The Senator Next Door: A Memoir from the Heartland

by Amy Klobuchar

One of the U.S. Senate's most candid--and funniest--women tells the story of her life and her unshakeable faith in our democracy

Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar has tackled every obstacle she's encountered--her parents' divorce, her father's alcoholism and recovery, her political campaigns and Washington's gridlock--with honesty, humor and pluck. Now, in The Senator Next Door, she chronicles her remarkable heartland journey, from her immigrant grandparents to her middle-class suburban upbringing to her rise in American politics.

After being kicked out of the hospital while her infant daughter was still in intensive care, Klobuchar became the lead advocate for one of the first laws in the country guaranteeing new moms and their babies a 48-hour hospital stay. Later she ran Minnesota's biggest prosecutor's office and in 2006 was the first woman elected to the U.S. Senate from her state. Along the way she fashioned her own political philosophy grounded in her belief that partisan flame-throwing takes no courage at all; what really matters is forging alliances with unlikely partners to solve the nation's problems.

Optimistic, plainspoken and often very funny, The Senator Next Door is a story about how the girl next door decided to enter the fray and make a difference. At a moment when America's government often seems incapable of getting anything done, Amy Klobuchar proves that politics is still the art of the possible.

Genres: Politics, Memoir, Nonfiction, Biography, Audiobook, Autobiography, Biography Memoir

528 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 25, 2015

About the author

Amy Jean Klobuchar is the senior United States Senator from Minnesota. She is a member of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, an affiliate of the Democratic Party. She is the first woman to be elected as a senator for Minnesota and is one of twenty female senators serving in the 113th United States Congress.

She previously served as the county attorney for Hennepin County, Minnesota, the most populous county in Minnesota. She was a legal adviser to former Vice President Walter Mondale. She has been named by The New York Times as one of the seventeen women most likely to become the first female President of the United States, and by MSNBC and The New Yorker as a possible nominee to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Reviews

[Jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amy Klobuchar is the first female U. S. Senator from Minnesota. I have found her memoir most interesting and it is not the typical political autobiography. I feel I have actually discovered the real person not the political shell. Recently I have read a number of books about women Senator mostly out of curiosity of what made them run for office. I have always been interested in the workings of government but never had the desire to run for an office.

The first part of the book is about her early life. She chronicles her paternal grandparents’ immigration from Slovene and her grandfather life as a miner. She tells of her maternal grandparents’ immigration from Switzerland. Klobuchar tells about her father’s rise through journalism and his battles with alcohol. She describes her mother’s years as a teacher and as a stay-at-home mom, her parents’ divorce and how all that affected her early childhood. She discusses her early school years, high school, and college and law school. She describes her law career and the various cases she worked on. She also goes into her marriage and the birth of her daughter including the ordeal of her daughter’s health problems.

The remainder of the book is about her life in politics, her run for Country Attorney and then her years as the democratic U.S. Senator for Minnesota. Klobuchar is now the senior Senator from Minnesota and has proven herself a consensus builder, effective for her constituents, impervious to scandal, or partisanship and what a surprise she is ethical to the extreme.

The book is well written, at times humorous, honest and meticulously detailed. I came away feeling some hope for the political system. She wrote the book herself without a ghost writer and also narrated it. I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible.

[Clif Hostetler · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a memoir of Amy Klobuchar, senior Senator from Minnesota. I was surprised how much I enjoyed listening to the audio edition of this book. It is narrated by the Amy herself. By the time we reached the end of the book her clear and pleasant voice had thoroughly charmed me. I was completely won over and left wishing she could be my senator.

I’m not a constituent of her’s (i.e. not a resident of Minnesota), so there’s no particular reason why I should be interested in her story. I listened to the book because it was selected by a book group I attend. My interest in politics has become quite jaded because of the recent political campaign season within the United States. Thus I didn’t expect to find much of interest in the book. Somehow the combination of her memories and miscellaneous anecdotes along the way turned out to be enjoyable reading.

Toward the end of the book she did talk about political things, but she stayed with mostly noncontroversial topics. I think even Republicans could read this book and not feel too bad about anything she has to say. I can’t recall anything she said that could be construed as negative toward anybody (except for one story about Ted Cruz which explains why he doesn’t have many {any?} friends in the Senate).

