Listen. Learn. Sympathize. Support. Love. Care. Appreciate. Take action. Take the blows as they come. Recover in your own time, as best you can. Be calm. Be mad. Stay righteous. Never let anyone make you doubt yourself or your values and ethics. Again and again, keep going.
These are few of the basics of living life.
I didn't want to read this book at first. Because, like any human being with a soul, I wanted to forget about 2016. I didn't want to go right back to what I like to call PEST (Post-Election Stress and Trauma). Reliving a nightmare-turned-reality in its inception won't do any good. I don't even read non-fiction books on politics, anyway. But then I thought that that would make me a coward. We've had enough time to recover from the worst of PEST by now, I think. And apathy, as many people have learned the hard way, is worse than not doing anything. Not caring is complacency in the face of wrongdoing. So yes, I read 'What Happened' almost as soon as it came out.
It is a very brave, informative, hard, heartbreaking, and important book without being too provocative. The lovely writing helps make this an overall cathartic experience, and I feel brave - privileged - to have read these words, coming straight from the heart.
Hillary Rodham Clinton shows courage, conscience, kindness, compassion, intelligence, commonsense, dignity, and above all humanity (not to mention competence) before, during and after her 2016 Presidential campaign, as well as the Election itself. Far more so than He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named. Her loss was as devastating to her, obviously, as it was to others who have counted on her (or didn't, as was the tragic case of the none-voters). But she keeps going - she persists in her own way - as 'What Happened' demonstrates. The woman who would have been the first female President of the United States is not going away, naysayers; at least admit that you just hate women, and that her victory - taken away so unfairly, under such bizarre, controversial, evil, mean-spirited circumstances - would have saved lives, or at least made them better by now; free from fear and hate.
Hillary knows well enough that looking backing in regret, frustration, and bitterness is aimless, when there is always a future to work towards. For every victory is temporary, and every loss is a learning experience and just another step forwards. I also loved reading about her family, her relationship with her husband, and the support she receives from her friends (especially her female friends) and those who know her personally, professionally, or other. It's real, and it's incredibly touching; all is not doom and gloom, after all.
'What Happened' left me with more understanding of Hillary- as well as politics - than I ever had before. It's nearly 500 pages long and I finished it in three days - Hillary is a brilliant, engaging writer, even when she talks business. Thanks to her important book, I feel I am no longer angry or upset about what happened. Even after everything, she gives off hope. She allows us to look forward, to learn from our mistakes, to help make our countries truly great one step at a time.
She frees us. Hillary Rodham Clinton is now one of my favourite people in the world.
I nearly cried whilst reading this horrifying yet special, beautiful political non-fiction. Before I had finished the last 100 pages I bought another copy to give to my mother. I never do that.
Thanks to this remarkable, experienced woman - powerful in heart and spirit - I will always believe in staying stronger together, not apart. Not alone. No matter what. I will always believe in might for right. And that love trumps hate.
Thanks to Hillary, I'm going to try harder to do something that adds to human progress.
Final Score: 5/5
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