him too (p. 53).'"
"Among the things about Margo that immediately appealed to me was her bluntness. She asked a question I supposed a lot of people had wondered about but no one had asked: How did it feel to have something that money couldn't fix or make go away? I wasn't hesitant about answering that, telling her that money had never been the essential aspect of our lives. While Mitt and I appreciated what we had...the things that mattered to us really were those things money couldn't buy: our love for each other, our family, and our church. It just had never been part of our thinking that being wealthy would or should insulate us from life's challenges (p. 65)."
"Finding my passion, finding Margo, who first helped me fulfill it, proved to be extraordinarily important for me, both for getting rid of my depression and for learning how to live with this disease (p. 75)."
"I wasn't as invincible as I had hoped to be, though. Toward the end, I started getting tired. The torch was getting mighty heavy. Mitt reached over and helped me hold it up, and that's the way we finished our portion of the run together. It was so appropriate (p. 109)."
"I could see the dangers that might lie in our path. I thought, Oh Baron, if you could only see the bigger picture you would be quiet and listen to the outside rein. Then everything would be fine. Then I had this sudden realization: Oh my gosh, this must be how God looks down on us. He does see the bigger picture. He knows what's right for us. We just need to be quiet and listen to His outside rein (p. 114)."
"I think life hits us all, and then we have to make choices. And hopefully all of us will find a place where we can make a positive difference (p. 114)."
"Pray as if it's up to God and act as if its up to you (p. 125)."
"Some people reading this will understandably say that my improved health came about in part because of what I believed. I don't have a problem with that. In fact, that may be one way that God works to heal us. The brain is the greatest computer ever known; we still don't understand why things suddenly go wrong or, in many instances, what to do about it, but we also don't really understand the powers of the brain. We don't know what part hope and optimism play in the physiological as well as psychological treatment of a disease. I got my hope and my optimism from my faith.... 'Make certain that your body, mind, and soul are all working together to reach the best possible outcome (p. 128).'"
"[Chris Waddell] was an amazing athlete...he would climb Kilimanjaro's first 18,500 feet using a wheelchair that he operated himself, raising and lowering the wheels over rocks more than a foot tall. But only 840 feet from the top, he realized he couldn't make it. The terrain, the chair, the elements--it was all just too much. So he allowed members of his team to carry him to the top. It was an amazing feat, but for a time he felt like a total failure. Then he realized that accepting help is a defining aspect of living successfully in society. 'If I had done it alone...it meant I wouldn't need anyone.' That would have set him apart from others, which was precisely the thing he was determined that his wheelchair not be allowed to do (p. 131)."
"'Most of them were not as badly burned as I was, but their injuries were worse. They didn't have fingers, or a nose. I had all my fingers, all my toes, all my limbs; I had a nose, I had a mouth and I could talk, my hair was growing, I had my children and our relationship was growing back, I have my husband who loves me and stuck by me, I have a huge group of people who pray for me and offer encouragement and I have a Father in Heaven who loves me. I get to be at my little girls' weddings. I realized, I have everything. I won't let this accident define me. And at that moment I decided, that's it. I'm not going to spend any more of my life sitting here feeling sorry for myself (Stephanie Nielson, p. 136).'"
"Through the campaigns, through our work with different organizations, Mitt and I have met so many people who have carried their bag of rocks up a hill or into the winner's circle. While their challenges have included almost everything imaginable, there are similarities in the way people have dealt with them. Inevitably, it comes down to body, mind, and spirit (p. 141)."
"After spending years worrying if I even had a future, and then being given at least the possibility of a productive one, I certainly didn't intend to waste it (p. 144)."
"'To help another person is rewarding. To help many thousands of people has been immensely rewarding (p. 162).'"
"When I pray, I never ask for anything; I simply express gratitude.... I wouldn't assume to know the will of the Lord.... This time was different. The whole family fasted for twenty-four hours. I had nothing to drink or eat for a whole day. Then I got on my knees and offered a prayer that Josh would be healed (p. 164)."
"I had learned years earlier from my mother about the will to live. Five days after my mother, Lois, was baptized, her condition deteriorated quickly. I rushed back from Boston to say good-bye... 'Ann, don't waste another tear...Everything's wonderful (p. 171).'"
"I care about people... The great comedian George Burns once said that the most important thing in life is sincerity--and if you can fake that you'll do fine. But it has been my experience that people know when you mean what you say (p. 179)."
"There isn't a college course called 'running for president.' There are very few people who have had the experience, and there isn't much advice they can give you. You just get up every day and do it. And then you do it again, and again...the biggest roller-coaster ride in the world (p. 198)."
"I suppose there are some people who might suggest that I should not have taken the loss with much difficulty. There was a time a decade earlier when I thought my life was over or that I would be spending the rest of it in a wheelchair. Instead, I was living a full and wonderful life. We were blessed with five sons, five daughters-in-law, eighteen grandchildren, and one more on the way. As had become well known in the campaign, we were financially set. The life we would return to was one full of love and laughter. All that was true, but I knew what had been possible for this country, so I knew what was lost. I cried (p. 203)."