The book's storyline covers her grandparents' immigration, her father's rise through journalism and his alcoholism, her mother's years as teacher and stay-at-hoe mom, her parents' divorce, and how these events affected her childhood. The book continues with her school years beginning with kindergarten and continues on through college and law school. She joined a prominent law firm and soon achieved rank of partner. She successfully ran for elected office beginning with county attorney (January 3, 1999 – January 3, 2007) and then later for U.S. Senator from Minnesota (January 3, 2007 – present).

In her personal life she makes passing reference to various boy friends. I was fascinated by her following statement about political fund raising for her first run for U.S. Senate.

"I set an all-time and yet-to-be-beaten Senate record: I raised $17,000 from ex-boyfriends."

She doesn't make it clear whether her fund raising success was caused by the large number of ex-boyfriends or because of the wealth of a few. Either way she apparently remained on friendly terms with them.

In the end she married John Bessler who in my opinion has been a stellar model of a supportive helpmate by modifying his career to be the stay-at-home parent when their daughter needed careful attention during her first two years due to some medical issues. His continued availability during their daughter's younger years allowed Amy to pursue the demands of her work and political careers. John is the intellectual equal of Amy with his own accomplishments by being the recipient of multiple post graduate degrees and being the author of several books. He has continued to make adjustments to his career as needed in order to not incumber Amy's political career.

[AnnieM · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. I'm biased. I don't care. Senator Klobuchar is what Washington really needs. A real person who knows how people really live. Sure people wouldn't agree because she went to Yale. Read the book. She isn't afraid of a little extra effort to save a buck. How many people do you know that would carry two suitcases and a trunk over a mile?

Obstacles aren't in your path. Obstacles are the path.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

My friend Bonnie, who lives in Minneapolis, always gives me a Minnesota-themed book for Christmas. For Christmas 2015, this was the Minnesota book, and not only was it hardcover (we usually give each other paperbacks), but it was signed and inscribed to me by Senator Klobuchar herself! Bonnie included a note telling me all about how she came to get the book for me, and needless to say, I was blown away.

I immediately started reading this on Christmas Day, and found Senator Klobuchar's stories from her life and political career fascinating and inspiring. I was especially interested to learn about her childhood. Her father was a long-time columnist for the Minneapolis StarTribune, and I remember reading his columns about the biking and backpacking trips that he took with Amy over the years. It was interesting to read her take on her father and her experiences growing up.

Senator Klobuchar also spent a good portion of the book on her involvement in Democratic party politics in Minnesota and her experiences as Hennepin County Attorney (I remember my dad telling me what a fantastic job she did in this position) and as the senior senator from Minnesota. I am particularly impressed with how she has reached out to Republican colleagues in the Senate and House to work toward legislation that benefits both parties and the American people, as well.

I won't get into much of the politics here, but if you are interested in a well-written and thoroughly interesting memoir, I recommend this book wholeheartedly.

[Mlg · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lot of political autobiographies are self-serving, this one is not. Klobuchar has a delightful sense of self deprecating humor that makes her story enjoyable to read. From her family's beginning in the iron mines of Ely, Minnesota, to her acceptance at Yale, law school at the University of Chicago, her wedding that didn't go quite as she planned, and her daughter who couldn't swallow for two years after she was born, Klobuchar shows herself as a fighter. She rose from partner in a Minn. law firm to prosecutor to senator pretty quickly. Her take on other members of Congress and her ability to work with those across the aisle give me hope that senators like her can end the gridlock in Washington and find better ways to help this country prosper. With her drive and talent, she could become President some day.

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's really interesting to read this book in the middle of the hotly contested 2020 presidential primary and not right when it was released (in 2015). For one, Senator Klobuchar really tries to set the tone of folksy Midwesterner, but at least at this point in the primary, she definitely is coming off as more of the "smiling through gritted teeth" kind of person (and I like the latter Klobuchar much more than the former). I liked learning more about her background and about the issues she cares about, and I like that she narrated the entirety of her own audiobook (that side eye is directed at you, Bernie Sanders). But I think there are some parts in here that could be problematic if examined with today's political lens, particularly her time as Hennepin County prosecutor and her overall message surrounding criminal justice. That said, I would love to read a book that's written by today's Amy Klobuchar, one that has less anecdotes from the county fair and one that essentially says, "look, I may throw an occasional stapler, but I get stuff done, and I'll even smile when I do it, so please get out of the way so I can do my job and save the country."

