It's 1994, and the Republican Revolution is on its way. Democratic Party strategist, Melissa Carnes, a fierce, combative woman in the male-dominated world of high politics, heads to her home state of Ohio to resuscitate the floundering Senate campaign of Kyle Porter, a successful entrepreneur running for public office for the first time. Confident and professionally successful, Mel nonetheless wrestles with personal doubts and the legacy of her dead mother as she handles office intrigue, a looming scandal, and an undisciplined candidate.
An intimate portrait of the power struggles both great and small that interweave the insular world of election campaigns, 1994 provides an unblinking look into the high stakes battles of a U.S. Senate race as experienced by a 29 year-old woman fighting to maintain the respect and obedience of her colleagues, balance life and career, rediscover her commitment to a better world, and revenge herself against an opposing campaign manager who raped a friend of hers.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name. This profile may contain books from multiple authors of this name.
I’m not gonna lie I had to read this book for school which is usually a sign that a book will be not super entertaining but I was proven wrong. I would highly recommend giving this book a read if you’re interested in political science and like a surprisingly complex read. I found it really interesting how the author mixes together The stress of a campaign trail with the feminist protagonist dealing with the death of her mom and a budding relationship with a campaign reporter. I found myself sincerely getting invested in the characters and will recommend this book in the future.