First published 2022
Meghan McCain opens her story feeling displaced within the Republican Party that once defined her identity. She chronicles her upbringing as the daughter of John McCain, an American political icon whose influence shaped her worldview and values. The narrative moves through her dating experiences in New York, her eventual meeting with her husband, and her role as the lone Republican voice on a prominent daytime television show. McCain confronts the tension between her personal beliefs and party expectations, particularly around women's rights following her miscarriage and daughter's birth. She recounts an uncomfortable phone conversation with Donald and Melania Trump and examines her decision to leave television. Throughout, she grapples with cancel culture, online harassment, and the challenge of maintaining conservative principles while disagreeing with party positions. The memoir captures her struggle to reconcile family legacy with personal conviction, showing how major life events shifted her perspective on reproductive rights and put her at odds with traditional Republican stances.
Genres: american, political-science, autobiography, contemporary, biography-memoir, 21st-century
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, fish-out-of-water
Period: 21st-century
224 pages · Hardcover · BenBella Books
Content warnings: anxiety, depression, pregnancy-loss