by Evan Barker
First published 2026
Evan Barker chronicles her journey from Democratic Party insider to disillusioned defector in this political memoir. Born into a union family in Kansas City with a genetic lung condition, Barker believed the Democrats existed to help people like her. She became a skilled fundraiser, bringing in tens of millions for Democratic candidates while climbing the party hierarchy. But at the 2024 Democratic National Convention, Barker reached her limit. She argues the party abandoned its working-class roots for coastal elitism, identity politics, and special interest influence. When she voiced concerns about this shift, she became a target within her own movement. Barker exposes the inner workings of Democratic donors, strategists, and activists through personal experience and insider access. She contends the party transformed from a champion of ordinary Americans into an echo chamber for elites obsessed with moral posturing. The book provides readers with an insider's perspective on contemporary Democratic politics and explains how a major American political party lost its way.
Genres: american, political-science, politics, biography-memoir, 21st-century
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: disillusionment, insider-access
Setting: Kansas City
Period: 2024
288 pages · Hardcover · Threshold Editions