"Dr. Farber had made a lot of progress in fighting [cancer], but at one point he realized he needed to find someone who could connect to the philanthropic community and get the attention of political leaders (p. 215)."
"'Cancer and cardiac disease are way ahead of us in terms of getting the attention that can be converted into fund-raising; the brain has been more of a black box.... Frankly the mystery surrounding the brain is one reason we haven't made more progress. And I think Ann can help us get attention (p. 216).'"
"The broad concept of the [Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases] is to have a single place where neurologic patients can get diagnoses, advice, and treatment, and if there is no treatment, they can participate in the ongoing research, as I'm doing to find one.... 'What makes this center different is our integrated approach (p. 216).'"
"As great as her doctors are, nobody, absolutely nobody, was going to pay as much attention to her getting well as she was. Take risks...get out of that comfort zone and try anything and everything. I gave her much of the same advice I had learned and lived by and passed along, but eventually it came down to one simple rule: Live your life. Don't let a diagnosis stop you from being you. Don't let your disease define you (p. 223)."
"Being a part of an army changes a person, particularly when you came to that army involuntarily. My family has noticed a change in me as I have fought my disease. I am more determined, more assertive, more inquisitive, less willing to accept excuses and delays, more dependent on God, and far more appreciative for every good thing in life an love.... No, we don't celebrate the hardship and pain, but we do recognize what it has brought out in us (p. 227)."
"This is a pretty good checklist for dealing not just with MS, but as so many others have learned, with any bag of rocks:
* Deal with your depression.
* Make and strengthen connections with others.
* Make achievable goals.
* Identify your strengths.
* Take action.
* Express gratitude.
* Use your faith or spirituality.
* Maintain hope.
* Give.
* Use humor.
* Experience the full range of emotions.
* Maintain your health (p. 251)."
March 27, 2016
I won this book in a goodreads giveaway and I was SO excited when I found out I won. I am a fan of Ann Romney and it wasn't until after the (sad) election of 2012 that I found out she has MS. This book talks about her struggles with the disease and how she has learned to overcome the symptoms. By this I do not mean she's cured, not by any means. While she once had a house full of five boys and was constantly go go go to take care of her family, she had to learn when to say, "Go, go, STOP!" She had to learn her new limits and speak up when she reached them. She found the right doctors for her. She surrounded herself with love and support. She found traditional medicines, as well as alternative medicines, that help her cope with her disease. She has found activities that she loves that also help her build strength and stamina. She talked about the campaign trail and how she not only helped her husband behind the scenes, but used her own voice. One of her platforms if her husband had been elected was going to be neurological diseases. When the election was over she talked to her doctor and they both said, "Let's do it anyway!" The Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases at Brigham and Women's Hospital is set to open this year (2016). She was reluctant to put her name on the building but after quite a few people encouraged her to do so, because of her experience and comfort in front of large audiences, as well as her public image, she agreed. The Center offers research, treatments, and leading doctors in the fields of: MS, ALS, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, and brain tumors. She, along with numerous other well known people are at the front raising funds for the research.
I love this book and it's going to have a permanent place on my bookshelf. (Not all of the books I've won in giveaways can claim this.) I already have a few friends who have read this book and more that want to borrow it. This is a wonderful, positive, and uplifting book that helps people understand that if you look for it, there is always light at the end of the tunnel. I recommend this book to anyone who is, has, or will, go through a difficult struggle of any kind. Which is all of us.
I love this book and it's going to have a permanent place on my bookshelf. (Not all of the books I've won in giveaways can claim this.) I already have a few friends who have read this book and more that want to borrow it. This is a wonderful, positive, and uplifting book that helps people understand that if you look for it, there is always light at the end of the tunnel. I recommend this book to anyone who is, has, or will, go through a difficult struggle of any kind. Which is all of us.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 19, 2016
2.5 stars
Since I have friends who actually know the Romneys, I know that they aren't actually as shallow or out of touch as their image. They are actually extremely compassionate and hard working individuals, who have given decades in service to others that the mainstream media will likely never know about. However, this book doesn't do much to change their image. For instance, when you are trying to tell people that you started off with nothing when you were first married just like everyone else by saying that you bought your children's clothes at the Carter's outlet, you are not doing much to make yourself more relatable to the average American mom. (Shop at the thrift stores, then come talk to me.)
To be fair, I think people give them way too hard a time about this. Having wealth does not mean one cannot know pain, heartbreak, and struggle. Most of this book is about her struggle with MS. However, once again, I don't think it was that great. After reading this book, I feel like I do not know or care more about MS than I did before. Or about anything, for that matter. The book suffers from a lack of direction. Is it about how real you really are? Is it about MS? Is it about horses? Is it about life during a presidential election? I don't feel like I understand any of these things much better than before I read the book. It tries to be too many things and ends up being nothing at all.