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am completely biased as a Minnesotan but this book is excellent. Senator Klobuchar clearly articulates her life and accomplishments in a memoir that gives much credit for her success to her family and the many mentors and supporters she has worked with over the years. This book was published in 2015 and will make you yearn for the better days before the darkness of the Trump Presidency. However, her comments about what makes America great and what we need to do as a country to succeed and be better (work across aisles, be less partisan, look more for the ways we are similar instead of fighting, etc.) are so timely today! Senator Klobuchar already has my vote for President—anyone on the fence should take the time to read this book to truly understand who she is, what she has done as a Senator and what she could do as a President.

[Randal White · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading this, I have to ask myself, "Why can't we have nice things?". Common sense and empathy seem to be Klobuchar's strong suits. In the hyper-partisan, "fake news", twitter-verse we currently find our government in, why can't we have more leaders like her? I hope she sticks around and remains grounded. We need her!

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This woman, mother, senator, attorney and wife GETS. STUFF. DONE. I enjoyed her casual writing style and following her story from her early beginnings. All of Washington should take notice and emulate her integrity and work ethic. Bring on the new year and bring about some change for the better!

[Ericka Clou · Rating 3 out of 5]

Klobuchar is clearly a good person, but wow, I was deeply unimpressed by this book. Nearly 3/4th is just memoir, which speaks of the excessive self-importance shared by candidates like Hickenlooper.

Additionally, I don’t think Klobuchar is part of the modern Democratic Party. There are too many urgent issues in this era, many of them caused by the far right, and it’s my opinion that centrists such as Klobuchar or Biden properly belong in a third party. The Republicans won’t have them, and neither should Democrats.

She seems to lack large vision and is mired in accomplishing little fixes. It wasn’t even clear if she failed to cover her policy in this book or if she’s completely lacking policy. I know she’s “tough on crime” and that she thinks we can’t be isolationists. Other than that, I don’t know too much about her policies after one of the lengthiest candidate’s books. Well, maybe it just felt like the lengthiest.

[Heather Fox · Rating 5 out of 5]

I very much enjoyed learning more about Senator Klobuchar and her background before become a State Senator. The stories of her life and her time as Senator are honest and humorous. As a Minnesotan, you'll recognize many points in her life - the State Fair, Farm Fest, Mayo Clinic. No matter what your political views are, this book is a good read for any Minnesotan and anyone who would enjoy a story of an intelligent and successful woman.

[Hannah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Part of my quest to read all of the 2020 Democratic candidates' Books. This is a hard no from me - barring major updates/voting history since this book was published in 2016.

Full review later.

Warren still has my primary hopes.

[Nichola Gutgold · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book; humorous, self deprecating and plain spoken. Her early life is engrossing to read about for its normal middle class decency, AK is smart and sincere about what she wants to do as a leader. She is also charming and dare I say likable? One thing she does not do: suffer fools lightly.

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Strangely, I loved this book. I actually picked it up because John McCain called it a "must read." It's about politics, but not political.

[Terry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting memoir by Amy Klobuchar. I didn’t realize it’s 10 years old. I enjoyed the book and learning about her life story and the leadership role she took in politics. I keep thinking, it would be a very different book if written in 2025.

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed presidential candidate Amy Klobuchar's book. She presents her ideas and accomplishments in a casual, easy-to-read style. It is almost as if Amy is sitting across the table talking. To me, she also comes across this way in television appearances. In my family, we joke that she may be a distant relative; it is possible, but probably unlikely.

Although the book was published in 2015, many of the issues Klobuchar comments on are still relevant today. (And what does that say about legislative progress?) I do not know if Klobuchar has a chance a "winning" the Democratic party's nomination to be its presidential candidate in 2020, but to me her views (and her selling of them in this book) generally make a lot of sense. We'll see....

