Half-Life of a Zealot

Half-Life of a Zealot is a remarkable book, and Swanee Hunt is a remarkable person. In her introduction, the author quotes Jill Ker Conway who wrote: "The woman autobiographer...cannot depart too dramatically from popularly accepted stereotypes, which affirm the man of action and the suffering or redemptive female. To do so is to risk losing persuasive power." A statement Ms. Hunt agrees with, but; she writes, "rather than feel reluctant about showing my vulnerability, I've wondered if it's safe to show strength." In those two sentences, Ms. Hunt beautifully sets the book's tone of the dualities of her life, one that was lived in isolation, and the other in public; one where love was given freely by her gentle mother, the other often held at bay by her powerful, famous father. With razor sharp intellect, openness, and candor, Ms. Hunt weaves her many lives as politician, daughter, sister, wife, mother, and peace maker into a wonderfully complex tapestry that pulls readers in deeper with each flip of the page. For even with her family's enormous wealth, Half-Life is a universal tale of a child's longings for family, love, and acceptance; and a triumphant story of a woman who grew into her own power and self-worth. Written in a casual and easy to read narrative, Half-Life is filled with unforgettable characters, fascinating events, and enough twists and turns that both mend and break the hearts to make it an engaging read.

Every person has multiple life themes, but few have so many, in such extreme form, so publicly exposed, and over time so effectively integrated into a life of service and beauty; fewer still are able to tell their story with such candor, vulnerability, generosity and hope. The externals of Swanee Hunt's life are worthy topics for a library of works: growing up in a family which merged great wealth, religious conservatism, and anti-communist fervor; finding her own gifts as a theologian, composer, philanthropist, civic leader, author and diplomat; learning to trust her instincts and voice to shape a life of radical compassion; engaging the full range of her gifts and resources to lift up the needs and tremendous capabilities of women throughout the world. These stories are well-told and compelling and would be an exceptional work if they were told in the third person. But this book is at its core the story of one woman's life journey as she has come to terms with those externals and with the joys and challenges of her own complex inner life, with family relations and responsibilities, with her loneliness and love, and with a deep awareness of her own strengths and searching. By revealing the inner and outer complexities of her life so boldly and honestly, Ambassador Hunt has created a work which will resonate deeply in the lives of many others. I believe this work will have a lasting value, as the expression of a remarkable life, and as a witness and invitation to all who read it to live with similar passion and intentionality for a better world. By sharing her life, Swanee Hunt has helped blaze a pathway for countless other women and men. We can be very grateful for her wisdom and courage.

I picked this book up and started reading in the middle. I literally couldn't put it down and realized immediately I would have to start from the beginning. Though some may say 'Well, give me all that money and see what I could do with it,' but that would demean the passion and commitment behind Swanee Hunt's dedicated public service and focused philanthropy. I am from Texas myself, and I saw first-hand how the archconservatives down there try to denigrate anyone who doesn't agree with their agenda. Thank goodness there are people like this firebrand who are determined to make the world a better place. I found myself very moved reading this woman's story. Why do more people not know of her work? If ever the producers of '60 Minutes' are looking for a great candidate for a full profile, have I got a girl for you! Oops -- a person for you!

Swanee Hunt's story is deeply moving. Her father, H.L. Hunt, has been called the richest man in America. But much of Hunt's early years is spent in an emotionally impoverished family. Her spirited memoir is a story of transformation. Brought up as a conservative Southern Baptist fighting communism alongside her eccentric father, Hunt evolves into a dynamic advocate for women in conflict areas, women waging peace, and women on the campaign trail. As a citizen of the world, Hunt is appointed Ambassador to Austria and becomes a passionate philanthropist. She is astonishingly candid, vulnerable, and endearing. Hunt bares her soul and shows how Southern grit, hard work, and zeal (along with wealth) can help change the world. The journey of how she becomes who she is today is a spellbinding tale.

Swanee Hunt's book, Half-Life of a Zealot, is wonderful!! Very empowering and a fun read. She has a gift for expressing complicated matters - personal, professional and political - in simple terms, and she manages to do it without losing the complexities and nuance that make this such a full-bodied story.