The best-selling author re-imagines the remarkable life of our most famous First Lady if she had never married Bill.
Hillary Clinton’s life feels like it belongs to us.
She’s given us three memoirs.
Ackerman + Gruber for EW
Two agonizing presidential campaigns.
A docuseries charting her entire career.
And now, best-selling authorCurtis Sittenfeldis making it hers.
Ackerman + Gruber for EW
Here, the bones of a life are transformed into juicy wish-fulfillment fiction.
Now I felt distracted and injured.
And good God, what if he was elected president?
It was far from clear to me that I hoped he’d succeed.
Yet, was he wonderful and brilliant?
Was he now, had he ever been?
Had he changed in the last decade and a half, and if so, how?
No more than a minute or two had passed since I’d hung up the phone.
I lifted the receiver and called Maureen.
When she answered, I said, “Is this a bad time?”
“I’m standing in my mudroom watching my kids fight over an inflatable raft in the pool.”
“Do you’re gonna wanna go outside?”
What are you doing?"
“Wait, really?”
“Oh, geez.
Are you okay?”
“Those weren’t the words he used.”
“I know everyone thought it was his destiny, but it’s wild that he’s actually running.
Can he win?”
“It’s not impossible.”
“Do you wish you were married to him?”
I added, “Although sometimes I wish I were married to someone.”
“Well, there are plenty of someones who wish they were married to you.
I said, “I’m really grateful for everything I have.”
“Things are good almost all of the time,” I continued.
“But every so often this gaping hole of loneliness opens up.”
“Sometimes it opens up while Meredith is literally sitting on me.”
Then she yelled, “Johnny, I can see you.
Do you know that I can see you?
Leave your sister alone.”
Talking to me again, she said, “Sorry, where were we?
Oh, right, gaping loneliness.
So should I vote for Bill or not?”
“He has the primary to get through before we need to worry about that.
If you were me, would you say nice things about him to reporters?”
I was surprised by her certainty.
“Why would you?”
“I think if he could have controlled his behavior, he would have.”
“Do people ever say that when a woman does the things he did?”
I could hear Maureen smiling through the phone.
She said, “I thought you’d never ask.”
FROM THE BOOK RODHAM: A NOVEL BY CURTIS SITTENFELD.
COPYRIGHT 2020 BY CURTIS SITTENFELD.
PUBLISHED BY PERMISSION OF RANDOM HOUSE, AN IMPRINT AND DIVISION OF PENGUIN RANDOM HOUSE LLC.
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