True Gretch
What I've Learned About Life, Leadership, and Everything in Between
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- $29.99
Publisher Description
From trailblazing Michigan governor, Democratic leader, and national advocate for women’s rights, Gretchen Whitmer, comes an unconventional and deeply personal account of her life and career—“Not your nana’s ponderous political memoir” (New York magazine)—offering insights into her leadership during the Covid-19 pandemic, her fight against domestic terrorism threats, and her resilience in the face of extraordinary challenges.
When Gretchen Whitmer was growing up, her beloved grandmother Nino taught her that you can always find something good in other people. “Even the meanest person might have pretty eyes,” she would say. Nino’s words persuaded Whitmer to look for the good in any person or situation—just one of many colorful personal experiences that have shaped her political vision. (And, as Whitmer writes, one that resonated more than another piece of advice her grandmother offered, to “never part your hair in the middle.”)
In this candid and inspiring book, Whitmer reveals the principles and instincts that have shaped her extraordinary career, from her early days as a lawyer and legislator and her 2018 election as governor of Michigan, to her bold and innovative actions as she led the state through a series of unprecedented crises. Her motto in politics, she writes, is to “get shit done.”
Whitmer shares the lessons in resilience that steered her through some of the most challenging events in Michigan’s history, such as the Covid-19 pandemic, a five-hundred-year flood, the rise of domestic terrorism, and the fierce fight to protect reproductive rights.
Along the way, she tells stories about the outsize characters in her family, her lifelong clumsy streak, the wild comments she’s heard on the campaign trail, her self-deprecating social media campaigns (including her star turn as a talking potato with lipstick), and the slyly funny tactics she deploys to neutralize her opponents.
Written with Whitmer’s trademark sense of humor and straight-shooting style, True Gretch is not only a compelling account of her remarkable journey, but also “welcome reassurance that someone might be courageous and capable enough to run toward the fire” (The Washington Post)—a blueprint for anyone who wants to make a difference in their community, their country, or the world. It is a testament to the power of humor, perseverance, and compassion in the face of darkness.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
The Democratic governor of Michigan shares life lessons and political wisdom in her unsatisfyingly brief debut memoir. Whitmer recaps the challenges she has faced in office, among them a social media attack by then President Trump in the early days of the pandemic, a mass school shooting at a high school north of Detroit, and a headline-grabbing plot to kidnap her that was disrupted by the FBI. But readers hoping for a deeper look at the governor's life and politics will be disappointed by what reads like little more than standard campaign fare. The book's most moving and courageous moment details Whitmer's 2013 decision, as a state representative, to go public with the story of her rape in college in a bid to sink a bill that forced women to buy extra health insurance for abortion coverage. (The bill passed, but Whitmer oversaw the law's repeal in 2023.) In breezy prose, Whitmer manages to relay some personal insights—folksy wisdom shared by her grandmothers, a family penchant for gallows humor, and the admission that she "ran with a fast crowd" as a student, for example. But the net effect is to leave readers wanting more. There is almost certainly enough material—personal and political—for Whitmer to deliver a meaty memoir. Unfortunately, this isn't it.