"Klobuchar means 'hatmaker' in Slovene, indicating that at some point in the centuries past, my ancestors were in the haberdashery business, a risky trade back then since they called the 'mad hatter' made for a reason. Until the process was banned in the first half of the twentieth century, the mercury used to manufacture felt hats would often lead to insanity." (19)

"On northern Minnesota's Iron Range - a vast landscape of forest and lakes, rich in iron ore and ethnic culture- my great-grandparents found not just fellow Slovenians and Serbs and Croatians, but also Finns, Swedes, Norwegians, Poles, and Bulgarians. They had all traveled thousands of miles in hopes of finding a job, and they'd heard that northeastern Minnesota 'looked just like home.' That was something of an exaggeration, since in its early years, the Range was mostly a collection of frontier shantytowns, complete with brothels and illegal stills." (19)

When asking her father if a Tim Klobuchar is his son: "Then he explained some distant second-cousin relationship to our family involving a lot of Mikes and Marys and Johns." (132)

"In Ely, where my dad grew up, they've always said 'claw-BUTCH-er.' But my dad and a lot of people elsewhere on the Iron Range (where there's a lot of Klobuchars) say 'klo-bah-CHAR'. Meanwhile, mos of the people in the rest of the state (including my mom when I was growing up) say 'klo-bah-SHAR', which is the way I pronounce it. Whenever the pronunciation issue came up during campaigns, I would always say, 'There isn't a big difference between CHAR and SHAR, but there is between me and my opponent. I don't care how you say it, so long as you vote for me." (190)

"I had long suffered from what's known as dysplasia, which means that one of my hip sockets was not in the correct position." (208)

"...But maybe some of the credit should go to my lucky red suit coat, which had been given to me by the wife of a moderate Minnesota Republican legislator. I'd seen her wearing the coat at an event, and afterward I'd told her that I liked it and asked where she got it. (The woman took it off and gave it to Amy.)...I may have been the first United States Senator to wear a hand-me-down on Meet the Press." (214)

"How did my new classmate and knight in shining armor, Senator Bob Casey, end up carrying that yogurt in his coat pocket into the National Cathedral?" (226)

"Over the past few years it's become apparent to me that the senators who seem to have the most difficult time adjusting to the congressional gridlock and lack of strategic planning - the ones who get the most frustrated by the stop-everything-in-its-tracks mentality- tend to be those who used to run something. They once knew the thrill and reward of making a decision, implementing it, and measuring the results over the long term." (260)

"And as David Brooks points out in his book The Road to Character, a 'moderate' is not always someone who takes a position halfway between two opposing views, nor does the term necessarily mean someone who is moderate in temperament. What truly defines moderation in politics is instead a philosophy 'based on an awareness of the inevitability of confict...and the idea that things do not fit neatly together." (286)

"A family tree put together years ago by MIT graduate and Raytheon inventor Robert Pucel was also a research treasure trove on the Klobuchar/Pucel side of our family." (338)

[Claire · Rating 5 out of 5]

Klobuchar caught my attention the same way I fall in love: randomly and unexpectedly at some point in the past. It was definitely during the October debate, during one of her many pointed, funny, restrained comments that are ultimately hilarious ways to breakup the constant angst that is every other candidate on that stage. (Let it be known that I don't think Klobuchar is the only person who would make a great president, but I do think that she's unequivocally the best person for the job in 2020.)

This book does an excellent job of illuminating why everyone should at least consider supporting her. Written in a simple, straightforward style, (if you've heard her talk, she writes the same way she speaks), what most impressed me was her ability to convey information impartially while also recounting stories in a way that revealed her values. From her personal experience with immigrant grandparents (as most all of us have, if not great-grandparents), to her school days, to her learning what values she wanted to espouse professionally, I was both convinced as to the trustworthiness and dependability of her character from the first page. And I think it's really rare that someone reads on paper the same way they convey themselves on television. Definitely recommend this.