And don't get me started on the chapter that is basically the entire Stephanie Nielson (NieNie Dialogues) story. Some brevity would have been helpful there.
In any case, I still have great respect for the Romneys, but I think that this book is not their best work.
It's funny, I was gonna give this higher rating, but once I started writing I realized how much I didn't care for it.
Since I have friends who actually know the Romneys, I know that they aren't actually as shallow or out of touch as their image. They are actually extremely compassionate and hard working individuals, who have given decades in service to others that the mainstream media will likely never know about. However, this book doesn't do much to change their image. For instance, when you are trying to tell people that you started off with nothing when you were first married just like everyone else by saying that you bought your children's clothes at the Carter's outlet, you are not doing much to make yourself more relatable to the average American mom. (Shop at the thrift stores, then come talk to me.)
To be fair, I think people give them way too hard a time about this. Having wealth does not mean one cannot know pain, heartbreak, and struggle. Most of this book is about her struggle with MS. However, once again, I don't think it was that great. After reading this book, I feel like I do not know or care more about MS than I did before. Or about anything, for that matter. The book suffers from a lack of direction. Is it about how real you really are? Is it about MS? Is it about horses? Is it about life during a presidential election? I don't feel like I understand any of these things much better than before I read the book. It tries to be too many things and ends up being nothing at all.
And don't get me started on the chapter that is basically the entire Stephanie Nielson (NieNie Dialogues) story. Some brevity would have been helpful there.
In any case, I still have great respect for the Romneys, but I think that this book is not their best work.
It's funny, I was gonna give this higher rating, but once I started writing I realized how much I didn't care for it.
September 1, 2017
I had a difficult time getting through the book. Some parts were very interesting but the book was very repetitive. The detail of some parts of the story were just not there. It seemed a bit unorganized. I learned some about her life, but would have liked to have learned more details.
As a mother who chose to put her career on hold to raise children, it would have been nice for her to somehow show that it is a challenging and rewarding option and that it is not only as difficult but more difficult quite often than working. As a woman who has also gone back to work and still had older children at home, she needed to show by some actual examples the difficulty of that. She talks about this as an option but doesn't really offer any meat on the subject.
She also talks of how they really do understand the "common, average person" even though they have always been surrounded by wealth. I really didn't see that either. They are wealthy. They have compassion for those who don't, but they have never experienced being middle class or lower.
Making some negative comments about the opposition in running for the president didn't intrigue me either. I felt that instead the example shown of Pres. Obama actually calling HER and talking with her after the election showed more of a compassionate and good side to the opposition.
Nothing was given in depth that she spoke of and many experiences or things were just repeated. I wanted to like it. There were a couple of chapters on her personal early life that were very good.
As a mother who chose to put her career on hold to raise children, it would have been nice for her to somehow show that it is a challenging and rewarding option and that it is not only as difficult but more difficult quite often than working. As a woman who has also gone back to work and still had older children at home, she needed to show by some actual examples the difficulty of that. She talks about this as an option but doesn't really offer any meat on the subject.
She also talks of how they really do understand the "common, average person" even though they have always been surrounded by wealth. I really didn't see that either. They are wealthy. They have compassion for those who don't, but they have never experienced being middle class or lower.
Making some negative comments about the opposition in running for the president didn't intrigue me either. I felt that instead the example shown of Pres. Obama actually calling HER and talking with her after the election showed more of a compassionate and good side to the opposition.
Nothing was given in depth that she spoke of and many experiences or things were just repeated. I wanted to like it. There were a couple of chapters on her personal early life that were very good.
January 15, 2016
I admit at the outset that I am a big Mitt Romney and Ann Romney fan! So my review is probably colored by that admiration. However, this book was very easy to read, full of personal information about their family and values, as well as extremely pertinent to understanding MS and illness and disease in general. I would recommend this book to all who have MS or other debilitating illness; it will give you new insight and strategies to consider in overcoming the effects of your disease. It also will lift your spirits in seeing how a positive approach, and a willingness to try new things can affect your outcome. As I said, I already admired the Romneys for their giving back to the world with service, but I learned a new appreciation for their sacrifices in their giving. The personal sacrifice of giving up your private life and being open to media attention and criticism in order to offer your service to our country is what they did as a family. I admire their boys for pitching in and campaigning for their dad at great personal sacrifice to time and energy while raising their families. I felt a sadness again that Mitt was not able to give his expertise and love back to our America. I enjoyed Ann sharing so many of her personal feelings and her commitment to home, family, and her faith. She is a woman to be admired and listened to. I hope you will read and experience a reevaluation of your own commitments to life and your families, your faith, and to being a good citizen of the United States of America.
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