And His Lovely Wife: A Memoir from the Woman Beside the Man

Connie Schultz has written a love story and a fun quick read! This couple had their priorities straight as they struggled--and triumphed--through the inevitable challenges of the American political campaign. I appreciated Ms. Schultz calling herself a feminist (without apologizing for keeping her name) and Sherrod Brown accepting the label of liberal--it was refreshing to peek into the lives of people true to their roots and their beliefs. And it makes me think about what Michelle Obama must be experiencing right about now...

Connie Schultz takes us inside her husband's 2006 senatorial campaign and shows us, in a warm, conversational style, just what it takes for the candidate--and the family--to win a statewide office. She is real, down-to-earth, funny and tells it like it is. Her passion for helping people matches her husband's, and she puts her heart and soul into the election. A book for all political junkies of any party!

Smart, funny, and honest, ...and His Lovely Wife shows how crushingly difficult it is to run for public office. It also demostrates that there are still some honorable politicians who care deeply about average people. And there are dishonorable politicians willing to lie and slander in order to hang on to their power. (The incumbent Sherrod Brown defeated accused John Glenn--John Glenn--f being unpatriotic and soft on communism. The mind boggles.) The book is also a lot of fun. Not surprisingly, Connie Schultz writes very well (Pulitzers are not given out as Cracker Jack prizes), and she can be very funny about the lunacy of campaigning. I'm glad Ms. Shultz has been able to go back to her life as a journalist, and I hope this book is read by everyone who cares about American politics and government.

Schultz writes with humor and passion. She was there every inch of the way as her husband Sherrod Brown fought the underdog's battle and knocked off the incumbent Ohio senator, Mike DeWine. Political junkies will love this inside look at the campaign that shifted the balance of power in the US Senate. Most telling, Schultz and Brown are progressives with strong Christian beliefs, a real slap across the kisser for all those holier than thou right wingers who trumpet their family values while having affairs on the side: Newt Gingrich-please don't run for office again.

So many political memiors are thank you notes to supporters or influential people who can advance a politician's career. But, Ms. Schultz's book provides an outsider a view to the inside of a political campaign as well as to her inner most thoughts (at times) when it came to dealing with her own identity issues. As the book (and campaign) progresses, the reader can see how the humor and energy changes. This is a great read that will take you, from the wife's perspective, through the underbelly of how campaign strategy works and how the opponent's tricks play upon the candidate. It will take you, as well, through the inter mind workings of an intelligent woman who had to change her life and put her career on hold to support someone she loves. This is not your normal political read. You do not need to be a "political junkie" to enjoy it. Anyone who has ever evaluated their own life, or had to deal with society's stereotypes of how wives and women are to "be"; or just want a good read with humor and insight on life thrown in, will enjoy this book.