[Beth Nienow · Rating 4 out of 5]

That moment when you realize your highly respected senator was once a high-achieving 1970s suburban high school student, as you might have been if you'd grown up in Wayzata or Plymouth instead of Lake Wobegon. And been high-achieving. Or any kind of achieving. I admired her humor and candor, though she is clearly a politician. Only the last fourth or so of the book covers her time in the senate, pre-T_p and circa Al, which already seems like a more innocent idealistic time. So I hope she will give us another memoir. I was especially interested in her characterization of her fellow women legislators as being able to get things done, to be held accountable, to be willing to be bi-partisan, and to see issues on the "macro and macaroni and cheese" levels.

[Sam Dye · Rating 5 out of 5]

First of all she is an excellent writer. Once I got going on this book I had to get it read. She gives a vivid picture of what her back ground did to facilitate her aggressive approach to each stage in her life. You don't get the feeling that she is covering one area at the expense of another. It is a very well balanced and informative book. Minnesotans should be very proud of their senior senator.

[Kellymark44 · Rating 4 out of 5]

She is the girl next door, a very, very, smart girl, who happens to be the first female U.S. Senator from mn. She is impressive, down to earth and smart. Read this book and enjoy.

[Jaclyn Goodfellow-Olmsted · Rating 3 out of 5]

Working my way through the Iowa 2020 book club list. Nothing exciting here.

[Polly Fraga · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is hard not to like Amy Klobacher. She is kind and pragmatic, and does get stuff done. I was glad to learn more of her life story. Her book is more of “introduction to Amy” rather than uplifting and visionary. I recommend it for anyone who is contemplating supporting her for President, but as a stand alone memoir it is okay, not great.

[Chelsea Lawson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This audiobook was like a breath of fresh air in our stifling national politics. I appreciate Amy’s contributions to public life and her authentic style and moderatism.

I am also inspired to work with/through the system to make change. For example, when traveling through Canada this summer, I discovered this store I loved called Bulk Barn. The store has hundreds of foods and ingredients (along with recipes too) that you can choose from with no packaging. You bring whatever reusable container you want as long as it is clean and dry, and the store clerk weighs it before and after you fill it. When I came back to the states, I tried to reuse a jar at the peanut butter grinder in Whole Foods and was told it was a health code violation. I then wrote a letter to management about my experience with Bulk Barn and heard back that in the states, our code says that in order for a food container to be reused, it must be have been sold by the same retailer you want to refill it at with the specific purpose of reuse. Why? Why can’t I wash, dry, and refill a used tomato sauce jar to buy rice in the bulk section of my neighborhood grocery store? Why should we need to create “reusable containers”? At first I just wondered these questions to myself, but this book makes me want to bring it up with my local federal representative.

page 79 of the FDA code:
https://www.fda.gov/downloads/food/gu...

[Aaron · Rating 4 out of 5]

With dry humor and interesting stories, Senator Amy Klobuchar shares the various happenings of her life. As the title would seem to imply, she really does seem to be wanting to seem like an average person and someone you would want to sit down and chat with. Her story is an interesting one, and the book definitely does seem to capture her voice. Like many other political books, she also share the various initiatives and projects she has worked on throughout her career both before and during her time int he senate.

I am not sure whether Klobuchar had already decided that she was going to run for the presidency when she worked on this book.

[Molly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Senator Amy Klobuchar tells the story of her life and how she became the first woman to be elected as senator from the state of Minnesota. She is candid and funny and it is clear that she has unshakable faith in our democracy. This memoir absorbed me all the through. Klobuchar has had a long career and done so much good. Reading about her never ending fight to make life better for the people she serves made me feel proud to be Minnesotan and have her as my senator.

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

So, strictly in terms of the enjoyment of reading the book, this would've been a three star. She's overwhelmingly earnest and (although it can be endearing) that doesn't make for great reading. As an advocate for my interests, she handily rates five stars. So for my review, I split the difference. In conclusion I will say, go Amy go!

[Amayz · Rating 5 out of 5]

What's not to love about this smart, witty and humble woman?

[Cynthia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved, loved this book!! Very well written and fun to read! I love my senator, Amy! (Actually love both my senators!)

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Too bad there are not more politicians like she is portrayed.

[Suzanne Mundy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book very much! I learned a lot about Amy Klobaucher. She is an amazing woman. I hope she will run for president of the United States in 2020.